I know they all have the Aux in cable but do they all (all meaning, the bone stock ones) come with a USB input ? If so, does the USB also support charging of an iPhone?

Basically hoping the answers are yes and yes, so I have the all in one iphone integration solution

Thanks!!

 

On 2012s (which are still in production) the USB comes with the Bluetooth option and will charge an iPhone. No Buetooth, no USB.

For 2013s, which aren't likely to be produced until late in the year, there will be a slight price increase. Bluetooth (and thus USB) becomes standard and satellite radio becomes an option. (It's also looking based on some recent pictures of the JCW 2013s that there are some minor changes to some of switches in the interior, but that's a whole different discussion!)

Hope that helps!

 

$300 increase

 

Thanks for the help!

I dont have the bluetooth option, so I take it the only way to charge my iphone would be via the cigarette lighter? I already have a garmin nav connected via the cig lighter for power. Is there possibly any other power source in the car?

Thanks!

 

1. You can get a dual USB cigarette lighter converter. Run 1 USB cable to the Garmin and one to the iPhone. Although if your Garmin has traffic it may need the cable it cabe with since it uses it as an antenna.

2. There should be a 2nd cigarette lighter in the back seats (and a third in the trunk). Just get a USB extension cable to use that one.

3. You can add an extra circuit to the fuse box, install another cigarette lighter port on it and plug the Garmin cable into that and hide all the extra wires in the dash somewhere. That's kind of the advanced option though. You could probably pay someone to do that, and it'd probably be less than the $500 Bluetooth option would have been.

 

There is a USB port in the glove box for software updates, but I don't know if it allows charging. Something to try, anyway.

 

Thanks everyone! Just bought an iphone mount that fits into the cupholders, and pairing it with a cig lighter extension cord to the backseats. THis should come out pretty clean actually

 

Great idea, will try that for just the power source !

 

The USB in the glove box is for updates to MINI Connected and the nav system. You can't use it for iPod/iPhone connectivity...I tried.

 

So if you plug in your iphone will anything on your iphone output to the speakers. I have a web radio app that plays stations from all over. Its alot cheaper than spending 1000$ on connected. That is the only connected feature I would use regularly. Also if you have a pandora app on your phone and it will play through the usb, the only advantage I see to the connected upgrade is that you can control it onscreen. Seems cool but superfluous. Am I missing something?

 

Spirit Bear,

From what I know, you have to plug in the Aux cable to get audio - the actual cable you get is a Y cable with a dock connector on one end and an aux/usb cable on the other. The USB allows charging and control from the steering wheel. Some apps, like Spotify, don't seem to work well with the steering wheel controls (Slacker seemed to work fine). Steering wheel controls obviously work best with 'normal' music on your iPod/iPhone.

I don't actually have my CM yet, but from a few days of having some Zipcar Mini hatchback rentals and experimenting (and wanting to play Spotify!) I also noticed that whenever I plugged a phone in it started playing something from its internal library, and I'd have to quit out of it and reopen the app I wanted.

 

I got the bluetooth option, mostly for connecting hands-free with my cell phone, but the USB connection came with it. I don't have Connected. I use the USB all the time - I just put MP3s on a thumb drive and I can select them with the car controls - works great.

 

Yes it does. I use the Tunein app on my phone all the time. And it works in my aux port. Also subs as a hands free to talk on your phone.

 

It doesn't make sense to me now that I think about it. Why does MINI charge extra for the Bluetooth option when it all works through the auxillery port? Maybe I am missing something.

 

It's called a good marketing team and product managers who understand a thing or two about price elasticity.

 

With Bluetooth I can take a call with my phone in my pocket.

I guess with your phone plugged in to the aux jack you could hear the other person through your car speakers, but I imagine they wouldn't be able to hear you very well since the phone mic would be the one you'd need to talk into. Maybe if you talked really loud?