First, I LOVE my new Countryman...........but, where are you supposed to put your phone if you have the armrest.

1. Putting it inside doesn't make sense because there is no cradle for it.

2. The OVER-engineered phone holder doesn't fit on the front rail.

Droid phones will be no different.
For all the integration you'd think this would have been better thought out.

I use my cup holder.

 

I keep mine in my jacket pocket. Not trying to be a wisenheimer, but it serves me well there.


Disclaimer: I don't have a Countryman. My solution is universal, however.

 

I would too, but with MINI Connected it has to be plugged into the car.

Very frustrating that there was so much time and money spent on this system and this part was overlooked.

 

DOH! I forgot about that.
And as a Pandora user, I would be taking advantage of it just for that.

 

I thought the phone holder would be a little better since it was geared towards the iPhone. Now I have to wait a couple months for the armrest insert. I've been resting my phone on the passenger seat for now.

 

i'll have the bluetooth, so probably i'll just keep it in the cup older

 

I use the phone holder that came with the car, which fits fine on my front rail. It's not an ideal solution given the way that the phone holder works--you have to plug the phone in, then stick it in the holder. But it works.

As I type that, I wonder if there is a way to adapt an Apple dock to work on the rail system. Have to take a look at that.

 

I recommend the Xtand Go.

 

I have to say I'm not quite sure about this but in the Countryman brochure that I have from the dealer - page 36 - it shows an iPhone inside the armrest in a special snap-in adapter. This page is for accessories but I was thinking all along that it would be included if you ordered the Navi/Connected system since the armrest is then a requirement. Am I wrong about that? (my Countryman is not expected to arrive until March).

 

So far , I use the cup holder too

 

We went through this gyration this afternoon.

Phones will be bluetoothed and the ipod will just rest in the rail.

The supplied iphone/ipod holder is awkward design at best.

Don

 

@karlc42 that's what I was told when I ordered mine in October. It would be included. They will have a very vocal and displeased customer if they try to charge me for it when it does come out.

To: All Countryman Owners with Connected

Please....demand an adapter for the cradle. And.......refuse to pay for it. It was part of my sales pitch that my iPhone would "just snap into place, connect and charge"

 

I haven't seen the setup for connected but I was under the impression that the phone fit nicely in the armrest that you had to buy with connected. Not the case? Does anyone have a picture of where it is supposed to go?

 

I don't see anywhere that the cradle is included at no charge. I agree that it probably should be, but my expectation is to have to pay for it as there is no obligation (contractual or otherwise) for it to be included.

Now if your MA promised it to you at no charge, that is a different case and you have a beef to settle individually. But there really is no basis for all MINI Connected owners to cry foul. No one should have been under the impression that the cradle was to be included as part of the option when they order it. Your case is different. Even if the MA was wrong, they should make good by you.

I suppose future customers can insist on a free cradle along with their MINI Connected system before they order it but demanding one after the fact won't get very far in my opinion.

 

I am not usually one to make demands, however, the fact that one of the prerequisites to getting MINI Connected was a $250 arm rest makes it a little difficult to swallow that:
A. The cradle isn't available!!!!
B. The system I paid $1000 for doesn't work as advertised without it. Unless.......you use the y-connecter that doesn't reach the armrest you had to buy for $250.

Doesn't sit well with me, no matter what my MA had said.

 

I can't argue with you on those points. Burned me up a bit to have pay the $250 for the armrest too especially since early order guides had it included at no cost with Connected. This is just a case of new model "gotchas" that need to be worked out, unfortunately at the expense of early adopters like us. But then again we are getting the "pleasure" of being first on the block.

 

Here's a picture and info on MINI's site:

http://www.minimotoringgear.com/#/pr...?CenterId=null

I was surprised to see that they have it for other phones like the Blackberry Pearl (and of course I have the Curve).

 

And I have iphone4. GRRRR.....

I checked the BMW website and the exact same thing from them instead of MINI is $220. Who knew changing a number on part was such an expensive task in Germany!! ;-)

 

The parts department said they won't have the cradle available for another couple weeks. He said some thing about Germany getting the cradle first then the States. Sucks a little but ill make due.
And the thing is a $180.00 clams......OUCH

 

that'll fit the iPhone 4?

 

Good question??!!!! Im pretty sure I asked for the iPhone 4, but I could have assumed he knew. I'll have to call back. $220?!! WOW THATS A BIT MUCH...talk about squeezing blood from a stone

 

So for early adopters who ordered connectd with nav, if we have an iPhone 4, we have to pay around $70 for the Y cable and have the phone on the rail, until the cradle for the armrest that we had to buy comes out, and then we have to pay another $150-$200 for the cradle, basically adding several hundred to the cost of the already $1750 Connected with Nav plus $250 armrest.

 

And it would be less of a big deal if they didn't force you to buy the armrest, because you could just rest it in the rail anyway, which I may do, because the snap in adapter doesn't seem compatible with any cases, either.

 

The cable comes with the car. Other than that you are correct I'm afraid. It is expensive.

 

Agreed. It would be more palatable if they included one cradle as part of the $250 obligatory armrest.