Three iDrive generations, three routes
BMW is the make where the year matters most, because the iDrive underneath changed three times in the cars we see:
- NBT EVO (ID5 / ID6), about 2016–2020 — the tiled menu. CarPlay is in the software and often disabled from the factory. We enable it by coding: €150, under an hour, nothing removed.
- CIC and NBT, about 2009–2016 — 1 Series F20, 3 Series F30, 5 Series F10, X1 E84, X3 F25, X5 E70 and F15, i3. No CarPlay in the software, so a CarPlay box goes behind the dash and shows CarPlay or Android Auto on the factory iDrive screen. Controlled from the iDrive knob, from €450 fitted.
- CCC and the Business radio, before 2009 — E90 3 Series, E60 5 Series, E87 1 Series, X5 E53. Here an Android screen replaces the display, keeps the iDrive controller and adds wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, with a reverse camera input.
- iDrive 7 and 8, 2020 on — CarPlay from the factory, Android Auto too. If yours is wired-only or has a subscription message, ask: it is usually a coding job.
BMW models we work on
| Model | Years | What we fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Series F20 | 2011–2019 | CarPlay box, or Android screen — see our 1 Series install |
| 2 Series F22 | 2014 on | CarPlay box, activation on EVO cars |
| 3 Series F30 | 2012–2019 | CarPlay box, activation on 2016+ EVO cars |
| 4 Series F32 | 2013–2020 | CarPlay box, activation on EVO cars |
| 5 Series F10 | 2010–2017 | CarPlay box, or Android screen with iDrive — see the F10 install |
| X1 E84 / F48 | 2009 on | CarPlay box on E84, activation on F48 EVO cars |
| X2 F39 | 2018 on | Activation |
| X3 F25 / G01 | 2010 on | CarPlay box on F25, activation on G01 |
| X5 E53 / E70 | 2005–2013 | CarPlay box — see the X5 install |
| X5 F15 | 2013–2018 | CarPlay box, activation on late EVO cars |
| i3 | 2014–2017 | CarPlay box — see the i3 install |
| iX, i4 | 2021 on | Factory CarPlay and Android Auto |
What changes on the dash
With activation, nothing: the CarPlay tile simply appears in the iDrive menu, and the reverse camera, PDC and Harman Kardon system are untouched. With a CarPlay box the screen, the controller and every BMW menu stay; there is one USB lead in the centre console and the box lives behind the trim. The Android screen route is the only one that changes what you see — a larger display in the factory position — and even then the iDrive knob keeps driving it.
Prices
- iDrive activation — €150, under an hour, reversible, no trace.
- CarPlay box behind the factory screen — from €450 fitted (box €350, fitting €150 at checkout).
- Android screen with iDrive control — from €700 supply-only on 5 Series F10; fitting booked at checkout.
Why Radio King
BMW is the make we retrofit most: seven years of it, the before-and-after of a BMW screen on our CarPlay page, and a free VIN check so nobody books the wrong route. One-year warranty on the work, 4.8 stars on Google, workshop at Rosemount Business Park, Dublin 11.
