The new Apple Watch debuted yesterday, and like with most Apple products, polite debates and levelheaded discussions commenced all across the interwebs’ series of tubes.
The wearable device will cost anywhere from $349 to a whopping $17,000 (yes, $17,000) when it arrives in April, and many wondered what the first featured automotive application would be. Now, it looks like BMW will be the first horse to the trough.
The application is question is the brand’s i Remote App, which is tied to the i3 electric vehicle and i8 hybrid.
Unfortunately, the app doesn’t allow you to wirelessly control your car a la Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, but there are some neat features.
Already available for iPhones and Android products, i Remote allows drivers to monitor vehicle range, battery level, and estimated charge time remaining, while locating nearby charging stations if needed. Users can also check on vehicle status such as door lock, window, door, and trunk position.
It’s not all read-only though, because as the name suggests, i Remote can operate the car’s climate control system to preheat or cool to vehicle prior to arrival. It can lock the doors, flash the lights, honk the horn, and even locate the car for you if you lose your way as well. Best of all, it’s free.
At Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ event, company CEO Tim Cook announced that the firm’s CarPlay infotainment system would be offered on 40 different models this year, adding that all major automakers had signed on to include the technology eventually.
BMW has been a part of the list since 2014, but as of this writing, there has been no conformation as to which vehicles would carry it or when.
