[ssh]

Posts on other threads from @BMWdav have observed and discussed delays and lag in iDrive 8. This seems worth it's own thread.

In observations of various iDrive 8 functions during a drive yesterday, I noticed a few things:

1. The first time I used the Climate settings, there was a slight delay (I assume as the app loaded). After that first time, the settings came up more quickly and were consistent.
2. Loading the full list of apps takes a bit, and there's a noticeable delay in displaying the list. This delay is consistent, and is most noticeable when on the "All Apps" filter. The "Vehicle Apps" filter loads faster.
3. It seems to me that iDrive deliberately pauses to make sure a touch or swipe is intentional. It doesn't respond instantly, but given the motion of a vehicle being driven, I can understand this design choice. This can be seen as "lag," but I don't think it's a result of an overtaxed CPU or memory.

In my experience yesterday, these all seemed to be intentional with the exception of loading all the apps which I suspect is a delay introduced at least partially by the communication with the phone for the apps which are part of the phone's contribution.

I'm curious about areas of iDrive 8 which you see as "laggy" or otherwise performance limited. I'm willing to do some more testing on this...

 

[thev]

Hey ssh! Thanks for this "roundup" post.

To me it seems like the software is quite good and responsive, and the lag it does have is acceptable or a lot less than many other brands of cars. I just came back from an auto show this weekend where I went and sat in a lot of cars, and the responsiveness of most cars' infotainment is disastruous. BMW and iDrive 8 is among the best of them, I think, along with Mercedes' new system (the absolute best on this point is of course, I'm pained to say it, Tesla).

That being said, the most awful lag I've seen in the i4 (and it truly is awful) is the radio station selection list in the driver's display. You access it by pressing down on the scroll knob on the right side of the steering wheel (between the left/right arrows) and then you can scroll through the radio stations. I don't know if it's just my car, but going through that list is a jittery 5 fps mess. And it can't be excused by being touch screen input delay as it's activated through a really nice and tactile physical button.

 

[Kief]

I just took delivery yesterday, and I found ID8 to be extremely slow, Navi particularly compared to ID7 in my M4

 

[ssh]

That being said, the most awful lag I've seen in the i4 (and it truly is awful) is the radio station selection list in the driver's display. You access it by pressing down on the scroll knob on the right side of the steering wheel (between the left/right arrows) and then you can scroll through the radio stations. I don't know if it's just my car, but going through that list is a jittery 5 fps mess. And it can't be excused by being touch screen input delay as it's activated through a really nice and tactile physical button.

I never do radio, so I haven't experienced this, but I wonder if they don't scan ahead so they are actively pulling available stations as you scroll? This seems nuts, but that's how it sounds.

 

[ssh]

I just took delivery yesterday, and I found ID8 to be extremely slow, Navi particularly compared to ID7 in my M4

Which aspects and in what way? Are you seeing what appears to be delay caused by the OS or delays actually coded in? I'm seeing the latter, so I'm not calling it overloaded hardware at this point...

 

[cruzer666]

• Opening Weather App (1 second delay, consistently)
• Opening Spotify App (1-2 seconds delay, consistently)
• Moving the Tile (home screen) list left and right on the display shows low refresh rate.

No other delays/lag experienced. I drove the car over 3,500 miles.

 

[smatanovic]

I haven't seen any appreciable lag in id8. It's by far the most responsive in-car system Ive ever used (ID5, 6, 7; various recent Honda products; various recent VW products; 2020 huyndai ioniq hybrid).

 

[ssh]

• Opening Weather App (1 second delay, consistently)
• Opening Spotify App (1-2 seconds delay, consistently)
• Moving the Tile (home screen) list left and right on the display shows low refresh rate.

No other delays/lag experienced. I drove the car over 3,500 miles.

Consistent delays always seem to me to be coded intentionally or else, as @Techwhiz1 often points out, in need of specific profiling for a code path. But real consistent timing has me thinking it's intentional.

 

[cruzer666]

Consistent delays always seem to me to be coded intentionally or else, as @Techwhiz1 often points out, in need of specific profiling for a code path. But real consistent timing has me thinking it's intentional.

None of those bother me one way or the other. Purely observations.

 

[Kief]

Which aspects and in what way? Are you seeing what appears to be delay caused by the OS or delays actually coded in? I'm seeing the latter, so I'm not calling it overloaded hardware at this point...

All better now, must have needed time to work itself out following delivery

 

[Nahlem]

ID8 is rather okay in terms of performance but the refresh rate feels a bit low on these screens if you compared to modern standards with 120 hz and upwards. If they would have implemented faster hz displays it would feel different it is consistent with slow refresh rate screens in how it behaves.

 

[cruzer666]

ID8 is rather okay in terms of performance but the refresh rate feels a bit low on these screens if you compared to modern standards with 120 hz and upwards. If they would have implemented faster hz displays it would feel different it is consistent with slow refresh rate screens in how it behaves.

It seems like the refresh rate of the display itself is more than adequate if you use Apple carplay and android auto. The only place I notice the refresh rate being "low" is moving tiles left and right on the main screen.

Also, this isn't a whole iDrive issue, if you have the HK system, you can go to settings and hit "Experience Sound" I believe is the option and the video will play with a decent refresh rate. I'm not sure the frequency though.

 

[Nahlem]

It seems like the refresh rate of the display itself is more than adequate if you use Apple carplay and android auto. The only place I notice the refresh rate being "low" is moving tiles left and right on the main screen.

Also, this isn't a whole iDrive issue, if you have the HK system, you can go to settings and hit "Experience Sound" I believe is the option and the video will play with a decent refresh rate. I'm not sure the frequency though.

Yes i noticed that to, witch is weird at times it feels very "smooth" and at other times it just acting up like an 60 hz or lower display.

Either the display is adaptive like phones are and at times it actually is well over 60 hz and other times like when moving tiles it is slow like crazy that it feels very unresponsive.

But i do feel like the HZ is lacking compared to modern standards, having a 3440x1440 175 hz G-Sync screen at home i can't help to feel that the BMW display is "slow" in comparison.

Because i simply cant find the specs for the screen.

 

[ssh]

ID8 is rather okay in terms of performance but the refresh rate feels a bit low on these screens if you compared to modern standards with 120 hz and upwards. If they would have implemented faster hz displays it would feel different it is consistent with slow refresh rate screens in how it behaves.

Can you imagine the added cost of a 120 Hz display of that size?!

 

[niam]

I never do radio, so I haven't experienced this, but I wonder if they don't scan ahead so they are actively pulling available stations as you scroll? This seems nuts, but that's how it sounds.

at least this part is working. once touched the wheel i get a clear picture of the radio station on my hood. maybe it’s worth to try a reset?