BMW will not allow Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to take over the entire dashboard of your vehicle.

BMW's new iDrive 9 infotainment system is coming to a car near you.

In addition to introducing its brand new iDrive 9 system (more on that below), BMW revealed at CES 2023 that it does not intend to integrate full infotainment and instrument cluster takeovers from Google or Apple.

We already knew that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto would be standard in all BMW models starting in 2023, but it has now been made clear that full instrument takeover capabilities will not be included. We've known since Apple's developer conference in June that this is planned for a CarPlay release later this year, giving it the ability to take over your car's entire dashboard.

During a session we attended, Dr. Christoph Grote, BMW's head of electronics, stated that the company will not go that far. "We have CarPlay on two screens. On the main screen as well as in the [instrument] cluster. It isn't the entire cluster, but it is a reserved area. The full CarPlay-style instrument cluster is not included. I believe it will be clear why we decided against it, If you look at the history of the tech industry, every five to ten years we hear about a tech end game, but it never happens," Grote clearly believes. Players come and go, and the same is true for the big ones. We've been in business for 100 years; I'm not going to bet the company on something that will only last another ten."

"If you relate cars and smartphones quite closely to one another then you ignore the fact that driving a vehicle is very different from sitting somewhere and tapping on your phone. There are some similarities, but it is a very different application. We believe it is not a good fit for us because we are a company that is very focused on providing a pleasant and safe driving experience."

With the introduction of the new iDrive 9, it appears that the current iDrive 8 technology will not be around as long as previously thought. BMW's iDrive 9 is scheduled for release with the BMW X1. The interface will be entirely new, and there will even be an app store powered by Apptoide.

The BMW X2 and new Mini releases will ship with iDrive 9, but some vehicles will receive iDrive 8.5 instead. It will look the same as iDrive 9, but it will appear because many BMW vehicles have Linux-based systems instead of the newer Android-based iDrive 9. It is based on the open-source version of Android rather than the Google Play Services version.

This is primarily a touch-screen-based system, though BMW, like others, appears to be spending on voice control. BMW uses Alexa technology for its voice platform, though it is not by default open to Amazon's larger Alexa ecosystem for privacy reasons.

BMW also says that as of the 2018 model year, approximately 4 million cars can be updated over the air.