i got an iPhone because my 2007 mini s is bluetooth equipped. the bluetooth manual says that the phone should be connected by dock to the mini in order to use the car antenna..... the manual further states that using a phone independently in the car might interfere (and damage) other electronics in the car!

but when i talked to the dealer about an integrated cradle, he looked at me like i was from mars... he said he has never installed a cradle and wouldn't know how to.

does anybody here know if a snap-in cradle is available for the mini, or, short of that, if a cable is available to connect the iphone to the jack in the armrest?

 

I was told no on both accounts.

From my experience, the iPhone works great with the MINI bluetooth system. It is on the list of MINI approved devices, so you shouldn't have any issues with damage or warranty (i doubt that you would anyway). The armrest and associated cradles are mainly for older, non bluetooth equipped phones.

There are only iPhone related cables that are available from MINI, and neither one is for the phone functions. There is the USB iPod adapter for 08 MINIs and the iPod connection kit for 07 MINIs.

 

You could try calling Mini USA and seeing if they have a cradle yet for the iPhone. When I was shopping for a Mini compatible phone 2 months ago, they told me they would have a cradle for the iPhone this year.

 

thanks, all. I agree with Coop310: the iphone seems to work fine with the hands free bluetooth system in the car. I was just hoping to be able to use the car antenna which is supposed to be for cellphones. (AT&T service, by the way, really sucks in this part of the country (Massachusetts).

 

The phone has to be designed to connect to an external antenna, and from what I've found online, the iPhone doesn't have any sort of connection for one, even as one of the dock connections.

You might be able to hack up a charging connector for it though, there's a thread that has pinouts for the R56 armrest connector.

 

thanks, nicknbecka. one other thing about the iPhone, the phonebook is NOT imported into the mini bluetooth system.

 

The phonebook is as far as I know, just not voice dialing. You have to set up the voice dialing commands manually.

 

Mine was (week 45 build). It's not imported into the NAV address book, however.

~Neal

 

oh. Thanks, all. I guess I will have to read the manual some more...(it is the first set of instructions I have read for anything, any time).

 

For phones with cradles that don't have an antenna connection the cradle has a passive antenna that amplifies and send the signal out through the car's roof antenna. My Razr has a port for the antenna, however the cradle does not use it. It has a metal loop near the phone's built in antenna to "grab" the signal and send it to the roof mounted antenna.

 

I don't have anything to add
but I want to see if my signature works.

 

yup