I ordered my car with the bluetooth phone prep option. From the threads I've read here, it sounds like you need a specific cradle in the armrest for only a limited number of phones. Using the cradle lets the phone use the cars external antenna and it keeps the phone charged.

Is that correct? Is it possible to sync any bluetooth enabled phone to the car without it being in the armrest's cradle?

The description on MiniUSA's site says you need to have the phone in the cradle to use the hands-free voice system. What is that exactly? Can you use the hand free voice system with any bluetooth enabled phone or is it limited to just the ones that can "dock" in the armrest?

Confused.

 

You do not need the armrest at all. You can just keep the phone clipped to your belt or in a purse.

 

as long as the phone is in the car or within sych distance, everything is operational. The caddy is basically for charging and possiblt the additional antenna strength.. They cost another $125. and the choices are limited.

 

So the voice dialing will work with any bluetooth enabled phone that supports voice dailing without using the armrest cradle.

Once you sync a bluetooth phone to the car, does the dash display the caller id of who's calling? I ordered the Nav system also; hoping it displays caller id on the nav screen. Does the phone book of the phone get tranfered to the car?

 

Yes, that is true.. The cradle is only for charging the phone while driving and for using the car's antenna.

Yes, it displays the telephone number of the caller. If you have that number in your phone's address book, it will also identify the person by name. And it shows it on the nav screen.

I have a Razr phone through T-Mobile. My address book was imported automatically into the car's system. Other people (with different phones) have reported needing to do something to make the transfer. It seems others have had to import those names and numbers manually.

 

I'm using a Motorola Q through Verizon and my phonebook was automatically imported when I first paired my phone with my Mini.

 

Does the car's antenna make much of a difference in range?

 

That's a good question. I don't think I have seen anyone write in who has the armrest cradle that allows the phone to hook into the car's mobile antenna.

 

My wife has a VZW Razr, and I have a VZW LG VX8300, and we were able to pair both phones to the car without issue. Her Razr won't share the phone book, but my 8300 did without issue.

Another thing we learned - the voice dialing phone book is TOTALLY separate from the phone's phone book - you will have to train/program the voice dial if you want to dial someone by name. I don't know what the limitation might be, though, of how many names you can store in the voice phonebook.

 

That's interesting. With my Razr, I haven't had to do that. Every name in my address book I've been able to access with the voice command system without any other programming.

 

I wonder if there is a difference in the software version of the car. Or maybe the cell company has that feature disabled in the phone?

 

I'm not sure. My car was an early March build. And I use T-Mobile for my mobile service.

 

After reading all the threads about the bluetooth address book issue, I am wondering if I have to do anything to prepare my Blackberry 8700. It is one of the approved phones from what I can tell. I don't currently use a "Favorites" filter, or any other filters for that matter, and my address book has a large number of entries. Should I set up a "Favorites" filter or does it matter? The vast majority of contacts aren't ones that I would need to access in the car.

 

Interesting. I can see all my contacts in the MINI dash, dial them from there, etc. but when I try the voice system to DIAL NAME, it says 'The phonebook is empty'.....

 

Okay, now I'm totally confused. I was feeling all happy that the contents of my MotoV551 (no longer in production, but listed a few months ago as one of the so-called MINI compatible phones) synced up with MINI Bluetooth to the extent that I could access my address book via the dashboard controls and any name in the address book would appear on the screen when one of those folks call me.

Here's where I'm confused. If I want Joe Bluetooth to respond to a "dial name" voice command, I have to set that name up separately in the voice command phone book (or whatever it's called). Mr. Bluetooth will not automatically dial any name in the telephone's synced up address book.

Also, when I give the dial name command for a name set up in the the separate voice command phone book, my recorded voice comes back at me to verify that Bluetooth is about to dial the correct number. So if Bluetooth dials names in your synced up address book by voice command that you did not set up separately, how does Bluetooth verify the number prior to dialing?

 

I can't explain why or how it works. Here's what I do, however. I push the voice command button on the steering wheel and say "Dial Joey." Mr. Bluetooth will then ask "Do you want me to dial Joey Free?" (the only joey listed in my phone book).

After telling him "yes," Joey's number comes up on the navigation screen, then the system dials the number.

 

Thanks Sowellman. I'm gonna' try it out again; I'll report back tomorrow.

 

It's sure baffling. Why mine works fine and others don't.

 

Sounds like the RAZR is different and the Mr. BT recognizes the names and adds them to the car's phonebook. The RAZR is also one of the few phones that can use the BT cradle in the armrest.

 

What other phones are included in that "few" that can use the BT cradle in the armrest?

Still wondering whether or not I need to set up a favorites or personal filters in my phone's address book or whether my entire address book will load from a Blackberry 8700.

 

Nope! My Bluetooth doesn't do what yours does. I chose a unique name in my phone's address book and asked Mr. BT to "dial Debbie." He responded with would you like to call [followed by my voice] Amy (or whatever the name was). Amy is a name that I set-up separately in the BT phonebook. I tried this with two other names in the phone's address book that I did not set-up separately in the BT phonebook. Still a no-go . I really wish I could understand this. Oh well.

 

Maybe you two have different software versions in your cars?

To check the software version, see this thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=111025

 

Thanks for that. I'll check out. So is my July built car the odd one out? Do many other folks have the capability that Sowellman has?

 

Hello... does anyone have the manual in PDF for the Bluetooth Prep? I'm new to the forum and just ordered my AB '07 MCS with this option and would like the chance to read up on some of these features...

 

my sony ericsson w580i sync-ed well with the system...loud and clear...automatically imported phonebook...love it.