[bytejunkie]

im trying to work out what to do for the best.

I've got a 15 plate 335d with 6" screen entry nav NBT.

the screen has been cracked at some point, so i want to replace it. looking on ebay, 8.8" screens come in at about 250, which with coding brings me near enough to an avin unit, which comes with a lot more functionality.

but im mindful that i usually like to stick to oem kit, you have to choose your avin carefully to avoid issues etc.

for the best part of a grand i could upgrade to NBT evo, get ID6 on there and android auto would work. which is similar (couple of hundreds different) to the cost if i replaced the screen and put the integrated auto mmi box in there.

someone help me make my mind up!!!

[Stainy]

Mine was 6.5 initially. I went 8.8 and it looked great, but still had all the issues of old maps and ID4. I've now gone to a 10.2" Android 10 unit, with 4GB Ram / 64GB Storage. It's as near to perfect as I could want (there's a minor issue with sound on start-up, but a Tasker routine sorts that out) and I don't think I've used the OEM side for the last year; except to send receive phone calls.

It looks OEM. It can display OEM there's absolutely no reason for me to spend the extra for a retrofit. I get access to every Android feature I could want without the restrictions of Carplay/Android Auto (though I can still use it as an Android Auto unit)

To me, it's a no brainer.

Oh and AVIN is just the same chinese gear with their own launcher (which you can use if you want) and you pay for the privilege

[mrberry]

correct me if im wrong but id6 doesnt have android auto as standard. it has screen share which isnt bad but you dont get the same experience as carplay for example

the price of a grand is that fitted or just for the kit?

[KTE]

Running ID4 with an upgraded 8.8” screen, it is definitely better than the 6.5”.

However, if I had time/knowledge before doing this so quickly after buying the car I would have gone down a route that brings CarPlay. No matter how new the maps are, even with RTTI BMW nav just isn’t on par with Google Maps/Waze alerts.

After next dealer visit towards end of the year will consider selling the large screen and getting CarPlay compatible one.

This replacement screen example is overpriced, though is UK based. You can add on a ‘OEM like’ rear camera for £35 and you get reversing camera on screen which is pretty decent. You will find the same product/spec elsewhere much cheaper - I just haven’t researched into it yet.

https://droiduk.com/product/bmw-3-se...36-android-10/

Or if you really want a OEM screen, there are MMI boxes that are an add on to your head unit and display android auto/car play on it. Though this would cost more than a standalone screen with the same features. Older units are cable only, but newer ones work Bluetooth or USB.

[SantaEugence]

I went for the 10.25" x5 screen which I bought for not much over £100 as it had already been modified to fit the F30. I can see there are numerous 10.25" screens on eBay going for less than £200 and one seller with brand new ones for £190 so I wouldn't bother getting 8.8" - unless you really don't want to risk the cutting/modifying aspect which is understandable.
I then bought an MMI box for £200 which gives me the carplay etc
How much do the complete AVIN units sell for?

[bytejunkie]

i think im sold on the android 10 unit, thanks for replies. one thing that i didnt mention is this needs to be done twice, second time will be in my wifes 16 plate x1.

do we have a trusted ebay source for these units?

[bytejunkie]

Originally Posted by mrberry

the price of a grand is that fitted or just for the kit?

i was working on 850 on ebeg, fitting myself, then getting a bit of coding and FSC codes done.

[bytejunkie]

Originally Posted by KTE

Or if you really want a OEM screen, there are MMI boxes that are an add on to your head unit and display android auto/car play on it. Though this would cost more than a standalone screen with the same features. Older units are cable only, but newer ones work Bluetooth or USB.

This example is overpriced though is UK based, can add on ‘OEM like’ rear camera for £35 and you get reversing camera on screen which is pretty decent. You will find the same product/spec elsewhere much cheaper - I just haven’t researched into it yet.

https://droiduk.com/product/bmw-3-se...36-android-10/

i might be misunderstanding you here, but that isnt an mmi box (at least not my definition). this is an mmi box in my eyes

https://integratedautomotive.co.uk/p...-retrofit-kit/
thats only based on one of the companies calling it that in an advert i saw.
it was one of my options, but comes in more than the head unit replacement android box.

[kitster]

Originally Posted by mrberry

correct me if im wrong but id6 doesnt have android auto as standard. it has screen share which isnt bad but you dont get the same experience as carplay for example

the price of a grand is that fitted or just for the kit?

Proper Android Auto is only supported in iD7. I see screen sharing in my iD6 but never used it. Maybe because I'm using an iPhone + CarPlay.

[mrberry]

i tried screen sharing once, basically its like when you use it on your tv. just casts the phone on the screen. even then its only half of the screen not full. dont think you could control it via the touch but not 100 % sure on that. i ended up just buying an iphone to use for the car only for carplay as that gave all the functionality i wanted

[Stainy]

Originally Posted by bytejunkie

do we have a trusted ebay source for these units?

In a word, no. Most are bought from Aliexpress; which is always a balanced risk. Have a look at the dedicated Android 10 HU thread, but basically if it's an Snapdragon 625 chip with 4GB memory, you're good (there are cheaper ones with 2GB and they aren't widely supported).

My seller was good, but I've not needed support, so it's hard to judge when nothing goes wrong.

[KTE]

Originally Posted by bytejunkie

i might be misunderstanding you here, but that isnt an mmi box (at least not my definition). this is an mmi box in my eyes

https://integratedautomotive.co.uk/p...-retrofit-kit/
thats only based on one of the companies calling it that in an advert i saw.
it was one of my options, but comes in more than the head unit replacement android box.

Nope, you didn’t. Just my badly laid out response as I cut and paste into my phone browser from notes because it’s hard to click in and edit. Should double check my quick responses

The link was for a replacement screen with the extra functionality. MMI boxes can be found cheaper, especially second hand.

[bytejunkie]

i've done the same many times.

i've looked for the mmi boxes, but never got to them first. also because i've been mulling this over for some time, mostly with the intention of the ID6 upgrade path. however car isn't stopping with me for a long time, so i need to get it sorted.

[weeguy]

Looking for some advice.

Interested in adding carplay to my f32 2014 champ 2 head unit.
Added extended BT through programming as i have a combox.
Also purchased 8.8” screen but couldnt get it to work so still on 6.6” screen.

What does anyone suggest for adding carplay.
Thanks

[kitster]

Originally Posted by weeguy

Looking for some advice.

Interested in adding carplay to my f32 2014 champ 2 head unit.
Added extended BT through programming as i have a combox.
Also purchased 8.8” screen but couldnt get it to work so still on 6.6” screen.

What does anyone suggest for adding carplay.
Thanks

Some bad news mate.

CHAMP2 is incapable of running CarPlay you'll need the NBT EVO ProNav. Also you need at least the ENTRYNAV or the NBT to upgrade the screen to 8.8".

[weeguy]

Thanks for the info👍

[Watsey]

I'm interested in getting wireless CarPlay in my F31 : 2012 model year, ID4 (which I like, and have no desire to upgrade), Pro Nav, NBT.

I've previously tried a 'reputable' MMI box, primarily to retrofit a rear camera, and it was dreadful - crap instructions, the quad lock connector didn't fit properly, lots of different selector pins on the unit to try and configure, useless support, and flickering images on the iDrive screen. It was returned and refunded.

The unit in the droiduk.com link looks ok, but if anyone has got specific recommendations based on personal experience I'd appreciate some links.

Oh, and I'm looking for plug-n-play. I really CBA with having to code the car.

[weeguy]

Originally Posted by kitster

Some bad news mate.

CHAMP2 is incapable of running CarPlay you'll need the NBT EVO ProNav. Also you need at least the ENTRYNAV or the NBT to upgrade the screen to 8.8".

Would a droid unit or integrated automotive unit work?

[Stainy]

Originally Posted by weeguy

Would a droid unit or integrated automotive unit work?

Should do, if you can find one with the correct wiring. You sure yours is Champ2? I thought the F32's started with Entry / EntryNav (though I'm aware the F30/1 had Champ 2 until late 2014)

/Edit - So Champ2 IS HU_ENTRY - who knew
You have an upgrade path via Android for sure - EntryNav has the same connections as NBT, but Entry is probably slightly different. 10 minutes to take the screen out and confirm the connections will tell you

[weeguy]

👍