BMW has been offering over-the-air updates for two years now, but their biggest software revision, which is also the most significant ever rolled out by a European automaker, is about to be launched.
Aimed at over 750,000 vehicles worldwide, version 07/20 for the BMW Operating System 7 will become available to customers in Germany on October 19, following other countries in Europe, but also the United States, Canada and China.
Owners will see a push notification in the car or on the dedicated smartphone app as soon as the update is available, and it will be downloaded directly and installed free of charge. The upgrade includes new and enhanced functions that should make life behind the wheel easier.
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BMW Maps will become faster and more dynamic and will offer users a new experience, revised destination input and additional features, such as information on points of interest, business opening hours, ratings and photos.
Google’s Android Auto will launch with the update, and the Apple CarPlay function will include turn-by-turn directions and lane information, displayed in the Info Display and the head-up display.
Finding a parking space will be easier with the Connected Parking, a system which also calculates the probability of it being free from available fleet data, and takes into consideration the size of the car as well.
With eDrive Zones established in over 90 cities across Europe, the digital service helps customers drive their plug-in hybrid BMWs in a more environmentally conscious manner.
The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant has been updated too, and it can now tell whether the driver or passenger is talking to it. It also includes new voice-command functions, such as switching the drive mode and operating the electric windows. Moreover, the Connected Charging feature has been upgraded with new details that reveal the opening hours, providers and availability of public charging posts.
Finally, the Smart Opener function of the tailgate can now be configured or deactivated altogether.
