[Gendis]

Hi guys. I'm wanting to replace my basic as heck CIC system with something way more fancy. Now i think i would prefer an NBT system since i do like OEM, but this is of course a bit of a hassle and way more expensive. So i'm wondering what NBT actually has over android. Like is there anything NBT can do that android can't? Or vice versa? Many thanks

[Gendis]

Anyone?

[Tony_B]

Hi

What options are you talking here? Are you talking about the options of
upgrading CIC to NBT (Evo 5/6?) via new HU/Screen/controller (keeps it OEM)

vs

Android screen *or* Android Auto via MMI box?

I'm going for an MMI box because my car is 2016 and cannot do nicer stuff without an EVO 5/6 upgrade as above. Also going MMI as I don't want go through an expensive upgrade OEM type upgrade that will still not get me Android Auto (I have an Android phone)

If you mean Android HU/Screen then that's a whole new shooting match with an Android O/S which can be customised to your hearts content (will provide Android Auto) and you can still keep your old CIC in the background. Actually both the MMI and Android HU are 'in addition' not 'in place of' the underlying CIC/NBT. Benefit here is cost and customisation. An MMI box will also get you Apple Carplay. Going this route you are unlikely to ever want to do the NBT upgrade as you will be able to do most things in either the Android screen or MMI box.

The benefit of an OEM type upgrade is it's more like the original BMW OEM experience, but it's expensive and still does not get you Android in any shape, but it will with a small amount of effort get you Apple Carplay also. This also might be BMW servicing friendlier as it looks original (but how original would ID6 look in a CIC era car?!! - not sure on this)

Hope this helps....

[Gendis]

Did think about MMI for a second but that would still leave me stuck with a 6.5 inch screen which is just meh at best.

Perfect world is a 10 inch screen of course. Easiest way to do that is the android unit but i worry those will be a bit of a let down (i've never seen a chinese android set that wasn't wonky)
Of course going 10 inch OEM has it's own headaches and would be rather expensive.

Perfect set would be 10 inch touch screen + touch controller + ID6. No doubt this will run much smoother than a chinese knock off but i wonder if the extra hassle and cost would actually be worth it. Like what does it actually give me. Does look much nicer and original of course but what features does it give over CIC?

I think it doesn't give any features that an android screen has but i'm not sure on that and i can't find any info on what ID6 adds over CIC besides bluetooth streaming.

[phabmasta]

Originally Posted by Gendis

Did think about MMI for a second but that would still leave me stuck with a 6.5 inch screen which is just meh at best.

Perfect world is a 10 inch screen of course. Easiest way to do that is the android unit but i worry those will be a bit of a let down (i've never seen a chinese android set that wasn't wonky)
Of course going 10 inch OEM has it's own headaches and would be rather expensive.

Perfect set would be 10 inch touch screen + touch controller + ID6. No doubt this will run much smoother than a chinese knock off but i wonder if the extra hassle and cost would actually be worth it. Like what does it actually give me. Does look much nicer and original of course but what features does it give over CIC?

I think it doesn't give any features that an android screen has but i'm not sure on that and i can't find any info on what ID6 adds over CIC besides bluetooth streaming.

So I have NBT ID4, and can't say there are any features I love about it. It has BT, which is nice. I went the route of upgrading the screen to 8.8, and added the andream MMI box with backup camera. Works for me because all in we're talking sub $600, and I spend most of my time in Android Auto. A full retrofit would be in the '000s and I don't know that you'd get that much for it. My two cents. I'll also add that a screen upgrade alone will improve the feel of your H/U (subjectively speaking )

[Gendis]

Apparently the basic CIC can't handle an OEM reverse camera so looks like i'm forced to upgrade the headunit anyway. Not the end of the world, should be fun

[asomer]

Originally Posted by Gendis

Apparently the basic CIC can't handle an OEM reverse camera so looks like i'm forced to upgrade the headunit anyway. Not the end of the world, should be fun

Gendis, sorry to reply to an old thread but don't think that's quite true on the backup camera. I've got a '14 F32 with the 6.5" screen running HU_ENTRY iDrive no NAV, and I've got backup camera as well as PDC with the little sensors in the front & back.
Now, the image quality when reversing is laughably dated looking, but it does the job.
My car came factory with only BT calling ready to go, but because I've got a combox in the trunk, I enabled enhanced BT myself in Bimmercode with an OBD2 port. Surprisingly, I can *wirelessly* play music from Amazon Music or Spotify from my s20 Ultra through the car's Harmon Kardon speakers!! �� I thought BMW didn't get wireless Android streaming until very, very recently? Oh well, I'm not complaining at all!
My car has Comfort Access as well, but the really cool stuff CA does wasn't there (like it came early gen/bare bones Comfort Access.) My power side view mirrors were only turning in when I'd manually push the button in the car, etc. I set all the other CA options up in Bimmercode too. Now, the car is like fully loaded!
All in all, coding these options saved me a few hundred bucks going to the dealer, or ordering a remote coding session from a service like Bimmer-Tech.

I was debating on how to upgrade my screen & idrive system just like you were...decided ID 5/6 isn't worth the $800+ it costs to upgrade. Who even really uses their native car system anymore, ya know?
I've found the latest Android screens can do everything a MMI box can with less install & set up work. So I'm going with an Android screen that mimics the idrive UI & offers *wireless* Android Auto like this Koason Android 10.25 inch HD1920 Screen Display Monitor 4G LTE Multimedia Player GPS Navigation for BMW F20/F21/F23/F30/ F31/F32/F33/F34/F36/F80/F82/F83/F84 NBT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QS4NYJY...1CZXJEGN62TZFE.

My next upgrade is going to be retrofitting in the digital instrument cluster, & maybe swapping my OEM Xenon adaptive headlamps to the LCI F3x series full LED adaptive headlamps & full LED taillights. Those 2 projects are a few thousand $$$$ just themselves!