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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum iDrive, Audio, Bluetooth, Phone, Cameras, Electronics + Coding iDrive 8.0

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      01-24-2021, 12:42 PM   #1
Cabbage
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iDrive 8.0

I have 2 quick questions.

1) Will there be iDrive 8.0, and if there will be, when can we expect it?

2) Will BMW's equipped with iDrive 7.0 be able to update to 8.0 if there is one?
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      01-24-2021, 02:16 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabbage View Post
I have 2 quick questions.

1) Will there be iDrive 8.0, and if there will be, when can we expect it?

2) Will BMW's equipped with iDrive 7.0 be able to update to 8.0 if there is one?
1) yes, coming with the ix
2) probably not. It's got a new hardware unit, an MGU21
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      01-24-2021, 02:21 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by davidoff86 View Post
1) yes, coming with the ix
2) probably not. It's got a new hardware unit, an MGU21
Thanks for the information!
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      01-24-2021, 02:26 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davidoff86 View Post
1) yes, coming with the ix
2) probably not. It's got a new hardware unit, an MGU21
BMW, like most car companies, want you to buy/lease a new car, not update the old one. That may change if BMW goes ahead with the subscription model but as of now, don't expect BMW to give you systemic upgrades (as opposed to fixes and minor upgrades).
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      01-24-2021, 02:52 PM   #5
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Everything is as davidoff86 notes.

But it is really hard to know what iDrive 8 brings to the table until the iX is showing up. As of what BMW demoed at CES it is heavily focused on the BMW Personal Assistant. Since iDrive 7 supports the BMW Personal Assistant it is possible that iDrive 7 and iDrive 8 might support largely the same things (as BMW does update the BMW Personal Assistant on iDrive 7 via software updates).

If you're concerned though I'd get a G30 specced with CarPlay and Android Auto. As that is your path to future proofing in the car interface world.
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      01-24-2021, 03:13 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LogicalApex View Post
Everything is as davidoff86 notes.

But it is really hard to know what iDrive 8 brings to the table until the iX is showing up. As of what BMW demoed at CES it is heavily focused on the BMW Personal Assistant. Since iDrive 7 supports the BMW Personal Assistant it is possible that iDrive 7 and iDrive 8 might support largely the same things (as BMW does update the BMW Personal Assistant on iDrive 7 via software updates).

If you're concerned though I'd get a G30 specced with CarPlay and Android Auto. As that is your path to future proofing in the car interface world.
I just recently placed my order for a 2021 M550i so I am hoping that it will be able to update to iDrive 8.0. Thanks for the help!
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      01-24-2021, 09:08 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabbage View Post
I just recently placed my order for a 2021 M550i so I am hoping that it will be able to update to iDrive 8.0. Thanks for the help!
iDrive 7 cars such as your MY2021 M550i won't be able to update to iDrive 8. BMW will limit that to cars equipped with the iDrive 8 head unit. You'll likely get some iDrive 8 features like an improved BMW Personal Assistant via Remote Software Updates (RSU) on iDrive 7, but to what extent no one knows (it could even be to no extent at all and BMW skips adding new features).

I would go in assuming you won't get any new features as that's the known pattern of BMW. What develops over time will be made clearer as time passes, but as I, and others have said, don't get your hopes up.

As I said earlier though, iDrive 8 looks pretty incremental compared to iDrive 7. It isn't looking anything like Mercedes Benz HyperScreen where they are radically rethinking their in car UI and hardware setup in pretty dramatic ways.

Enjoy your G30! I'm sure you'll smile handsomely behind the wheel!
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      01-25-2021, 06:35 AM   #8
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see: https://fccid.io/T8GMGU21/Test-Repor...part01-4965666

idrive 7's headunit is known internally as the MGU18
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      01-25-2021, 08:07 AM   #9
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If I may throw some more cold water in your general direction, there's a thread of a gent retrofitting the bigger LCI screen to a pre-LCI iDrive6 model and the resolution was off.

So yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath for iDrive 8.
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      01-25-2021, 08:24 AM   #10
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we are forgetting the obvious step of an iDrive 8.0 lite if history is anything to go by!
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