BMW users no longer need to fiddle with their iPhone will driving – it’s illegal anyway, so DON’T do it – instead they’ll be able to just plug in their iPhone and see the iPhone display on their cars display, and use the car’s own iDrive system to navigate and use the phone.
BMW has announced its intent to support Apple’s iOS 4’s iPod Out feature. This feature allows a connected iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or iPod Touch (second or third generation) to output and display an iPod interface on a connected device’s external screen.
Rather than displaying BMW or the Mini’s iPod interface, the connected vehicle would display Apple’s own interface, which will be controllable with the vehicle’s controls. Users will be able to control the iPod’s music playback and browse their music, playlists, podcasts, and Genius mixes.
The benefit of using the iPod Out connection is that it allows the interface to change and grow with the connected iPhone or iPod. If Apple adds, changes, or removes an iPod feature in the next revision, the connected BMW or Mini should immediately be able to reflect those changes.
Here’s the obligatory video of men with German accents saying how great it all is
Genius! So what’s next? buying a BMW on iTunes as an iPhone accessory? What do you think?
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