Nearly three years ago to the day, BMW announced that you could "iPod your BMW." Today, that same luxury is being passed onto Apple's latest handheld device. According to an admittedly brief introduction page at BMW, the automaker has proclaimed that it is indeed the first to ensure that iPhone owners can look forward to seamless integration of music playback and handsfree Bluetooth calling "across its model line." Beginning today, BMW whips equipped with BMW Assist with Bluetooth can enjoy handsfree calling in their ride, and those with the iPod / USB interface can control the iPod functions of the iPhone via built-in vehicle controls and view the track / album information on your radio (or navigation system, we presume). BMW notes that "further details" will be available soon, and with any luck, a few more automakers will follow suit in the near future.

[Thanks, Alex]

UPDATE: Check out the first hands-on report as a user introduces his 8GB iPhone to a 2007 328xi. "Fully functional" says it all.

We don't really know the back story on China's "Omnipotence" brand, but seeing how it's apparently going after the luxury phone segment with a vaguely Vertu-esque logo and resides in a country with a particularly freewheeling attitude toward patent and trademark law, we're already a bit skeptical about the legitimacy of the licensing agreements (or lack thereof) that led to the phone's Disney and BMW (yes, BMW) branding. Nonetheless, there'll only be 130 of the 10 millimeter thick candybars produced, each bearing Disney-themed software goodies (never mind the company's misspelling of "Mickey") and a dubious "Design by BMW in Munich" inscription on the back -- so get yours while the gettin's good. Features include a 1.3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, touch sensitive nav buttons, and some sort of alleged certificate of authenticity from BMW. One point three frickin' megapixels, though? In a so-called luxury phone?

[Via electro^plankton]