[Ntown M2]

Has anyone bought and installed the Heads-Up Display unit for their M235? Pros - Cons? Any issues?

[shark715]

Is it available now?

[angelbones]

Wait...what? There's a HUD for the 2?

[shark715]

Originally Posted by angelbones

Wait...what? There's a HUD for the 2?

A while back a forum member posted some info about it including a photo. If I recall correctly it was not a windshield display type of unit like we have on our X5, but the type that would be installed on top of the dashboard, and that it was going to be offered as an after the sale accessory and/or dealer installed accessory. It did look interesting, but I heard nothing more about it after that. I would definitely be interested myself assuming it displays digital vehicle speed.

[Kiwi]

What I found with heads up it takes your eyes off the road ahead as your eyes cannot focus on two things at once. I ended up turning heads up off as it was distracting and I thought dangerous.

[shark715]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

What I found with heads up it takes your eyes off the road ahead as your eyes cannot focus on two things at once. I ended up turning heads up off as it was distracting and I thought dangerous.

We really like the one that came with our X5. We think it absolutely works as advertised. The only problem we've noted is that it's a bit difficult to see the display when you are wearing polarized sunglasses, and oh yeah, if you ever have to replace the windshield, it's a special one that cost hundreds more. But I don't think that either one of my comments would apply to the type of unit BMW is apparently selling or plans to sell.

[hyperzulu]

There is a whole front page of Bimmerpost featured article about this... current events, folks. This was posted a week ago:

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1063158

[Killramos]

if i understand correctly those aftermarket bmw ones don't really integrate with the car at all and pull most information ( traffic navigation, weather alerts) from your cell phone.

No thanks.

I already pay a shit ton for connected drive. Im not going to have the system burn through my mobile data as well.

[hyperzulu]

Originally Posted by Killramos

if i understand correctly those aftermarket bmw ones don't really integrate with the car at all and pull most information ( traffic navigation, weather alerts) from your cell phone.

No thanks.

I already pay a shit ton for connected drive. Im not going to have the system burn through my mobile data as well.

It doesn't burn through mobile data. It hijacks your phone's wifi for a 1-to-1 connection, kind of like how a GoPro camera creates its own hotspot for your phone to control it. If you look at the link I posted, the OP's phone is connected to the HUD SSID via wifi.

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

It doesn't burn through mobile data. It hijacks your phone's wifi for a 1-to-1 connection, kind of like how a GoPro camera creates its own hotspot for your phone to control it. If you look at the link I posted, the OP's phone is connected to the HUD SSID via wifi.

And what exactly does it do with that connection?

Why is a phone even necessary when its an OEM retrofit that hooks straight up to the car?

[hyperzulu]

Originally Posted by Killramos

And what exactly does it do with that connection?

Why is a phone even necessary when its an OEM retrofit that hooks straight up to the car?

The kit has no brains. It uses your phone to process data. There are two apps you have to install which spit data back to the kit. It doesn't require mobile data though, since the maps are fully downloaded to the phone and data is pushed via wifi to the HUD. It is a lot like a connected drive app, there is some graphical app data, but it works by assembling data fed to it by the phone... just like Spotify or Pandora.

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

The kit has no brains. It uses your phone to process data. There are two apps you have to install which spit data back to the kit. It doesn't require mobile data though, since the maps are fully downloaded to the phone and data is pushed via wifi to the HUD.

So, no downsides ?
Of course there are - I point out a few:
price: it ain't cheap, but apart from all its car functionality, you also get a navigation app (including many country maps) on your smartphone, which can also be used when you're outside your car;
the design of the base/foot of the Head-Up Screen, once installed on a dashboard, won't win a price for elegance; the screen itself is kinda cool though (especially when active); functionality has its price;
the device is visible from outside your car and cannot be disconnected/hidden; not very discreet;
the navigation uses WIFI/WLAN (not Bluetooth as some of you might think): as long as WIFI/WLAN is active on your smartphone and a connection made to the "Head-Up Screen" network, you'll have no langer access to Internet and won't receive incoming Internet messages (e-mails, Whatsapp, bbm, Facebook, etc.); you can still make phone calls, of course; on longer journeys, each time you take a break, just briefly switch off WIFI/WLAN on your smartphone to allow your messages to enter (well, as several may remark, it's safer anyway to read messages while not driving); on the contrary, SATNAV does not block your Internet messages;
if the signal is lost or you drained your smartphone, navigation stops;
once WIFI/WLAN has been switched off, you got to start the procedure all over again if you want navigation;
when driving abroad, roaming costs are inevitably involved (check your phone tariff plan); on the contrary, SATNAV uses sattelites and does not cost you anything;
navigation drains the battery of your smartphone; it's wise to always connect your smartphone to a charger cable (at least if the trip is longer); a snap-in adapter is useful to recharge and improve signal reception, but unfortunately your screen will be hidden under the armrest (while you will prefer to see the navigation map, for example from the ashtray area); on the contrary, SATNAV operates independently from your smartphone;
personal taste: I wouldn't mind normal letters instead of italics (except if mistaken, the Mini Cooper head-up display does not feature italics);
personal taste again: I would have preferred that hp is shown instead of kW (probably not integrated due to the difference between hp and metric hp); as the screen features no 'hp' sign, I doubt that a later BMW Head-Up Screen app will feature the possibility to toggle between kW and hp.

If you read the "downsides" section he makes it very clear that it uses data.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Killramos

And what exactly does it do with that connection?

Why is a phone even necessary when its an OEM retrofit that hooks straight up to the car?

probably gps to calculate speed i guess...

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

probably gps to calculate speed i guess...

I think speed is one of the few things it actually pulls from the car.

[hyperzulu]

Not sure what data it needs to stream from the cloud. The phone can handle all apparent duties without a live cell connection. Someone asked if it worked with cell data off, but they haven't been answered.

I agree if it pulls map data in real time, it'd be ridiculous. Having maps already downloaded to the phone seems like a no brainer. Either way, apparently it is not yet available in the US. So no guinea pigs for us yet.

[Killramos]

Yea the big thing for me is i want my Nav to work cell free ( a. i have a company cell phone and that is just blatantly wasting corporate data, b. I want to be able to have my nav when i go to the US ( Canadian data plans are notoriously bad for international roaming)).

It just seems like the system could have been integrated SO much better by integrating with idrive rather than a butchered cell phone control and a quick can bus connection for high level functions. Its OEM, they could make it work properly like the HUD's that are actually built in.

its a great option for people with older base EXX's that don't have nav or idrive i guess...

[pikcachu]

Also looks like when you turn on the wifi connection it drops your internet so you don't get emails etc :

[hyperzulu]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

Also looks like when you turn on the wifi connection it drops your internet so you don't get emails etc :

This is kind of why I am confused by the OP's assertion that data is used. Cell phones don't use "split tunneling" for lack of better term. If you turn on WIFI, cell data is no longer used. Since the SSID you're linking to is your HUD, which has no cellular data capabilities, you get no external data... just whatever is shared between the two devices. If I connect to my GoPro's wifi, I can't get emails or any other data that would normally come through the cell network.

I really don't think this will burn any cell data. All data lives on the phone.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

This is kind of why I am confused by the OP's assertion that data is used. Cell phones don't use "split tunneling" for lack of better term. If you turn on WIFI, cell data is no longer used. Since the SSID you're linking to is your HUD, which has no cellular data capabilities, you get no external data... just whatever is shared between the two devices. If I connect to my GoPro's wifi, I can't get emails or any other data that would normally come through the cell network.

I really don't think this will burn any cell data. All data lives on the phone.

Looks like the phone app comes with the maps and just uses gps from the phone I guess

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

Looks like the phone app comes with the maps and just uses gps from the phone I guess

Which is another point of annoyance. Phone GPS is pretty useless, slow to update and very inaccurate. A full powered antenna like the ones our cars have or the one in a dedicated GPS unit is much more accurate.

When i travel in Europe i use the Tom Tom iphone app ( free lifetime updates) and i have a tom tom speakerphone cradle with a dedicated SirfStar GPS chip inside which overrides the phones internal GPS. The difference is astounding when used in a city or at highway speeds.

[scrape1]

Seems like too much of a hassle to use. If I have to launch apps and mess with settings on my phone every time I get in my car, it ain't happening.

[sstarrx3]

Originally Posted by Killramos

Which is another point of annoyance. Phone GPS is pretty useless, slow to update and very inaccurate. A full powered antenna like the ones our cars have or the one in a dedicated GPS unit is much more accurate.

When i travel in Europe i use the Tom Tom iphone app ( free lifetime updates) and i have a tom tom speakerphone cradle with a dedicated SirfStar GPS chip inside which overrides the phones internal GPS. The difference is astounding when used in a city or at highway speeds.

Actually I think Google Navigation on my G3 works a heck of allot better than the Navigation system in my 228i.