Bluetooth audio streaming

Back again to seek guidance from more experienced souls...

I got my i3 yesterday and straightaway it connected to my iphone for telephone and audio streaming - I didn't got for the enhanced bluetooth so no idea what that does for the extra £££

However, now it won't connect for streaming (still ok for phone) and will only play music when plugged in via the USB port. I've tried deleting and re-adding but that makes no difference.

It's not a great problem, but just a tad annoying. Any ideas?

Hi Ross,

If the setup is the same as my 5 series, the test drive I had recently seemed to show it was at least very similar, then connecting the device via USB will disable the audio Bluetooth streaming. No idea why it does this, but it does - every time!
In my 5 series to correct this you need to go into options under Bluetooth settings and reselect Bluetooth audio connection. If it's not the same for the i3, I'm sure someone with more hands on knowledge will be able to point you in the right direction.

Hope that helps, though I'm sure you are still having lots of fun!

Kind regards,

Dunkster

Dunkster said:

In my 5 series to correct this you need to go into options under Bluetooth settings and reselect Bluetooth audio connection.

Click to expand...

Ross, Dunkseter has the correct answer, indeed. For some obscur reason, connecting the iDevice to USB will shade down its audio stream capability in the car. In principle, no need to delete/add-again your phone. Turn the car off and on again should suffice to tell the system that it should use all the capabilities of the iPhone (call + audio). You can check that you iDevice has been properly recognized clicking on "TEL" on the central console then clicking on "OPTIONS". Then, you should be able to select "Devices" (or whatever it is used in the English version of the system). Next to your phone's name, there will be 2 pictograms representing the phone function and the music function. When both are lit, you are ready to go.

As for why the audio stream is disabled when connecting the iPhone to the USB port, I guess it makes sense since when the iPhone, as a source, is connected to the system via another route (USB), the system has to choose where to take the data from. And since the data are the same, it chooses to disable the least efficient route. But this is just my romantic interpretation of the facts

It happened to mine. I disconnected and reconnected, and rebooted the phone (iphone5) and it worked..... for a few days. It stopped working for a day, then by itself started working again, and has been good since!

Thanks guys! I will give that a go!

Does anyone know what the 'enhanced bluetooth with telephone and USB control' gives you? I don't have that so I was very surprised to have BT streaming and voice control, and I have a USB port!

Ross said:

Does anyone know what the 'enhanced bluetooth with telephone and USB control' gives you? I don't have that so I was very surprised to have BT streaming and voice control, and I have a USB port!

Click to expand...

I have no idea - I ordered it because I wanted BT streaming and a USB port! I've been experimenting today so can add that it pulls your address book from the phone (Galaxy S2 - so quite old). I have yet to try it but I think it copes with multiple phones connected at once.

Am becoming convinced it was an unnecessary option - and I should have spent the wonga on the upgraded sound system. The standard one is perfectly OK quality-wise but there are only two speakers.

Interesting! What does the standard bluetooth allow voice control of on the phone?
I left off the enhanced bluetooth in favour of Harman Kardon.

Fill in your phone details and you can see here what you can get and also see the difference between Enhanced and standard.
http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/mobile-devices/compatibility.html


The main differences between the two bluetooths is;

ENHANCED adds
Album art display
Office connection (shows diary, certain apps, email etc)
'Full' voice control, whatever that might allow
Video playback
It also allows the simultaneous pairing of two bluetooth devices.

Of interest the these feature sounds like they may be a software enabled, in the US people are turning on this feature for various BM's with the latest iDrive. Looks like a cable and some software and you can do yourself for a lot less than the factory cost.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=928616

Strange. I have album art display and office connection. It has also downloaded all the contacts from my phone. I can make calls and set destinations and quite a lot of other stuff via voice control. I haven't found a video playback option though and I haven't tested two phones being connected at the same time.

Curiouser and curiouser. I found a detailed options price list for the uk that set out all the options features point by point, the enhanced option had the above features that you describe, the standard did not. Standard would allow bluetooth connection for calls only according to the description and no mention of voice control other than direct to phone ie Siri control.

I nerded out a bit about this as I'd not taken the enhanced option when I ordered and wanted to know what I was missing out on. I can't now find the option list google showed me either, it had uk prices though.

The standard features you have sound good!

Unless I somehow got enhanced thrown in? I did get Pro Nav (FOC) and I ordered the 'internet' option.

I'm very tempted to cancel my enhanced bluetooth and USB option and save myself £350. However, the one thing that is concerning me, and ties into another thread on this forum, relates to a change in the specification from build week 10 (My i3 is scheduled for build week 19).

According to my sales advisor the navigation iDrive hardware is being upgraded from that point. I suspect that it all ties in with the stories at CES in early January;

http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-brief/85011-nvidia-showcases-tegra-in-car-with-the-bmw-i3

When I had a 24hr test drive last week, I was certainly surprised how slowly the navigation system responded to commands when I was zooming in and out. Hopefully an upgrade to the computing hardware is what is happening, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk of a change in hardware removing the ability to control iTunes on my phone in the Pro Nav without enhanced bluetooth. Certainly the free upgrade to Pro Nav for the early orders in the UK, would tie into a run off of an old specification.

So in summary a fairly frustrating situation!
Does anyone have any further clarification?

Dunkster

I haven't noticed any sluggishness in the operation of my idrive nav etc

I have just decided to cancel the enhanced option but am still unsure what features ill miss out on. I benefited from the free Pro Sat Nav so maybe ill receive some upgrades as some owners have suggested.