iPhone & 135

[bfi2906]

I've read through the threads, and I think I get it, but want to confirm.

In a non-iDrive car, a current iPhone can be used with the "magic" BMW cable, and it will charge, play music, use the roof antenna, and integrate with the car (use steering wheel controls, display on the radio, sync phone book, accept voice commands, etc).

Or, it can also be used with the BMW "cradle", when it will do everything the same, except can't play music.

Is that correct?

[05C4R]

the cable i have allows you to play music, but it will not charge. you can scroll through the songs by the steering wheel but it takes forever, if you have more then 10 songs forget it and pick up your phone/ipod.

i link the phone to the car with blue tooth and play music with the cable. can't do both any other way i was told.

cradle is expensive

[cargeek]

I have 3 iphones (long storey) and they all change with the 'y' cable in our 1 series and 3 series. They don't use the car antenna and the phone numbers sync but not the addresses. The most commonly called numbers are only calls made from the car using the car to make the call. They play music and its easy to navigate if you have the prof NAV. I can't tell you how it works with the radio

[SimonB]

As cargeek says, the magic cable doesn't support miracles - it doesn't integrate with the antenna. Also, the voice commands only act on the cars address book, from memory.

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by bfi2906

I've read through the threads, and I think I get it, but want to confirm.

In a non-iDrive car, a current iPhone can be used with the "magic" BMW cable, and it will charge, play music, use the roof antenna, and integrate with the car (use steering wheel controls, display on the radio, sync phone book, accept voice commands, etc).

Or, it can also be used with the BMW "cradle", when it will do everything the same, except can't play music.

Is that correct?

As far as I am are there are 2 types of snap in adaptor cradle made for the iphone.

The first is the standard snap in adaptor cradle which is cheaper and it only acts as a dock for your iphone and charges it in your center arm rest. It does not play music from your iphone and any contacts transferred to your idrive are done so using bluetooth.

The second type of snap in adaptor cradle is the the more expensive one designed for cars equipped with smart phone integration. Smart phone integration is an option you have must have specified on your car when you ordered it from factory. It can't be retrofitted to your car. However, some 1ers such as the ones in Australia did not have smart phone integrration as an option from factory so this snap in adaptor cradle serves us no real purpose or benefit over the standard one. The main function of choosing this snap in adaptor cradle is that it allows you to play music from your iphone as well as charge it.

[chylld]

I have an iDrive car, but thought I'd share my setup anyway. I have an iPod Nano permanently connected to the car via the USB+aux cable, this one serves music. Then I have my iPhone 3GS in my pocket which connects via bluetooth whenever the car is on; this handles calls and contact lists. Works beautifully

Only downside is it doesn't charge my iPhone, but there's no way I'd be bothered taking my phone out everytime anyway.

[sparoz]

The only reason I bought the iPhone is that it can do everything.... so I don't have to change the music on the ipod in the car!

And.. it seems like it doesn't charge the iphone 3gs with the new idrive.

[Taymaishu]

Originally Posted by chylld

I have an iDrive car, but thought I'd share my setup anyway. I have an iPod Nano permanently connected to the car via the USB+aux cable, this one serves music. Then I have my iPhone 3GS in my pocket which connects via bluetooth whenever the car is on; this handles calls and contact lists. Works beautifully

Only downside is it doesn't charge my iPhone, but there's no way I'd be bothered taking my phone out everytime anyway.

I don't have iDrive, and use exactly the same system.

My iPod via USB AUX cable, and I use my Blackberry Storm via bluetooth which works 100%.

[x5mad]

I use the cradle for my iphone - connects via bluetooth, connects to external ariel, and charges the iphone.
I also have an ipod nano which is connected just to the USB port via the original ipod cable. I can scroll through songs and have full integration via screen and steering wheel buttons. It also charges.

For the Iphone to work in the cradle for everything incl music BMW86 is correct in saying you need smart phone integration. The product codes are 6NF and 6FL. I dont know whether this option is available for the 1 series though.

[123D-M]

I have an 09 1er with professional navi. I also have option 6NF (smartphone integration). And I have an iPhone 3G.

With this combination it all works perfectly. I put the iPhone in the cradle where it is charged and utilises the car's antenna. The address book and phone functions are still handled via bluetooth and all is displayed on the iDrive screen. Music can be played directly off the iPhone by selecting external device in the music menu on iDrive (via option 6NF).

The only hitch is that the latest iPhone OS update is causing some intermittent problems with music playback. But I'm told that they are working on that. Hopefully it won't require a BMW software update.

Hope this clarifies. The options in Oz are exactly the same as here.

[SimonB]

And the problem is that I seem to recall that when I asked about that option (Smart Phone Integration), I was assured I wouldn't need it as it all worked fine. Experimenting with an iPod Nano at the time confirmed that (yeah, yeah, I know a Nano isn't....) and no-one else knew any better. I'll get over it though!

Like chylld, I leave the iPhone in my pocket and use the (currently) Touch under the armrest for tunes. I'll be replacing the Touch with the Nano soon, as it's a waste otherwise.

I still can't get over how much better this car could be (iDrive in particular) if it was open source...

[123D-M]

Agree that it would be better if it was open source. Either that or just let Google take care of it....

It also needs to be easier to get software upgrades. Now that the car is designed to integrate with other devices it is going to need constant upgrading as the devices change. You should be able to download updates via your smartphone or something...

[BMW86]

It would be decent if you could run MAC OS on idrive with internet connectivity via your phone... now that would be something!!

[bfi2906]

WOW! Thanks guys - so much information. Pity it's so complicated - or so it would seem.

Whether BMW realises it yet or not, i suspect that they are going to have to start thinking these things through more thoroughly, and educating their dealers accordingly.

They're going to have to keep up with a market, where divices are becoming more intelligent and integrated in their functionality, and uses more knowledgable.

[Jaguar66]

!

[SimonB]

I tried the iPhone 3GS in the car the other day, got the "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger..." message, ignored it and it works fine through the idrive system but doesn't charge, as others have said. However, I then unplugged it and plugged it back in and it confused it and started charging properly. So, just a hint if you need to for long trips etc....