BMW is pressing its claim to automotive brand leadership in the world of mobile vehicle connectivity through its BMW ConnectedDrive technology. As the BMW i Remote app confirms, nowhere else is the link-up of driver, car and outside world raised to such an advanced level.
The app can already be used to remotely check and control functions of BMW i models. It is an application that customers will also be able to use from day one on the new Apple Watch, due for imminent release. Apple Watch uses the BMW i Remote app – which can be downloaded free from the Apple iTunes Store – to keep users updated on the car’s current battery status, for example, and alert them when the high-voltage unit is fully charged.
In addition, Apple Watch can continue the navigation instructions from the BMW i3 to the user’s final destination after the car has been parked as well as guiding them back to the car if required. And it also allows the interior temperature to be pre-conditioned. The new smartwatch features an innovative glance screen for applications which groups together the most important information provided by the app so that it can be viewed at a single glance.
As well as the car’s battery charge, the available range and the timing of updates, the glance screen also shows BMW i Remote app users whether the car doors are locked. With their embedded SIM cards, BMW i3 and BMW i8 are optimised for connectivity, while the BMW i Remote app creates a close link between the car, driver and outside world. The BMW i Remote app for Apple Watch slots in alongside solutions for mobile devices running Android operating systems, further corroborating how quickly BMW is able to respond to the rapid pace of “connected car” innovations with intelligent solutions such as services and apps from BMW ConnectedDrive.
I kinda doubt that BMW owners are going to wear Apple watch.