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      09-20-2012, 06:31 AM   #1
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iPhone 5 and iDrive

Not sure if this is contained within another thread but anyway...

I'm reading that the new iPhone 5 connector will render it incompatible with BMW's and Mini's but the level of incompatibility is unsure. Here's a part of the engadget review that mentions the new connector;

"Superficially, it's hitting all the right marks, but Lightning comes up short in a number of important areas. It is, of course, incompatible with the roughly 350 million billion iPhone and iPod accessories currently on the market -- a problem mostly rectified by a $30 adapter. But, that's not a perfect solution, as even that won't support iPod Out, the specification used in some cars (most notably BMW and Mini) to enable in-dash control of an iPod or iPhone.

That's an admittedly low number of users left with no way forward, as the adapter will provide the power and analog audio that the vast majority of docks and accessories (and cars) in the world need, but it's still disappointing to see those automotive users, owners of some of the most expensive iPod docks on the planet, left out in the cold."

I'd be interested to here of peoples knowledge/views/experiences after the launch as my phone is due an upgrade anytime soon. I have 6NR and Pro Nav so its pretty important I keep a compatible device.
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      09-21-2012, 11:16 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbhuna View Post
Not sure if this is contained within another thread but anyway...

I'm reading that the new iPhone 5 connector will render it incompatible with BMW's and Mini's but the level of incompatibility is unsure. Here's a part of the engadget review that mentions the new connector;

"Superficially, it's hitting all the right marks, but Lightning comes up short in a number of important areas. It is, of course, incompatible with the roughly 350 million billion iPhone and iPod accessories currently on the market -- a problem mostly rectified by a $30 adapter. But, that's not a perfect solution, as even that won't support iPod Out, the specification used in some cars (most notably BMW and Mini) to enable in-dash control of an iPod or iPhone.

That's an admittedly low number of users left with no way forward, as the adapter will provide the power and analog audio that the vast majority of docks and accessories (and cars) in the world need, but it's still disappointing to see those automotive users, owners of some of the most expensive iPod docks on the planet, left out in the cold."

I'd be interested to here of peoples knowledge/views/experiences after the launch as my phone is due an upgrade anytime soon. I have 6NR and Pro Nav so its pretty important I keep a compatible device.

I will receive my iphone5 soon (didnt' make the first cut) and I will find out. I have read the same as you did above which bummed me out but then I read somewhere that BMW said that BMW Apps functionality should still work. So, I really don't know. They DID say that the "Plugin" feature of the iPhone that shows you the iPod like menus would not work now. Hahaha. I just need to get the lightning adapter to give it a try.

The phone won't fit in the cradle. Since I had my BMW Apps retrofitted, I use a cable and not a cradle so if you are using a cradle, I am guessing if this works that you'll need an extension cable?

I found the quote:

"BMW spokesperson Dave Buchko said that “There is a lot we still don’t know, but BMW has a long history of finding compatibility solutions for iPods and smartphones where none existed.” In the mean time, owners of BMWs and MINIs can still listen to audio over the built-in stereo, along with accessing BMW Apps and Mini Connected features by using the 30-pin to 8-pin adapter provided by Apple."

So perhaps just the Iphone "plugin" feature no longer works since it has no Ipod Out. You can still control the iPhone and play music from it but you just can't use that Iphone interface on your screen.

Last edited by JSY; 09-21-2012 at 11:23 PM..
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      09-22-2012, 08:07 AM   #3
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Received my iphone 5 yesterday. Tried it out with iDrive. It works just like the iPhone 4 did in my X3. (However I don't have 6NR so I never have had the "authentic" iPod menus.)
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      09-22-2012, 10:34 PM   #4
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It works fine. Hopefully BMW makes an update to allow that siri feature with the phone button one day.
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      09-24-2012, 05:40 AM   #5
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Thanks for the replies..

When you say 'It works' can you be more specific? What works? is it connected via USB or bluetooth? Do you have 6NR (BMW Apps)?
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      09-24-2012, 10:31 AM   #6
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No 6NR but the new iPhone 5 works, just like my old 4S.
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      09-24-2012, 11:50 AM   #7
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Thanks valeram, again though, what 'works' ?

Phone calls via Bluetooth?
Audio via Bluetooth inc Album art?
Messages via Bluetooth?
Audio via USB inc Album Art
Charging via USB?

I know you don't have 6NR but if anyone has and uses it successfully (Mainly Calendar and Twitter) then I'd love to hear from you.
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      09-24-2012, 12:55 PM   #8
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Audio through the usb cable does not work with my iphone 5. This is to be expected because the new cable does not have an analog out. When I get the adapter, I will try again. The adapter has a digital to analog converter. I can see album cover art through the usb cable and the phone charged through the usb cable.

Blutooth audio works without issue, though it disconnects when hooking up the usb port.
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      09-27-2012, 05:41 AM   #9
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More findings in this thread..

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=744000

Seems if you use the stock Lightning cable from Apple, all functionality is there.

Anyone else finding the same? Buying a second Lightning cable rather than an adaptor for the old 30 pin connector could be the best route.
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      09-27-2012, 08:48 AM   #10
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This

Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedevils View Post
Audio through the usb cable does not work with my iphone 5. This is to be expected because the new cable does not have an analog out. When I get the adapter, I will try again. The adapter has a digital to analog converter. I can see album cover art through the usb cable and the phone charged through the usb cable.

Blutooth audio works without issue, though it disconnects when hooking up the usb port.
contradicts this

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbhuna View Post
Seems if you use the stock Lightning cable from Apple, all functionality is there.
Doesn't it? bluedevils must have been using the lightning cable and said audio through USB doesn't work
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      09-27-2012, 10:04 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbhuna View Post
Thanks valeram, again though, what 'works' ?

Phone calls via Bluetooth?
Audio via Bluetooth inc Album art?
Messages via Bluetooth?
Audio via USB inc Album Art
Charging via USB?

I know you don't have 6NR but if anyone has and uses it successfully (Mainly Calendar and Twitter) then I'd love to hear from you.

Phone during bluetooth - fine

Audio via bluetooth - fine, but even on a 4S I have had an issue with the nav when using bluetooth audio - it froze up with nav directions

Messages don't work with bluetooth, just with the cable
Audio works fine, didn't test album art yet

CHarges fine via usb
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      09-27-2012, 12:17 PM   #12
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I tried my iPhone 5 yesterday and connected it to my X3 via a USB to Lightning cable and found that:
-I had no Bluetooth issues;
-Pandora worked fine and I was able to use iDrive to control the app; and
-the car did not recognize my iPhone 5 as an external drive and I was unable to access the music stored locally on it - therefore no iDrive control.

I did not check:
-BMW Apps to see if FB, Twitter, News, BMW Radio were working;
-MOG; or
-Stitcher.
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      09-27-2012, 12:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbhuna View Post
Thanks valeram, again though, what 'works' ?

Phone calls via Bluetooth?
Audio via Bluetooth inc Album art?
Messages via Bluetooth?
Audio via USB inc Album Art
Charging via USB?

I know you don't have 6NR but if anyone has and uses it successfully (Mainly Calendar and Twitter) then I'd love to hear from you.
Calls via BT - working
Audio via BT - working (I didn't check the Album art)
Message via BT - working
Audio via USB inc Album art - working
Charging via USB - working
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      09-27-2012, 12:59 PM   #14
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I should note that I just realized that I never updated my X3's software to UPD01004...this may be the reason that I am not getting audio over USB.

I intend on upgrading it tonight.
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      09-28-2012, 06:24 AM   #15
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Taking a leap of faith and ordered an upgrade to the 5. I'll update here when I find out what works etc. I never bothered getting a cradle for the 4 so I won't be missing much on that front.
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      09-29-2012, 12:16 AM   #16
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Well, I have a retrofitted 6NR on my X3 so I had been using a Y cable instead of a cradle to get BMW Apps and the iPhone Plugin.

So, I took the lightning cable and plugged it directly to the USB port (and the other to my iPhone5) and found that:

BMW Apps seems to work somewhat. I mean, all the apps seemed to work, but audio from Web Radio and MOG came out of the phone and not the car sound system. I could not get the sound to come out of the car sound system. I wonder if this is because the audio for these two using the iPod out audio feature that they say I need to wait for the 8-30 pin adaptor for. By plugging it directly into the USB port and not using the Y cable, I no longer have anything plugging into the Audio/Video 1/8" jack like I did before so perhaps that is the reason and the audio is fed through there?

I hope that is the reason because I use Web Radio A LOT and if it doesn't I'm not going to listen to the audio coming out of the phone. I guess I shot myself in the foot.

As expected, no more Plugin functionality to see the iPod like menus.

I did not try to access the music in the iPhone directly - not sure how I could forget that but since there is no 1/8" jack connection, I knew playing video from my iPhone5 was going to be out since it uses that connection for video.

I can live w/o video from iPhone. However I really hope that the audio issue is corrected by using the adaptor.

I did not try Pandora.. I forgot about that.

When are the adaptors going to be available? Sheesh!
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      09-29-2012, 12:56 AM   #17
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Amazing just how behind the times car manufacturers actually are. If commercial agreements were no limit Car companies could save millions on r&d if they just provided a dock/ iPhone mirroring function in the dash.
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      09-29-2012, 01:46 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
Well, I have a retrofitted 6NR on my X3 so I had been using a Y cable instead of a cradle to get BMW Apps and the iPhone Plugin.

So, I took the lightning cable and plugged it directly to the USB port (and the other to my iPhone5) and found that:

BMW Apps seems to work somewhat. I mean, all the apps seemed to work, but audio from Web Radio and MOG came out of the phone and not the car sound system. I could not get the sound to come out of the car sound system. I wonder if this is because the audio for these two using the iPod out audio feature that they say I need to wait for the 8-30 pin adaptor for. By plugging it directly into the USB port and not using the Y cable, I no longer have anything plugging into the Audio/Video 1/8" jack like I did before so perhaps that is the reason and the audio is fed through there?

I hope that is the reason because I use Web Radio A LOT and if it doesn't I'm not going to listen to the audio coming out of the phone. I guess I shot myself in the foot.

As expected, no more Plugin functionality to see the iPod like menus.

I did not try to access the music in the iPhone directly - not sure how I could forget that but since there is no 1/8" jack connection, I knew playing video from my iPhone5 was going to be out since it uses that connection for video.

I can live w/o video from iPhone. However I really hope that the audio issue is corrected by using the adaptor.

I did not try Pandora.. I forgot about that.

When are the adaptors going to be available? Sheesh!
Do you have a retrofit without 6NF? i.e. no cradle and 6NR only via the Y cable? I think you'll have to wait for an updated Y cable. Not sure but I would think they will become available long before the official BMW media adaptor (which took 1 year for iPhone 4)
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      09-29-2012, 02:16 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
I can live w/o video from iPhone. However I really hope that the audio issue is corrected by using the adaptor.
I wonder if a simple patch cord from the iPhone headphone jack to the receptacle where you now plug in the 1/8" side of your Y cable would help?
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      09-29-2012, 02:44 AM   #20
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Word of warning to those considering upgrading: my wife's iPhone 5 was down to 8% charge and it wouldn't charge or be seen as a device in iDrive. The charge icon flicked on and off a few times and it never appeared in iDrive as an external device. Switched to my iPhone 4 and it was immediately recognised as an external device and started charging correctly. I paired the iPhone 5 for BT Audio and that all worked ok but using the lightning cable it was invisible - oddly it did charge from the glove box ok. Will try it again when it's fully charged
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      09-29-2012, 09:53 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
Word of warning to those considering upgrading: my wife's iPhone 5 was down to 8% charge and it wouldn't charge or be seen as a device in iDrive. The charge icon flicked on and off a few times and it never appeared in iDrive as an external device. Switched to my iPhone 4 and it was immediately recognised as an external device and started charging correctly. I paired the iPhone 5 for BT Audio and that all worked ok but using the lightning cable it was invisible - oddly it did charge from the glove box ok. Will try it again when it's fully charged
Thanks for sharing your experience. My iPhone 5 is expected to be delivered on Oct 24.
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      09-29-2012, 10:53 AM   #22
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SMS does work via bluetooth, found that out last night.

Email does not
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