Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

BMW adds Apple's CarPlay as $300 upgrade for most models

People able to afford a BMW can now get Apple CarPlay on virtually any new model as a $300 upgrade option, according to the automaker's website.

A CarPlay upgrade is listed for most vehicles, the notable exceptions being the i3 electric and the i8 plug-in hybrid. Most hybrid and electric cars have dash displays that should, in theory, make platforms like CarPlay easy to support.

Long a CarPlay holdout, BMW first teased support in November 2015, later hinting at specific support on X- and M-series vehicles. Earlier this month, its first CarPlay-ready products turned out be the the 230i and M240i.

It's unknown why CarPlay is only available as an upgrade from BMW. Other companies, like Honda, include the option by default in some higher-end configurations of their vehicles, which are still often cheaper than BMW's lineup.

Apple is due to make significant upgrades to CarPlay with next month's launch of iOS 10, including the ability to hide and rearrange icons, and have an iPhone push a parking marker to Apple Maps when it disconnects.