WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. – BMW became the latest
automaker to enable factory-radio control of Pandora’s Internet radio app on a
connected smartphone.
All model-year 2011 and 2012 BMWs equipped
with the company’s Apps option will be able to control a BMW-enabled Pandora
Internet radio on a cable-connected iPhone via the factory radio controls, BMW said.
From their factory radio controls, drivers will be able to control such Pandora features
as accessing stations, creating new stations, marking songs with a thumb-up/
thumb-down, and bookmarking songs.
Pandora
is the first third-party app approved for use with the new BMW Apps option, which
enables factory-radio control of a BMW iPhone app that delivers internet radio,
Twitter and Facebook to the car.
The BMW Apps option is available at $250 on
model year 2012 and 2011 BMWs produced from March 2011 on. The iPhone is linked
to the vehicle via USB cable or via snap-in adapter in the vehicle’s center
armrest.
According to
, other automaker
brands providing factory-radio control over a Pandora app on a connected iPhone
or on other smartphones include Mini, Mercedes Benz, and Ford. Mini vehicles
must be equipped with a Mini Connected Interface for iPhones. Mercedes Benz
offers Pandora control on all vehicles equipped with Mercedes Media Interface
Plus, which delivers control over a cable-connected iPhone and, via Bluetooth
AVRCP (audio video remote control profile) over select Android and BlackBerry
smartphones. In addition, Ford’s 2011 Fiesta offers Pandora control via cable-connected
iPhones and via Bluetooth-connected Android and BlackBerry smartphones.
