iDrive has been BMW's operating system for more than two decades now (having first appeared in the 2002 BMW 7 Series). The new X3 introduces what's called BMW Operating System 9, the company's latest iteration of its in-car software platform. BMW OS9 is now based on Android. Interestingly, even though BMW isn't calling it iDrive 9, it still refers to the knob mounted on top of the center console as the "iDrive controller."
The system looks and functions similarly to iDrive 8.5 (the software that's been rolled out in the recently updated 2 Series, 3 Series, and many other BMWs). Thanks to its Android-based software, OS9 can now accommodate a wide range of third-party apps and should allow the system to be more frequently updated over the air. The updates, BMW says, can include quality-of-life improvements, general software updates, or even additional features. BMW is also debuting a connected service it's calling BMW Digital Premium. It bundles together a litany of audio streaming apps (like Spotify and Amazon Music) and gaming apps for when the car is stationary.
For the new X3, BMW's parking assistant is standard, but you can get an optional update package called Parking Assistant Professional with Maneuver Assistant. Essentially, the X3 can remember multiple parking routes and, with the help of GPS guidance and memory of your steering movements, can store routes with up to 10 different steering maneuvers and go up to 650 yards. It's a very fancy way of helping you park in your garage at home without you having to do anything. The mapping and route guidance systems have also been upgraded, with less lag time between traffic updates and a head-up display that can now show augmented reality directions directly in your line of sight.