Almost every car owner owns an Apple iPod nowadays and the simplest way to connect an iPod to a car stereo is to have a dock that joins the iPod with the stereo system. BMW and Apple provide such a feature in a majority of the vehicles manufactured by BMW.
Owners of BMW cars have the option of getting seamless integration of their Apple iPods and their vehicles, thanks to a collaboration undertaken by BMW and Apple Inc. The unique design lets owners of most BMW vehicles plug in their iPod into a socket that is present in the glove compartment of the vehicle and they can also rest the iPod in a perfectly shaped dock for the device.
An additional benefit of this connection is that the iPod will be powered by the car’s battery itself, so the iPod will also get charged in the process. This technology has slowly found its way in other vehicles as well, but the partnership between BMW and Apple means that there are more features available for the BMW owner.
This partnership has been around since June 2004 and it allows the vehicle owner to seamlessly integrate and access his iPod music through the advanced audio system on BMW cars. Most of the controls are present on the steering wheel of the vehicle itself and this increases the glamor quotient and the functionality of this product. Moreover, one can also create special BMW playlists on the iPod, and the iPod will automatically start playing these playlists when it is connected into a BMW vehicle.
iPod Car Adapters for BMW Models
There are several options available for this purpose, and it all depends on your budget and the quality of sound that you desire. Getting an audio system that has a Line-In port on the stereo will enable you to simply plug in the iPod in the dock and the stereo will play the music on the iPod.
All present day car stereos are manufactured with this feature, and the sound quality that it delivers is the best in the business. Other options include using an RCA adapter to connect the iPod to the back of the stereo, or using a cassette adapter for people who have a cassette player in their stereo, or using an FM transmitter that transmits music from the iPod to the car stereo (but offers inferior sound quality).
Irrespective of which option you choose, you will be able to use your iPod in your BMW car with consummate ease. All the regular features of the iPod like shuffling tracks, repeating tracks and playing playlists will be possible, and moreover, everyone sitting in the car will also be able to enjoy the music. The unique partnership between BMW and Apple has given BMW owners the ability to make full use of all of these features and enjoy music on the go at any time.
The cost of installing this iPod adapter to your BMW is $149 for the stereo itself, and another $149 for the installation of the device. There are certain BMW models which do not have the ability to have this system attached, whereas the models that are available with this feature are generally manufactured with the service itself.
The utility of this feature is unquestionable, and there are several people who would love to have this available in their vehicle. Hopefully, some more car manufacturers will also soon start providing this feature since the Apple iPod has become a very common PMP (Portable Music Player) amongst many people. Apple and the car manufacturer would undoubtedly benefit from such an arrangement, but the biggest beneficiary would be the car owner who gets the option to attach an iPod to his stereo and play his favorite music as easily as possible.