As my newly acquired E61 doesn't have Bluetooth and CCC is a bit old these days decided to get a CarPlay Touchscreen headunit. Have a few hurdles to jump through could have done without but overall satisfied with the result. After seeing a video from a UK based chap with an E90 using an Andream CarPlay (link) unit decided this was the one for me. Purchased from Andream EU all looked good initially. First problem is website payment went to wrong place and my order was delayed by a few days. Seemed as though website had been updated and PayPal email address had changed. Fortunately as the payment was not claimed it was simple to cancel and order again with a promise from the seller to dispatch promptly. Goods were sent from Germany and received a week after the first order, so pretty quick. The next issue was more of a problem. As I have CCC unit need a CCC Carplay Headunit, however, the cable sent with the unit was for a CIC and quite different in the images with the few pages of description that came in the box. Another week went by to and fro on email before I was advised "it should work" and to try it. Good news is it all worked and sounds quality of phone and "AUX" sound is fine. Although AUX is selected in iDrive no AUX cable is used. The connector into the back of the CCC unit uses the AUX cable harness and optical feed to deliver sound. The microphone for Hey Siri and phone is in the screen but works fine, so far. For $230/£210 including delivery very happy with the outcome. Not sure whether well install to my F32 as the need not so great and not so attracted to pulling apart the insides of of the Alpina! Finally, no install instructions at all come with the unit so working out how to take apart the dash and installing was a bit of a mission but got there in the end. Would recommend the unit but would look around for other sellers. Typically on AliExpress with European stock is where I am now looking. Link to YouTube video in use although not me or my unit!
That looks excellent!! My E60 has the early unit, so no sat-nav, phone connectivity, music streaming etc..... Not sure I'd be brave enough to start tearing the dash apart to upgrade the unit, and I've come to settle for what I have.
4 months in, just wondering how this is going now that you've had it in a while? Edit to add: I notice the guy in the video uses the touchscreen a lot, is this because you have to, or just because he's sitting doing a demo?
Going well, although odd quirk but this seems to be more my iPhone 11 than the unit. Occasionally, doesn’t want to connect and a reboot of the phone sorts that out. I use the phone in another car and it’s plays up sometimes just using the USB so don’t think it is the unit. For all the reasons I installed it it’s done the job. I didn’t have Bluetooth phone in the car so sorted that, have my tunes now as well as Waze etc. Use the idrive wheel mostly to control the unit when I am driving. Using Siri hit and miss. The touchscreen works but rarely use when driving. I would have preferred a UK supplier but at the time couldn’t find one that offered what I wanted at a reasonable price so went the Andream EU route. As this works on top of the existing CCC unit and not a replacement depending what issues you have may still need to replace the CCC unit in which case a full blown Android unit might be a better option which this is not, it’s just the screen.
That's great, thanks! I did a little digging after posting here and seen that it bunny hops off the original CCC so I'm going to get mine fixed then look at options to bring it up to date. I know I'll be paying twice there but I do like OEM where possible so to have something that lets you jump between the two seems a good choice rather than full on Android.
