Once upon a time, you had to buy a new BMW to receive a subscription to BMW Magazine. Now it belongs to the masses. BMW Magazine in print form is BMW AG's 100-page lifestyle publication; it has been informing and entertaining international BMW customers since 1989. From fashion to Formula 1, from designing cars to dining out, from engineering to evening wear, BMW magazine has articles and photo layouts aimed at those whom BMW—and the magazine's high-end advertisers—see as their target market.
Now the publication is available as BMW Magazine Digital, with completely new editions released each March and September. The online version is centrally managed and adaptable to most formats. The content, which includes articles, photo galleries, and videos, is regularly updated.
It doesn’t present itself like a traditional magazine when you use your Internet browser to view it online. You may navigate to the articles and galleries by clicking on the appropriate pictures and titles. Also unlike a traditional magazine, videos are a significant portion of the content.
BMW Magazine Digital is available in English, German, Spanish, and French. Not all languages are supported on all smartphones and tablets. English is the primary language, but other languages may be selected via the app menu.
Some countries, including Germany, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, have a version with additional country-specific content.
BMW says the app can be downloaded for tablet and smartphone (Android and iOS) or used on any platform through any web browser. We found the Android installation page at http://bit.ly/1lhaV1e, but it requires logging in to Google to download.
The link to the iOS version at http://bit.ly/1uu7GJs brings up the German iTunes store, which is fine if you want the magazine in German. We could not find the app on the U.S. iTunes store yet, but that may change; or, perhaps it’s there and we just didn’t find it. There are a lot of BMW and BMW-related apps in iTunes for the iPhone and iPad.
The bright side is that BMW Magazine Digital may be viewed in all its glory on your desktop or laptop computer using your Internet browser. The September 2014 edition just came out and can be viewed online at http://bit.ly/1hJn78n.—Scott Blazey
