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DavesZed
Thanks for replying. I think I wasn't too clear on what my issues were. The head unit is installed correctly and works as THEY intended it upon releasing it.
Nav button opens my navigation app of choice, menu acts as "back", option as settings...etc..
I do, however feel that it doesn't feel like a well integrated system...
Issues:
1- iDrive wheel:
The iDrive wheel works perfectly fine when it is being used in one of their default applications (the default launcher, their music/video apps, settings menu, etc)
However, the moment you introduce an external application (such as headunit reloaded or a 3rd party launcher) it becomes unusable.
2- Mishmash of functionality:
The buttons either work for basic functions (such as nav, back, option) or they outright take you out of the android side...
The Voice button on the steering wheel activates BMWs voice assistant in the background even while in the Android side...
3- The System Memory:
System memory doesn't really hold... For example, every time I restart the car and connect my phone the headunit will forget that I've already allowed my phone to be accessed by headunit reloaded, and it will ask again for confirmation... in another device this would be a once and done, because it would be saved onto the application defaults.
These kind of things make the experience feel very choppy and half baked.
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The way I see it, these issues all boil down to a few things:
1- the BMW entertainment system takes over for certain functions.
2- the developers of this android headunit did not give users the ability to customize how the system responds to inputs.
I have already rooted my device, and have even completely bypassed the need to open the bluetooth app by disabling the Bluetooth music app, and having tasker running and listening to the system log for keypresses.
I made the same modification for the idrive wheel, and it works, which makes the idrive wheel work inside other apps, but it is slow because the system is constantly reading to log entries.
The ideal thing would be to have the idrive wheel sending out STANDARDIZED commands, such as keyboard presses, and then setting up a way for android to listen to those keyboard presses and send intents.
Having the idrive system modified to send out keyboard presses is not the hard part, there's several projects that have achieved it.
The main issue I have is not knowing if i am able to swap the idrive system to a regular professional radio without much trouble... AND what the voice button on the steering wheel will do when using the professional radio.
EDIT: I did want to thank you for the FANTASTIC job you did with the headunit install video, it's the one that convinced me to do the switch, and following your steps helped tremendously.
Even though it seems like i'm shitting on the head unit, it really is a great upgrade to my car, and I could not go back... I just want to go even further with it.
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