The Harman premium infotainment unit which forms the core of BMW “ConnectedDrive” delivers a seamless experience into the vehicle combining wireless connectivity, enhanced navigation and even productivity applications that transform the car into a mobile office – all safely and intuitively. Thanks to its upgradeable software architecture, the Harman system is also ready for tomorrow.
HARMAN’s new content-rich infotainment system forms the core of the BMW ConnectedDrive experience.Working in partnership with BMW, Harman has incorporated new infotainment features such as a special “birds-eye” view with realistic 3D city models, advanced guiding and location-based services such as weather information. Entering destinations is a “one-shot” action, with the city, street and building number all in one natural sequence. A high-resolution 1280×480 display and 1.3GHz processor provide sharp clarity and detail, enabling Harman engineers to create a human machine interface (HMI) that supports 3D menus, thereby streamlining choices and minimizing driver distraction. Since every gram of weight is an important consideration to automakers, Harman has also drawn on its extensive experience to maintain feature content while managing heat production, system weight and package size to reduce car emissions and maintain an ideal fuel efficiency.
With a clear focus on simplifying the complexity of connecting to consumer devices, the Harman premium infotainment system for BMW offers a number of industry firsts: without taking their hands off the wheel or eyes off the road, drivers can dictate short emails, texts or voice memos to be composed and sent later or instantly via mobile uplink. To simplify connectivity to Facebook, internet radio and other services, the head unit also includes an embedded BMW iPhone App with the option to load third party apps in the future.