3G I Phone
Author
Discussion

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

296 months

Saturday 12th July 2008
quotequote all
I know this phone has only just been released but does anybody know if it will be compatable with my new 2008 3 series convertible?

Also will the music be playable from the i phone via the USB interface?

All very confusing stuff this confused- but I would like to know before I change my phone.

Joe911

2,763 posts

265 months

Saturday 12th July 2008
quotequote all
bad company said:
I know this phone has only just been released but does anybody know if it will be compatable with my new 2008 3 series convertible?
No idea - but if the old iPhone works the new one will too.

bad company said:
Also will the music be playable from the i phone via the USB interface?
The iPhone does have a USB interface - but it is a custom interface which also connects to USB. I don't think you can play music via USB - it's just used for data transfer to/from a PC/Mac. The same interface does connect to some car/autio systems, but that's not USB.
If you have something which works with the old iPhone or other iPods, it will work with the new iPhone.

bad company said:
All very confusing stuff this confused- but I would like to know before I change my phone.
Good luck finding a 3G iPhone - o2 and Apple have massively screwed up supply/demand.


Edited by Joe911 on Saturday 12th July 18:53

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

296 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
This phone has been out a little while now. Has anybody tried connecting one to a Beemer?

turnstile

6 posts

222 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Yes - connects to my 2007 E92, some glitches TBH. (compared to my previous Blackberry)
Phonebook works fine.
Caller Display works fine.

Bluetooth connection seems to take a lot longer - sometimes up to approx 45sec - so if you get in your car and are mid conversation the line goes dead for the connection period (can be annoying).
Everyone complains about the sound quality - you will be able to hear them fine, they will think you are in a wind tunnel!! (although i've now learnt to talk softly which appears to help)
Voicemail doesn't seem to work - think its the "visual voicemail" on the iphone not the bluetooth system.

Andy

dick_dastardly71

171 posts

219 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Works fine in my E92 M3 but no phonebook in a mate's slightly older 650. Your 08 car should be fine.

T-bagger

468 posts

234 months

Wednesday 27th August 2008
quotequote all
www.bmw.co.uk/bluetooth

Check compatability of phone type and software against vehicle.

You will need the 'Y' shaped BMW interface lead that links your I phone to the USB and AUX socket of the vehicle to play music (it's around £35, avail. from dealers)

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

296 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Are you saying that I should be able to use the telephone and play music from the iphone thru the car?

That would be great as my new car does not have a CV multi player and I don't really want to buy an ipod.

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

296 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
OK just heard from the dealers where they have a new iphone. The phone apparently worked perfectly with the car and fitted the snap in adaptor.

BUT - They could not get the music to work thru the USB port as it was incompatableconfused

That does seem a shame as I don't really want to buy an ipod as well as the iphone. There must be a solution.headache

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

296 months

Friday 5th September 2008
quotequote all
Well I now have the car and discovered that there is NOT a snap in adaptor for the 3g iphone!!!!!

So do I hang on and hope BMW produce one or return the iphone (I have 14 days) and go back to my trusty BlackBerry???

dibbly_dobbler

11,493 posts

227 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
quotequote all
Thread resurrection alert !!

Anybody know if an iPhone can play music through a USB (08 3 series in my case) ?

Cheers, DD

Zod

35,295 posts

288 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
quotequote all
It will connect via the ipod interface if you ahve it (but it won't charge). It will not connect via the USB interface.

It works fine over bluetooth, including phonebook transfer. Now if only they'd bring out a cradle!

dibbly_dobbler

11,493 posts

227 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
quotequote all
Zod said:
It will connect via the ipod interface if you ahve it (but it won't charge). It will not connect via the USB interface.

It works fine over bluetooth, including phonebook transfer. Now if only they'd bring out a cradle!
Poo - that's a bit crap then. Time to burn another MP3 CD methinks.

Thanks Zod.

waremark

3,296 posts

243 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
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I think Zod is wrong. I have an 08 E92 M3 and a 3G iPhone. I can listen to my iPhone music via the USB/aux in Y cable and at the same time have access to the phone via Bluetooth; the phone also charges but I do not benefit from the car's roof aerial. Otherwise I can choose to plug the phone into the 3G iPhone cradle (don't know why you think this does not exist) in which case I get the benefit of better telephone reception using the car's roof aerial, but I do not have access to the iPhone music. So I have put music onto a memory key which I can plug into the USB socket (using the adaptor cable which came with it). I tend not to bother with the phone cradle.

If you order an 09 car now you can get the best of both worlds; have the phone in the cradle with access to both roof aerial and music. However, this requires ordering a factory option of connection from the phone cradle to the USB/aux in socket. This is according to a sensible chap at my dealer, who tells me I cannot retrofit this feature.

Edited by waremark on Sunday 15th February 21:38

dibbly_dobbler

11,493 posts

227 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
quotequote all
Thanks Waremark - that sounds rather more promising.

I was contemplating getting the USB retro-fitted to my 08 330i (which I presume is possible ?) in order to use my iP3G. To be worthwhile it would need to be able to charge itself and play music which seems like it's possible if I understand you correctly.

Anybody else done this ?

Joe911

2,763 posts

265 months

Sunday 15th February 2009
quotequote all
I was told that the USB can't be retro-fitted to my Aug-07 535d - but the iPod interface (in the glove box) is no problem and it will charge and have full control via iDrive.
It's being fitted on Weds. No idea if the 3's and 5's are vastly different.

dibbly_dobbler

11,493 posts

227 months

Monday 16th February 2009
quotequote all
Joe911 said:
I was told that the USB can't be retro-fitted to my Aug-07 535d - but the iPod interface (in the glove box) is no problem and it will charge and have full control via iDrive.
It's being fitted on Weds. No idea if the 3's and 5's are vastly different.
Thanks Joe.

So it seems like an iPod Interface may be what I need biggrin

Can I be so bold as to ask :

A) How much is it ?

B) Can you let us know if it works out ok please ?

(Is it an iP3G you have btw ?)

Cheers, DD

PS - sorry for all the questions.

tom g

1,046 posts

225 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
This might be useful for those with older cars...

I've created a DIY interface kit for my iphone, consisting of:
brodit pass-through cradle & dash mount
kenwood USB/3.5mm jack lead (plugs in to bottom of cradle. from ebay)

Alternator whine can be eliminated with a mini filter from ebay ( link)

bonus feature is the ability to unplug the ipod plug from the cradle to use with other ipods

Zod

35,295 posts

288 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
waremark said:
I think Zod is wrong. I have an 08 E92 M3 and a 3G iPhone. I can listen to my iPhone music via the USB/aux in Y cable and at the same time have access to the phone via Bluetooth; the phone also charges but I do not benefit from the car's roof aerial. Otherwise I can choose to plug the phone into the 3G iPhone cradle (don't know why you think this does not exist) in which case I get the benefit of better telephone reception using the car's roof aerial, but I do not have access to the iPhone music. So I have put music onto a memory key which I can plug into the USB socket (using the adaptor cable which came with it). I tend not to bother with the phone cradle.

If you order an 09 car now you can get the best of both worlds; have the phone in the cradle with access to both roof aerial and music. However, this requires ordering a factory option of connection from the phone cradle to the USB/aux in socket. This is according to a sensible chap at my dealer, who tells me I cannot retrofit this feature.

Edited by waremark on Sunday 15th February 21:38
I had an 08 530i as a hire car in Switzerland last week, plugged my iphone into the USB and it said that it would not work with this accessory.

christer

2,804 posts

281 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
I dont think USB is an interface for playing music. The "aux" that people talk about makes much more sense. If you connect your device to a computer via USB, can you play the music? No. You can copy the files over to the pc/laptop and play them or you can connect your device to the PC by the "line in" (or aux as ppl have said) and play directly. USB is not a line in interface.

tom g

1,046 posts

225 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
christer said:
I dont think USB is an interface for playing music. The "aux" that people talk about makes much more sense. If you connect your device to a computer via USB, can you play the music? No. You can copy the files over to the pc/laptop and play them or you can connect your device to the PC by the "line in" (or aux as ppl have said) and play directly. USB is not a line in interface.
most audio devices with USB interface actually read, decode, and play the files via USB.

That can't be done with ipod, since the files are not accessible like on a normal mass storage device.

on an ipod, USB can be used to control the device AND can be used to digitally stream audio. However, using it to stream audio requires paying a licence fee to apple, so most interfaces use the analogue audio out nerd