PEMP Linux Screen for BMW 3 Series F30 NBT CIC System, Support Wireless CarPlay Android Auto with a 720P AHD Revers Camera 2012-2017

Install not too difficult. I put this in a 2015 F32 with the multimedia package (8.8 screen). Looks great, like OEM. Very easily switches between nbt and android, with the audio switching automatically with my system (H/K w/ the optical cables) and flipping to nbt on reverse. Smooth operation and great resolution. I ripped a handful of mixtape videos from youtube and dropped them on a sd card (nice slot on top). I can pull them up and play full screen and give a little video aesthetic to my ride. Carplay is pretty simple and generally comes right up automatically every time I start my car. Also, all my steering wheel, siri, and controll knob buttons work perfectly.My only cons are, given that this has to integrate as an in-between, its not totally seamless, like idrive 7/8, but well executed given the hurdles and the fact that nbt has no idea it’s there. Takes 30-45 sec to boot the android, which there isn’t too much that could be done about that, without maybe a battery in the device that could automatically just put it to sleep instead of restart every time. The 4g channels may not work in the us and lastly, I tend to have some difficult connecting to wifi, as zlink (carplay) is pretty pushy on maintaining connection and control of the screen. If you are mostly using carplay though, this is a good feature that works well to keep you in carplay.I definitely recommend this product, it’s a great upgrade.

The media could not be loaded. The PEMP Android 10.25" upgrade for my F30 has been nothing short of amazing. I replaced the stock LCD 6.5” screen that came with my F30 with this product because I didn’t have CarPlay access and my Bluetooth could only access calls and not audio/streaming audio from my phone. I needed this!Even though I had a technician fix it from start to finish, I was with him throughout the process; it was laid out in the demo video however we had issues with the audio after the installation and had to start the process all over again. I would rate the ease of installation a 3 out of 5.The interface is overwhelming – CarPlay, hosted by an app by ZJinnova (ZLink) is seamless. Connection takes about 20secs and voila! I have attached images of the various interfaces. It’s so amazing how it displays information that was not even there before, like how many liters or gallons of gas I’ve got left. The RPM odometer as well as the speedometer function optimally.The iDrive stock interface cannot be controlled by the touch screen, which is not a bummer at all. Once you touch the screen while in iDrive mode, it switches to the PEMP interface so you will have to control things with the iDrive knob, and oh, the knob works perfectly in the PEMP Android mode; it’s even more perfect in CarPlay (ZLink or whatever it’s called) mode.In android mode, everything works, I can even watch videos on the fly (not advisable though). The browser is also great.Sometimes the system gets confused because your phone could be connected to the iDrive Bluetooth, the PEMP Bluetooth and CarPlay at the same time and you may have trouble with calls but it takes a few moments to master how to go around that – there’s actually a video attached to the installation manual that addresses it.I purchased this along with the PEMP trunk door handle reverse cam and the images are truly 1080p way better than most of the after-market reverse cams around.I am all in all more than satisfied with my purchase! Great value for my money!

EDIT: I had some issues with connectivity where I couldn't get my phone to pair. Solving that is detailed at the end. Pictures show the Android screen and Prime Video playing. Carplay works fine but the picture I have of it shows my address so not posting that one.Screen looks nice and it was snappy and touch sensivity is decent. It would be 5 stars except for two issues: 1) connectivity is not great, 2) brightness is too low, and 3) sound is low.Connectivity: Even after fixing my issues, sometimes the audio will crackle on Carplay. It's like the connection gets partly interrupted.Brightness: By using Bimmercode to override iDrive's "dim screen at night" function and turning the brightness all the way up, I was able to get the screen to a tolerable level during the day. There may be more to tweak in settings because sometimes when I turn off the engine, the screen brightens up a little more before shutting off. Weird. However, it's mostly usable if you're not using an app in "dark mode" during the day. (UPDATE: This is heavily dependent on your lights. If my lights are off or I just have parking lights on, the system knows it's daytime and keeps the screen brighter. If I turn on my headlights, the screen dims. Unfortunately, sometimes you want your headlights on during the day for safety, even if it's bright out, and then the screen will be kinda dim but still usable.)Sound volume: It's just too low. Have to crank it up on the volume knob. Still sounds good, but if you crank too loud, you can hear feedback noise.Microphone: BMW has a great built-in microphone for calls. Unfortunately, you lose this when you have this screen. There's just a tiny pinhole mic at the top of the screen which you literally have to yell into for people to hear you. I will update if I find a way to use a different mic.Solving connectivity issues:Tl/dr, I was able to get the bluetooth and the wifi both to work correctly, but it took some time to figure out.1) Wifi to your home network *will not work* while your iPhone is trying to connect to Carplay. If you attempt to turn off Bluetooth or select a different WiFi network (i.e., select home wifi to override the Carplay connection), it will screw things up.2) Contrary to the instructions from the manufacturer, I left Blutooth *enabled* in iDrive. But I removed all Bluetooth devices.3) If you can't get Bluetooth to sync, get into the Android developer options, open the task menu, and reset the Android bluetooth process (if you don't know what this means, this might be too advanced for you).4) Once your phone is paired and Carplay is working, if you need to access your home wifi network to get updates for your Android apps, turn off your car, power off your phone, and then turn on your car and use PEMP screen to connect to your home wifi network.

If you have a 2013 BMW 328 do not buy this product. It will not work. Do not waste your money unless you want the music to play through your phone. It’s not compatible with the 2013, 328 so be careful.