[mthz]

Hi all..

I know that the phone docking cradle accessory listed at $130 charges your phone and provides it with the use of the car's roof antenna. However, will this accessory alone (i.e. _without_ Bluetooth) allow the phone to communicate with the car so that I can have audio over the stereo and all of that? Or is Bluetooth necessary for this?

Thanks!
Matt

[onesixeight]

The phone dockign cradle only supports a few models of phones...Motorola V70 and a few other make and models. These are for phones without Bluetooth.

If you have a bluetooth phone, you don't need the cradle unless you need the charging feature. You could just use a cigarette lighter charger for that purpose. But some just like the integrated look better.

[mthz]

That's not quite where I was going....

I would like to be able to use my cell phone hands free over the stereo system in my car, as well as to be able to utilize the phone book integration (and whatever else it does) in the head unit.

Now to do this, I need Bluetooth, and to get that I need to pay $795 for BMW Assist. That kind of sucks.

Soooo, what I was really asking was whether or not this can all be accomplished through the $130 docking cradle _without_ having to get BMW Assist and Bluetooth. To put it another way, does the cell docking cradle _only_ provide charging/antenna functionality, or does it _also_ act as a replacement (albeit, one that is not wireless) for everything that Bluetooth gives me.

Hope this clears up my question =)
Matt

P.S. I could care less which phones the docking cradle supports -- my cell phone and provider both suck, so if I need to get a new phone to make this work, then so be it.

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by mthz

Now to do this, I need Bluetooth, and to get that I need to pay $795 for BMW Assist. That kind of sucks.

At $795, the bigger cost is for the bluetooth module and the BMW assist is actually the smaller chunk of the package.

Originally Posted by mthz

Soooo, what I was really asking was whether or not this can all be accomplished through the $130 docking cradle _without_ having to get BMW Assist and Bluetooth. To put it another way, does the cell docking cradle _only_ provide charging/antenna functionality, or does it _also_ act as a replacement (albeit, one that is not wireless) for everything that Bluetooth gives me.

Basically, the answer is no. There are two options...Either get bluetooth or the wired option. Both are going to run you over $500 plus. If you go the wired route, you will have to buy a BMW phone with all the BMW hardware in order for it to with the audio system. Those kits are very expensive, over $1000.

The other option is to possibly find out which pieces are needed to retrofit bluetooth. That I'm not sure...

[RedStripe]

It might integrate over the car's sound system, I don't know. I could possibly see it interfacing just like a bluetooth setup. However, I am pretty sure you will NOT have any voice commands.

Originally Posted by mthz

That's not quite where I was going....

I would like to be able to use my cell phone hands free over the stereo system in my car, as well as to be able to utilize the phone book integration (and whatever else it does) in the head unit.

Now to do this, I need Bluetooth, and to get that I need to pay $795 for BMW Assist. That kind of sucks.

Soooo, what I was really asking was whether or not this can all be accomplished through the $130 docking cradle _without_ having to get BMW Assist and Bluetooth. To put it another way, does the cell docking cradle _only_ provide charging/antenna functionality, or does it _also_ act as a replacement (albeit, one that is not wireless) for everything that Bluetooth gives me.

Hope this clears up my question =)
Matt

P.S. I could care less which phones the docking cradle supports -- my cell phone and provider both suck, so if I need to get a new phone to make this work, then so be it.

[skimo]

Originally Posted by RedStripe

It might integrate over the car's sound system, I don't know. I could possibly see it interfacing just like a bluetooth setup. However, I am pretty sure you will NOT have any voice commands.

I really wanted voice commands/phone integration. Somehow I decided not to get it, and here I am getting millions of phone calls with my 6 speed...i wish i had a third hand (or got the blue tooth).

Redstripe, are you positive about what you said? is there no way to Integrate the steering wheel controls and voice commands after the fact?

Any previous BMW owners have experience with phone retrofit kits coming out ages after production?

Thanks
Skimo

[RedStripe]

Hey Skimo. I'm not positive at all, these are just assumptions, so here is my logic: First, someone with the phone dock/cradle should post their experience (with e90 or another model). I would imagine the value of the phone cradle would be the handsfree ability, so it would have to integrate with the sound system, and maybe even the steering contol button. If not, wouldn't it just be a really expensive charger?

As for the voice commands, I would imagine there is at least two hardware components to it: 1) the microphone and 2) the chip/computer to perform and process the voice commands. If the cradle could give you access to these, then that means the hardware is inherent in all e90's. For simple cost reasons from BMW, this I doubt.

Also, you posted in another thread about retrofitting bluetooth. My best guess is that getting an OEM-like retrofit would be economically impractical, though I hope for your sake it is not. Also, I've heard talk of after market/third party bluetooth kits for the car. I would imagine these would NOT give you your coveted BMW voice commands, though they might have their own.

Originally Posted by skimo

I really wanted voice commands/phone integration. Somehow I decided not to get it, and here I am getting millions of phone calls with my 6 speed...i wish i had a third hand (or got the blue tooth).

Redstripe, are you positive about what you said? is there no way to Integrate the steering wheel controls and voice commands after the fact?

Any previous BMW owners have experience with phone retrofit kits coming out ages after production?

Thanks
Skimo

[E90Fleet]

Cradle only provides power and connection to external antenna, nothing else

[RedStripe]

So it doesn't connect the phone to the car's sound system? Wow, so if you don't have bluetooth, then this thing is just an expensive charger.

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Cradle only provides power and connection to external antenna, nothing else

[skimo]

Originally Posted by RedStripe

As for the voice commands, I would imagine there is at least two hardware components to it: 1) the microphone and 2) the chip/computer to perform and process the voice commands.

I totally agree. However, I thought the microphone is already in the e90. Otherwise, how would the phone cradle option work? Do callers listen to you through the phone's mic?

Originally Posted by RedStripe

If the cradle could give you access to these, then that means the hardware is inherent in all e90's. For simple cost reasons from BMW, this I doubt.

We can never know if all the hardware is inherent or not just by looking at cost of the hardware. It could actually be cheaper to add the hardware to all e90's rather than having some cars with some cars without (from a manufacturing standpoint). It all depends on the business case. In addition, the hardware we are talking about is a mere voice recognition chip, along with suitable A/D, D/A, and respective firmware. In todays world....$40.

I really dont know, I just hope we had more answers.

Thanks
Skimo

[skimo]

bummer

[E90Fleet]

In europe there is a retrofit kit for Voice Controls

It includes

1)Extra wiring harness
2)Voice Controller
3)Hands Free Telephone microphone
4)New software needs to be loaded

So these thing are not standard in all cars

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by RedStripe

So it doesn't connect the phone to the car's sound system? Wow, so if you don't have bluetooth, then this thing is just an expensive charger.

Bluetooth connects the phone to the cars sound system and the telephone control module

[skimo]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

In europe there is a retrofit kit for Voice Controls

It includes

1)Extra wiring harness
2)Voice Controller
3)Hands Free Telephone microphone
4)New software needs to be loaded

So these thing are not standard in all cars

E90Fleet, are those BMW parts? Will there be wires/ microphone running around or will it look like factory finish? How much..i am soo gonna get it (I have friends in Europe (netherlands) )

Thanks
Skimo