But how do I get a phone cradle for my comfort bluetooth armrest? Will my MA ask me what phone I have before I take delivery (it would be nice to have it, rather than waiting)? Do I have to ask him to order it for me? Prices on these things? I have an LG phone right now, but when my contract with Verizon expires next spring, I'm moving to an iPhone. I want to know if it's worth the cost to get the phone cradle now or just wait until I get my iPhone (since I'll need to get a new one then anyway).

Thanks!

 

I think you'll want to wait (unless you've got money to burn!)...I've seen them quoted at well over $100. Plus they're not available for every phone.

Do a search on the forum or through Google (you can go into Advanced Options on Google and search ONLY this website!) and you'll see what I mean.

 

You would need to talk to the parts department. Many do not know what phone cradles are. Best bet is to call Classic Mini in Ohio. They also give NAM members a discount. Suggestion if you are changing phones soon do not buy one yet.

around $140.00 but depends on phone.

Probably not one available anyway. Also depending on what phone you have (what model is it?) it may not work with the car anyway. LG phones are notorious for not working with Mini/BMW bluetooth. The phone must have the correct firmware to match the Mini bluetooth and if it has been updated to a newer firmware it can NOT be programed back and work.

[1uo53]but when my contract with Verizon expires next spring, I'm moving to an iPhone. I want to know if it's worth the cost to get the phone cradle now or just wait until I get my iPhone (since I'll need to get a new one then anyway).[/quote]

Best bet it to wait. Also by next spring things may have taken a large change as more states are requiring hands free. This is going to force the manufactures (car and phone) to become more compatible.

 

Does someone have to install it?

 

No they pop right in takes less than 15 seconds to remove the blank plate in the armrest and insert the phone cradle.

 

will this charge it??

 

Phone cradles can do two functions depending on the phone.

1. Charge the phone - all cradles and phones
2. Exterior antenna connection. For greater range. Most phones these days have some sort of external antenna connection available but not all.


Other benefits -

1. Phone is not floating around on the floor/seat/storage compartment etc.
2. keeps battery charged as using bluetooth connection drains most phone batteries very quickly.

 

As stated above the cradle is (for the most part) a $140 charger for the armrest. Not many phones have an external antenna jack and even fewer of the sleeves will have a separately wired plug for that jack.

 

Actually over 90% of the phone made today have an external connector available. It just is not visible until the phone is taken apart and the cover plug removed.

That does not mean that the cradle will have the external antenna connection but form the 4 I have seen they all have an external antenna connection.

I have been told that some of the cradles have a loop type antenna connection that is basically just a wire that lays just under the phone antenna and has a radiation only connection.

Here are good links to tell if your phone has the external connection

1. From this link pick you phone manufacturer and look thru the listing for you phone model. http://www.alternativewireless.com/c...ers/index.html

2. This page shows some of the locations. http://www.alternativewireless.com/c...-adapters.html

3. On this page we can see that Motorola has a lot of phones with external connections http://www.alternativewireless.com/c...-motorola.html

Notice the Razr phones - Razr V3, V3c, V3e, V3i, V3r, V3s, V3t, V3xx all have external connections available but the Razr V3m and V3x do not and also that the Razr 2 V9 does not.

4. Some phone have special instruction listed for them such as on this page http://www.alternativewireless.com/c...rocedures.html

 

I think from the compatibility thread, my phone LG VX8300, I think - that's without looking at it) is compatible, but at $150 give or take, I'll stick with my $20 BT headset from Target (mandatory hands-free here in CA) until I get my iPhone. thanks!

 

There's two different issues though...if you want the MINI to charge your phone and use the car antenna for imrpoved reception, you need a cradle (and not all phones even access the car's antenna when using the cradle).

If you just want hands-free then all you need is the Bluetooth option!

I use the BT with my LG VX8600 and LOVE it. Have zero intention of ever buying a cradle...it's just so convenient to leave the phone in my pocket and it instantly is integrated into the MINI!

So you can get rid of the $20 BT headset from Target, if you're getting the BT in the MINI.

 

Well, if you have bluetooth to begin with, you don't need an earpiece. Even without any cradle, you can still have a bluetooth link to your car (with voice and phonebook function).

On the other hand, if you still need a headset because your phone doesn't have bluetooth, no cradle will help you.

As other posters have noted. Cradle just gives you a potential antenna boost, and charges your phone (worth it in my opinion, but that's another story).

 

Oh duh. Of course I still have BT without the cradle! My phone does have BT, so it will be nice to integrate it with the MINI and not have to deal with the stupid headset.

 

The existing iPhone cradle for the comfort armrest will NOT fit the new iPhone 3G. I have the cradle and discovered that upon upgrading my iPhone. I probably would not buy it again because the freaking phone is difficult to extract from the cradle. The armrest lid doesn't slide back far enough. Even tilting the lid back (once you slide it all the way back) just barely gives you enough room to get a hold of the iPhone.

Plus you miss any text messages because the iPhone is stowed out of sight. The signal improvement from the antenna coupling was very nice though.

 

I am thinking of a razar or krazr, where can i buy this cradle????

 

ok bought the krzr wher can i find the insert?

 

Read the thread there are at least a couple of suggestions in this thread.

 

I am still waiting on my MINI to arrive (sometime in November) but I stopped by the parts department this weekend to see if my iPhone 3G would fit into the iPhone cradle, and it seemed to fit okay, but definitely a little tight. I did notice that when you pushed the eject button, it did not want to pop up easily, but since I don't have a car to try it out in, I wasn't sure if it wasn't ejecting properly because it wasn't mounted in the car. Maybe by the time my car comes in, they will have a cradle specifically for the iPhone 3G...