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Review on πŸš— Wireless Carplay Retrofit Kit Decoder for BMW 1/2/3/4 Series with NBT/ID4 System, Model Years: 2012-2015, Compatible with F3 F34 F20 F21 F22 F30 F32 F33 F36 F80, Supporting Android Auto, Mirrorlink, Reverse Camera Integration by Kaushik Sokolowski

Revainrating 5 out of 5

So grateful for this part!

Wow I'm just amazed with everything this Carplay decoder has to offer. It took me 3 hours to install. Now that I know how to install it I could probably do it in half the time. But I took my time and watched a YouTube video that is 17 minutes long. The YouTube video I used was more specific to my car because I have an m sport package and there is no room for a decoder in my head unit. So if you have the same setup you will need to take the glove box out to fit in the cavity next to the glove box. The QR code in the manual will take you to a video showing how to install it if you have a standard 328f30 with no options. If you have an f30 with more options and a 10 inch screen, you need to copy and paste this text "How to install carplay decoder in bmw 328i" on YouTube. There is a 17 minute and 31 second tutorial video created by GTA Car Kits. I also replaced the car's cabin filter while I had my glove box removed and I recommend you do the same. After installing it, I couldn't get Carplay to mirror my phone. But my wife noted in the instructions that you need a Samsung Note 9 or later for this feature to work. I currently have a Samsung Note 8 but I just upgraded to a new Android 10 phone to take full advantage of this decoder. I just love how the navigation app looks on my screen when I'm driving and it responds perfectly to my Google searches. There is a step in the YouTube video showing how to install the microphone. I didn't see a mic in this kit, but my mic picks up everything I say perfectly. Also, this baby includes a front camera cable which I didn't install because I don't have a front camera. I've seen these on your cars and you could see your whole car with them. Basically I got this decoder to take my 10 inch screen to the next level, which this one did. If you have enough hands, you can do it yourself after watching the video. It doesn't require a lot of tools, just a little patience. You'll probably save a few hundred dollars on installation if you do it yourself. There was one step I had trouble with and that was pulling power to the external main unit. So I decided to tape it to the dash and not get in the way. Well I used duct tape to do it. That was a bad move because when I peeled off the tape, it detached part of the fan button's outer cover. But it turns out that Revain sells these replacement buttons for BMW. I ordered this morning for 14.99. so the problem is solved. If you have the same problem I recommend using masking tape and sticking to the edges of this main unit and not tape any of the buttons. This will save you $14.99. I also finished installing Wi-Fi on the back of the main unit. I managed to remove the head unit despite the cable routed behind it. An auxiliary cable was also not laid in the training video. As you can see in my video, I routed it through the armrest where the aux port is and popped it under the cover. And the instructions say this is necessary for my 328 f30 model. I can't wait for my new phone model to be able to enjoy some of the extra features, e.g. B. the ability to transfer a movie to the screen. I know it's illegal, but I still want to do it. It's also pretty cool to have the date and time on my screen. My rear camera is not affected in any way when I turn it on backwards. Returning to the standard BMW menu is also very easy. I feel like I have a brand new car because of this decoder. I would give this decoder 10 stars if I could and I'm so glad I took the chance. 3 hours of my Memorial Day were well spent. I highly recommend this decoder and hope my review helps someone.

Pros
  • Non Destructive Installation
Cons
  • Not sure