The electric BMW iX will be the first car to be offered with 5G support by a premium manufacturer worldwide. Strictly speaking, two eSIMs can be activated in a car: Vehicle eSIM and Personal eSIM. Related contract options and prices are now available from Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone.
With IX, vehicle-specific services will continue to be processed through the integrated vehicle eSIM, but individual eSIMs will take over services designed specifically for drivers and passengers, such as WLAN hotspots. BMW also noted a wider expansion of data-based services into the areas of entertainment and infotainment, though details of specific apps are still pending. In the iX and later in the i4 as well, BMW celebrates its premiere with an all-new infotainment system with OS 8, which is likely to receive a significant upgrade in the above points.
tablet or smartwatch with other sim
The Personal eSIM in iX should be understood as an extension of an existing mobile phone contract, equivalent to the use of a tablet or smartwatch with a mobile phone module. Once activated in the car, for example, you can leave your smartphone at home and still make calls using your phone number in the vehicle. The ceremony is to be introduced by the end of the year. Today, BMW announced two partners for implementation, with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, and the two network operators in turn providing information on pricing.
Vodafone calls more than half of Telekom
In Deutsche Telekom, the option is called “MobiliConnect” and costs €9.95 per month. The minimum period is one year and then it can be canceled daily. Before the end of this year, Telecom plans to expand this mobile radio option, specifically for cars, to include other vehicle models. Vodafone offers the option of “Vodafone OneNumber Car” and it costs only 5 Euro per month. The network operator also advertises that there is no binding on the subscriber and can be canceled on a monthly basis. With Vodafone, however, there is a one-time fee of 10 Euros for activation of the individual eSIM.
Personal eSIM linked to BMW ID
The booking of the respective option can be initiated in the vehicle and then completed through My BMW app or Telecom and Vodafone app. Once activated, the personal eSIM data is linked to the BMW ID so that the next time you log into another suitably enabled vehicle with the BMW ID, the data services can be used there as well. As such, customers should be able to convert any 5G-enabled BMW (including rental or loan vehicles) into their network device.
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