I have a R60 equipped with MINI Connected. I also have iPhone5 (with iOS6), in which podcasts are housed in a separate app and are no longer a part of iTunes/Music app. While MINI Connected allows me to browse music selection and music playlists without an issue, I cannot do the same with podcasts. If I actually go to my iPhone and launch podcast from there (while iPhone is connected via cable to the car), the podcast plays fine just a like a song track through MINI Connected, and if I disconnect the iPhone and then connect it again, MINI Connected remembers last listening choice and goes right back to that podcast. But, again, I have no choice to browse the podcasts library. What's the solution here? Need to update MINI Connected software at the dealer?

 

I do the same and control the podcast app from the phone. Even for plain songs, this is generally much faster than using the clunky idrive interface. Usually I get tired of having to always have to reconnect my phone with the wire and use Bluetooth audio. This whole mini connected thing is fairly useless, buggy, and clunky to use.

 

Make a podcast playlist , then you can browse them in mini connected.

 

I was experimenting with sync settings in iTunes and it seems that some podcasts can be browsed to from idrive. Once I figure out the simplest way to do it I will post my findings.

 

Making a list of podcasts in iTunes and then syncing them with iPhone works. Downside is that now whatever changes you make to your podcast stations in your iPhone app, you must then do the same thing in iTunes. Or forget about podcast app altogether and manage it all through iTunes.