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Massive BMW Operating System OTA Update Brings Tons of New Features for Free

The “biggest and most extensive upgrade in the premium manufacturer’s history so far”: this is how German carmaker BMW describes the 07/20 update for its Operating System. And it does mean that in more ways than one.
BMW Operating System update details 15 photos
Photo: BMW
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First, it’s the number of cars to get it. Starting October 19 in Germany, and from there in all international markets, a total of around 750,000 vehicles will get the new version, free of charge and over-the-air. That’s a massive undertaking, and as far as we know no other European carmaker has ever done anything similar to this.

Then, we have the number of features included in the update. There are around 8 major areas covered by this, starting with navigation and ending with the car’s ability to tell drivers where to find parking spaces.

First, navigation. There are three choices BMW drivers will have at their disposal, namely BMW Maps, Google Maps, and Apple Maps.

BMW’s own solution is described as an “entirely new navigation experience,” powered by a cloud-based system that should in theory be more than a match for the navigation tools Google and Apple have to offer – the first video below shows you how to use BMW Maps.

With this update, BMWs get Android Auto as a new feature, and will allow wireless connection between the phone and the BMW hardware. Additionally, the directions in Maps are integrated with the Head-up Display and in the Info Display.

For CarPlay's Apple Maps, the novelty is the inclusion of turn-by-turn directions and lane information, which are also shown directly in the Head-up Display and in the Info Display.

The Connected Parking feature comes to bring info on where free parking spaces can be found, but also provides the driver with the probability that a parking space will be free.

As announced since August, eDrive Zones makes its way into Bimmers. Using geo-fencing, computers tell PHEVs from compatible 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, and X5 when to automatically switch to electric power as they enter certain areas. For now, this works only in London and Birmingham, but probably more areas would be added in the future.

Additionally, the experience with the Intelligent Personal Assistant, connected charging, and Smart Opener tailgate function has also been improved.

You can have a more detailed look at what update 07/20 brings to the BMW Operating System in the press release section and in the second video below. If you are a BMW driver, look out for a push notification in your vehicle or via the BMW App (Android app here, IOS here) telling you the update is coming.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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