BT phone basic interface

[RPM90]

Ok, this BT phone interface on non-Nav 1's is the DUMBEST setup I've encountered yet.

I feel the need to vent, because I hope BMW monitor these forums.
The setup is truly dumb, and I highly value BMW normally as an excellent engineering company. However, with the BT phone, they FAIL.

I have the non Nav system with the "base" audio system. .
There is a phone icon button on the M steering wheel, and there is a phone icon button on the stereo.
So, you need to make a phone call. Which button would you think to press to do this? NO. It's NOT the phone icon button. If you do that, it will dial the last number dialed. It will NOT pull up the phone list, as any normal average IQ person would think. To get the phone list to come up you have to push the button on the right side of the stereo. I think it's named "Menu", I'm not sure right now. You push that button, then you select the function you want. There is a phone option, you push that one.

So, to use the phone to make a call, you have to push 2 buttons that are NOT on the steering wheel, but on the stereo.
DUMB!
BUT, there is a button to change the recirculating air ON THE STEERING WHEEL! Really!? That function is on the steering wheel, but no button to actually call up the phone function on the steering wheel? Really pisses me off how stupid this setup is.

The visual display for the phone list is the stereo with it's 2 lines only, instead of using the display between the tach and speedo. My A4 did this. Audi were smart enough to know that if you push the phone icon on the steering wheel, hey, it must mean that you WANT to use the PHONE! So, the screen between the tach and speedo, would show your phone list vertically, and you use a scroll wheel "button" to go through your numbers, then push that button in to make the call.
In the 1, after the 2 button pushes, which are on the stereo NOT the wheel, you finally get to see your numbers 2 at a time, you scroll with the right side up/down buttons and then push the phone icon on the left side to make the call, and it takes FOREVER if you have more than 10 numbers, which most people do. The scroll is S L O OOOO W.

I know I'm over explaining what you guys already know, but it just pisses me off how STUPID this setup really is. And, they actually charge you $750 to have this idiocy! I got mine in the "premium pkg".
Is there any way to reprogram this? I haven't found any way to do it using what's available on the steering wheel or stereo.

I simply would like to push the phone icon button that's on the steering wheel so that my phone list comes up, instead of dialing the last number.
BMW really cheaped out on this. They charge as much as Audi for the BT, but Audi's phone interface and function is years more advanced that BMW.
That's ridiculous!

The best feature on this stereo/phone setup is that it fades the audio down then up as you select between sources and stations.

[ryebred]

i also have non-idrive/basic audio. if you hold the phone icon down for a couple/few seconds, it does bring up the phone menu, but then you have to select the a-z through the rocker switches and use the right-hand selector knob to scroll through the phonebook entries. not entirely fluid, but if it can be believed, it is actually better than the interface on my phone. (my phone has a hateful UI that makes you miserable the longer you use it).

[mattssi]

Man, all these little things that seem like such a downgrade from my IS350. I hope the engine makes up for it!

[Simsims]

use the voice dialer right above the phone button

[Ender_]

I don't have BT option, didn't think it was worth the cost, my headset works better.

I agree in general that the steering wheel controls are dumb. I miss my Audi controls, the scrolling wheel buttons where so much better, the BMW ones feel clumsy.

BMW needs to innovate when it comes to interior design and engineer, Audi is years ahead. On the flip side Audi has a lot to learn about performance, and NOT getting rid of 6spd!

[JimD]

I use my Garmin GPS (nuvi 760). It pulls in my address book and with the phone linked, you touch the icon to bring up choices of phone book, points of interest (phone numbers for things around you), dial (you put in the number), call history, call home, and voice dial. After picking one of these, you use the touch screen (or say the number if you pick voice dial). Like other Garmin features, I find it intuitive. By tieing the headphone jack to the auxiliary port, it plays phone calls (or MP3 files) through the car speakers. I added a remote microphone for better outgoing quality.

Jim

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Simsims

use the voice dialer right above the phone button

It doesn't work very well once moving with the road noise.
Also, voice dial assumes you remember the number. I have a lot of numbers and don't remember all of them.
I used to use that feature in the A4 with similar results.
Works well at lower speeds, windows up.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by ryebred

i also have non-idrive/basic audio. if you hold the phone icon down for a couple/few seconds, it does bring up the phone menu, but then you have to select the a-z through the rocker switches and use the right-hand selector knob to scroll through the phonebook entries. not entirely fluid, but if it can be believed, it is actually better than the interface on my phone. (my phone has a hateful UI that makes you miserable the longer you use it).

Thanks for the tip!

Still, the user interface is base at best, and scroll time and view is pathetic.

It's so obvious that if the user presses the phone button, that the user wants to make a call. Why not just go to the menu straight away?
That's rhetorical.

On my cell, I can program what the buttons do. I have it set to go right to the address list with one button push. I do love the performance of my 135i, but there such a thing as day to day need with the technology we pay for. For the cost of these things you don't get much functionality.
The A4/A5 basic interface includes a very nice color screen with a "joystick" type knob, similar to iDrive, but it's included in the cost.
You use it to adjust audio, HVAC, phone, etc...

I knew this of course when I decided on the 135i. But still, I was expecting what is there to work better. Oh well, I'll get over it.

[x5mad]

Not sure whether this works in the non idrive version but on the steering wheel there are 2 programmable buttons. One is set as default to switch between the air recirculation modes.

In the idrive settings I programme one of the buttons to bring up the phone menu.

[ryebred]

further experimentation has revealed that a long phone button press followed by hitting the right up/down wheel button takes you to a scrollable list of contacts. not much good, but doable. deleting exes a has saved some scroll time

[CT135]

Originally Posted by x5mad

One is set as default to switch between the air recirculation modes.

I didn't know you could change that!