Golf 7 - No USB port - really?

[bitchstewie]

Bit late now I'm driving the bloody thing but it seems the Golf 7 doesn't come with a USB port to allow you to charge your phone.

It does have a media cable or something in the console in front of the gear selector - and from a quick Google it seems you can buy a cable which converts to USB from either VW or third party i.e. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004I9CXHW?ref_...

I just want to check I'm not missing something here and that's really how it is?

I've hunted everywhere and I can't see a USB port anywhere - dash has a couple of SDs and a CD but that's about it.

[bitchstewie]

Yeah despite working in IT I've never really done much with streaming but the point has been forced a little by my favourite radio station going to digital/online only.

So as I understand it, unless I have an iPhone, using the MDI cable would just charge the phone via USB, it wouldn't actually playback - in which case as suggested I guess a 12v charger is the way to go as they're cheaper.

First world problems indeed

[bitchstewie]

kambites said:

Given that iPhones make up such a tiny proportion of the portable media type market, that would be really, really moronic if it's true.

I'm still trying to find out as the VW documentation is st and I don't have the cable so can't test for myself.

I think that it would let you connect/control the Android phone a bit like a USB stick but that it wouldn't let you stream the sound from apps on the phone to the audio system - again though I'm reading thread after thread all of which seem to contradict one another.

[bitchstewie]

kambites said:

Ah if it can play MP3s from a standard storage device that would make a lot more sense. I'm not sure why you'd want to involve apps in the process anyway; the car's own head unit is much easier (not to mention more legal) to interact with while driving.

Agreed, but in my case the radio station I want is streaming only so I'd be using their app or something like TuneIn.

I believe with some apps you can control the app on the phone from the head unit, in this case it's live streaming only.

[bitchstewie]

kambites said:

What they really need to do is fit android head units so you can stream directly to there.

Part of me wishes they would, but part of me is thankful they don't because you know you'd end up paying £3K for what is basically a £70 tablet just like you do with sat nav.

[bitchstewie]

NinjaPower said:

Hardly anyone I know listens to FM radio these days, and we spend hours in cars, so wanting to be able to listen to our own music isn't really that much of an ask I don't think?

Interesting. Am I really that behind the times in never having even bothered with bluetooth/streaming until now?

I'd assumed that 95% of listening in cars is still just FM/DAB via the onboard.

[bitchstewie]

andrewparker said:

See what you've done now Stewie? The last thing the world needs is another Apple vs Android geek-wk-fest.

Honestly, my question was answered a couple of pages back

FWIW I managed most of the drive to work streaming off bluetooth, got a dropout because the particular app for the radio station I wanted is a bit crap and doesn't seem to buffer/reconnect but I can deal with that.

The short answer is the car (GT trim and AFAIK no additional options but it was pre-reg) does have the MDI but there is no USB up front or in the storage area between the driver and passenger seat - there is SD in the glove box.

First world problems indeed