Oh no. This is not good news, if it’s really happening. And it looks like it is happening. This has got to be against Apple’s manufacturer agreement. Didn’t the Apple lawyers do their job?
BMW has given the X4 a redesign for 2019 that upgrades the sleek SUV’s technology and interior space. But lurking in the changes was one detail that caught my attention, as it may signal a big change — not just for BMW, but for the whole industry. Previously, BMW offered Apple CarPlay in its vehicles as a $300 option: Pay one time and get CarPlay enabled for the life of the vehicle. But starting with the X4 and the rest of BMW’s 2019 model-year lineup, that’s about to change.
From 2019 on, according to BMW, Apple CarPlay will be included as part of BMW Navigation and will now be offered on a subscription basis. The first year of the service will be free, then $80 annually after that. You won’t need to bring the car into a service center to renew or anything like that; BMW says you’ll be able to re-up your subscription through the car’s infotainment system. — https://www.cars.com/articles/is-bmws-apple-carplay-subscription-a-model-for-the-future-1420699754172/
This is a very insidious development we’ll be tracking weekly, if not daily.
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