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BMW Announce iDrive 8.5 and iDrive 9

46781 Views 458 Replies 68 Participants Last post by  i4M50Guy, 
i4M50Guy
Probably won’t apply to the current i4 but maybe we’ll see this in future models (LCI?).

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i4de
Super weird news ... why even release the iDrive 8.5 in a brand new car? Why not use iDrive 9 and bring 8.5 to "old" models.

Also ... how would I feel when I just ordered the new 7 series and see this?
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i4M50Guy
i4de said:
Super weird news ... why even release the iDrive 8.5 in a brand new car? Why not use iDrive 9 and bring 8.5 to "old" models.
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Looks like 8.5 is still Linux-based so will maybe run on existing hardware. 9.0 is Android-based to might be using all new hardware. Easier to make that fit into a new model than an old one.
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i4M50Guy said:
Probably won’t apply to the current i4 but maybe we’ll see this in future models (LCI?).

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Not a good sign here:

Lastly, not all iDrive 8 models will not be able to upgrade to 8.5 because different hardware is required. The list is not complete yet but it will definitely include the latest 3 Series sedan.
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i4de
I think it shows very well how much traditional car makers struggle with software. While Tesla keeps updating old vehicles like a champ BMW manages to get incompatible to updates in just a year.

I hope at some point all car makers understand that they need to get better.

Maybe I now should hope I don't get my i4 this year to get the LCI ;).
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ssh
i4de said:
I hope at some point all car makers understand that they need to get better.
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...and the best way to do this is to choose a core foundational technology build by a technology company.
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i4de said:
I think it shows very well how much traditional car makers struggle with software. While Tesla keeps updating old vehicles like a champ BMW manages to get incompatible to updates in just a year.

I hope at some point all car makers understand that they need to get better.

Maybe I now should hope I don't get my i4 this year to get the LCI ;).
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Agreed!
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Technic
This iDrive 8 to iDrive 8.5 is very similar to the iDrive 5 to iDrive 6 switch - same hardware, different skin.
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i4de
ssh said:
...and the best way to do this is to choose a core foundational technology build by a technology company.
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Agreed, but they seem to choose the opensource variant ... which I don't trust them to keep up to date and thus API compatible. We have the same problem with Android phones ...

Anyway having an IT background I just don't trust them to make the right choices. Also why does it already need a hardware upgrade? What chips did they use which work on Linux but not on Android?
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Technic
i4de said:
Agreed, but they seem to choose the opensource variant ... which I don't trust them to keep up to date and thus API compatible. We have the same problem with Android phones ...

Anyway having an IT background I just don't trust them to make the right choices. Also why does it already need a hardware upgrade? What chips did they use which work on Linux but not on Android?
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... the cheaper one.
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ssh
i4de said:
Agreed, but they seem to choose the opensource variant ... which I don't trust them to keep up to date and thus API compatible. We have the same problem with Android phones ...

Anyway having an IT background I just don't trust them to make the right choices. Also why does it already need a hardware upgrade? What chips did they use which work on Linux but not on Android?
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...especially since Android is essentially a Linux kernel at its foundation.
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i4de
Exactly, and from some posts I saw they seem to use Intel Atoms (
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1595122298222440448
) so for me there is no immediate reason to not support Android Automotive except ... additional efforts to backport stuff.
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Technic said:
This iDrive 8 to iDrive 8.5 is very similar to the iDrive 5 to iDrive 6 switch - same hardware, different skin.
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No apparently some iDrive8 cars will be left behind per this article

carbuzz.com

The Next BMW iDrive Will Debut In The 5 Series

BMW will debut an updated iDrive 8.5 operating system in the next-generation BMW 5 Series, internally called the G60, which is slated to begin production this July as a 2024 model. The first production examples are scheduled to arrive in dealerships in late 2023. The German automaker's Senior...
carbuzz.com carbuzz.com

“Lastly, not all iDrive 8 models will not be able to upgrade to 8.5 because different hardware is required. The list is not complete yet but it will definitely include the latest 3 Series sedan.”
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i4de said:
Exactly, and from some posts I saw they seem to use Intel Atoms (
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1595122298222440448
) so for me there is no immediate reason to not support Android Automotive except ... additional efforts to backport stuff.
Click to expand...
This article mentions that using full on Android Automotive would leave their own engineers unable to make critical fixes/end up waiting on Google: The Next BMW iDrive Will Debut In The 5 Series
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i4de
Yeah, I am not sure if it's more an excuse and they don't want to say "we lose control otherwise". Also it's an EU company, they probably don't want to get into GPDR issues with their cars for using Google.

But as said that's the pessimistic view I have about "traditional" companies and anything IT.
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i4de said:
Agreed, but they seem to choose the opensource variant ... which I don't trust them to keep up to date and thus API compatible. We have the same problem with Android phones ...

Anyway having an IT background I just don't trust them to make the right choices. Also why does it already need a hardware upgrade? What chips did they use which work on Linux but not on Android?
Click to expand...

My guess is BMW probably just wants to save the effort of having to port the Hardware Abstraction Layer(HAL) for the older models.
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Technic
tonyquan said:
No apparently some iDrive8 cars will be left behind per this article

carbuzz.com

The Next BMW iDrive Will Debut In The 5 Series

BMW will debut an updated iDrive 8.5 operating system in the next-generation BMW 5 Series, internally called the G60, which is slated to begin production this July as a 2024 model. The first production examples are scheduled to arrive in dealerships in late 2023. The German automaker's Senior...
carbuzz.com carbuzz.com

“Lastly, not all iDrive 8 models will not be able to upgrade to 8.5 because different hardware is required. The list is not complete yet but it will definitely include the latest 3 Series sedan.”
Click to expand...
www.bmwblog.com

BMW iDrive 9 Coming to BMW X1 in Two Months, iDrive 8.5 to others

The BMW X1 will get an all-new iDrive 9, replacing the old iDrive 8, and it will bring with it an all new user interface, new functionality, and even an app store.
www.bmwblog.com www.bmwblog.com

iDrive 8.5 will still be based on Linux, so there is a chance that we can flip iDrive 8 to iDrive 8.5 in software - it could be already there in the next software update, as iDrive 5 to 6.
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i4M50Guy
Technic said:
www.bmwblog.com

BMW iDrive 9 Coming to BMW X1 in Two Months, iDrive 8.5 to others

The BMW X1 will get an all-new iDrive 9, replacing the old iDrive 8, and it will bring with it an all new user interface, new functionality, and even an app store.
www.bmwblog.com www.bmwblog.com

iDrive 8.5 will still be based on Linux, so there is a chance that we can flip iDrive 8 to iDrive 8.5 in software - it could be already there in the next software update, as iDrive 5 to 6.
Click to expand...
Did they not do a v6 lite that you could enable via coding? I seem to remember something about that.
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niam
i4de said:
Super weird news ... why even release the iDrive 8.5 in a brand new car? Why not use iDrive 9 and bring 8.5 to "old" models.

Also ... how would I feel when I just ordered the new 7 series and see this?
Click to expand...
That’s unfortunately the destiny if you have a computer on 4 wheels…, starting to put out every year a new release of HW and SW OS(x)
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Technic said:
www.bmwblog.com

BMW iDrive 9 Coming to BMW X1 in Two Months, iDrive 8.5 to others

The BMW X1 will get an all-new iDrive 9, replacing the old iDrive 8, and it will bring with it an all new user interface, new functionality, and even an app store.
www.bmwblog.com www.bmwblog.com

iDrive 8.5 will still be based on Linux, so there is a chance that we can flip iDrive 8 to iDrive 8.5 in software - it could be already there in the next software update, as iDrive 5 to 6.
Click to expand...
It’s a bad indicator that even a brand new car (3 series) is already said to be incompatible with 8.5. Shows either poor planning by BMW or unwillingness to continue support of hardware that’s not even old yet. If they don’t support the 3 they can easily skip the i4.
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