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iPhone 5 and your car.. Uh oh?

Hippyshakes

Hippyshakes

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 14, 2012
30
0
Atlanta, Georgia - from San Francisco Cali
Full Article

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57511834-48/iphone-5-new-ipod-may-leave-some-cars-in-the-dust/


Excerpt:

The fact that the Lightning port uses eight purely digital pins calls into question whether the Lightning adapter would actually work with many cars' existing iPod or even USB ports. Current Kia and Hyundai models, and older BMW models, use an adapter cable that feeds the analog audio signal from the 30-pin connector to a 1/8-inch audio input, and a USB port to feed control signals between iPhone and car. Lightning does not have the capability to send an analog signal, so Apple's adapter will not work in those vehicles.

My new Audi A6 is in question and damn but if this is important to me....

More to follow I guess
 
M

mainomega

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2007
310
97
Its already been said that it will support analog audio out using the 30-PIN adapter. I have a Jeep which relied on that setup so I too was curious. I preordered the phones at 2:10 this morning.
 
O

onepremiere

macrumors regular
May 16, 2012
176
2
Hippyshakes said:
Full Article

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57511834-48/iphone-5-new-ipod-may-leave-some-cars-in-the-dust/


Excerpt:

The fact that the Lightning port uses eight purely digital pins calls into question whether the Lightning adapter would actually work with many cars' existing iPod or even USB ports. Current Kia and Hyundai models, and older BMW models, use an adapter cable that feeds the analog audio signal from the 30-pin connector to a 1/8-inch audio input, and a USB port to feed control signals between iPhone and car. Lightning does not have the capability to send an analog signal, so Apple's adapter will not work in those vehicles.

My new Audi A6 is in question and damn but if this is important to me....

More to follow I guess
Click to expand...

Bluetooth that sucker... Cable connections were so 2011.
 
TopToffee

TopToffee

macrumors 65816
Jul 9, 2008
1,040
973
Hippyshakes said:
Full Article

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57511834-48/iphone-5-new-ipod-may-leave-some-cars-in-the-dust/


Excerpt:

The fact that the Lightning port uses eight purely digital pins calls into question whether the Lightning adapter would actually work with many cars' existing iPod or even USB ports. Current Kia and Hyundai models, and older BMW models, use an adapter cable that feeds the analog audio signal from the 30-pin connector to a 1/8-inch audio input, and a USB port to feed control signals between iPhone and car. Lightning does not have the capability to send an analog signal, so Apple's adapter will not work in those vehicles.

My new Audi A6 is in question and damn but if this is important to me....

More to follow I guess
Click to expand...

It's not just older BMW's. I've got a 2012 3 series, and that uses the same "splitter" cable.
 
J

jmunter

macrumors newbie
May 20, 2012
17
0
How is it not going to work? The adapter is just that, an adapter. Analog to digital.

Apple wouldn't release something that doesn't work.
 
O

onepremiere

macrumors regular
May 16, 2012
176
2
Hippyshakes said:
Well....for playing movies and music its not always the best or best quality option to BlueTooth it for my car...
Click to expand...

My 2012 Toyota w/Entune can cycle through songs faster over BT than it can using the USB Port.

Don't know about sound quality... Truck has a JBL sound system that makes me smile when the bass hits, so I am satisfied.
 
CharlieBrandt09

CharlieBrandt09

macrumors 6502
Feb 28, 2012
408
40
Southern NJ
I use wired connection in my 2012 Kia bc I like to see album art, etc on car screen. When I use BT, I don't get that.

Either way, I don't use the Kia adapter, I just plug straight into USB.
 
iBaloney

iBaloney

macrumors 6502
Jan 6, 2010
435
0
vehicles with a 30pin ipod cable to mini DIN should function perfectly with the lightning adapter right?
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Here's the skinny on this. And I wish I knew about this earlier before I preordered my iPhone 5.

After the Keynote, I sent an email to Tim Cook. While I did not get an email back, they did call me and I just spoke with a representative. He gave me good news and bad news.

Good news: the adaptor will allow you to hook your phone up to your 30-pin connector to your car and your music will play out through the speakers.

Bad news: you will no longer be able to navigate through your songs and play them via the screen on your dashboard.

I hope this has clarified this issue for most. I see this as bad news, but at least something I can live with. That said, I probably would have held off on preordering.

----------
TopToffee said:
It's not just older BMW's. I've got a 2012 3 series, and that uses the same "splitter" cable.
Click to expand...

My hope is that BMW comes out with a new adaptor in due time.
 
Hippyshakes

Hippyshakes

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 14, 2012
30
0
Atlanta, Georgia - from San Francisco Cali
CharlieBrandt09 said:
I use wired connection in my 2012 Kia bc I like to see album art, etc on car screen. When I use BT, I don't get that.

Either way, I don't use the Kia adapter, I just plug straight into USB.
Click to expand...

Right. Additionally, I play movies/Video and the wired connection simply works better.

Seems that some are saying it WILL have analog, and others are saying Lightning is fully digital.
 
P

petethepanda

macrumors member
Jun 30, 2010
52
0
Lightning is fully digital; the Lightning-to-30pin adapter has a DAC, so with the adapter you will still get analog audio.

Info from Apple given to Macworld:
"Astute readers may have noticed that the Lightning connector does not support analog audio-out, but the 30-pin adapters do. That’s because hidden away inside each 30-pin adapter is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts the Lightning connector’s digital audio signal to an analog version. (The inclusion of a DAC explains at least part of the price of the adapters.)"

Product listing on Apple's site:
"This adapter lets you connect devices with a Lightning connector to many of your 30-pin accessories.* Support for analog audio output, USB audio, as well as syncing and charging. Video output not supported."

Even with this, though, we still won't know 100% for sure that it'll work with adapters such as the Hyundai ones. Hell, even if it would there's a chance iOS6 would break compatibility anyway lol.
 
Last edited:
bmwhd

bmwhd

macrumors 6502a
May 22, 2008
776
2
CharlieBrandt09 said:
I use wired connection in my 2012 Kia bc I like to see album art, etc on car screen. When I use BT, I don't get that.

Either way, I don't use the Kia adapter, I just plug straight into USB.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Same with our Lexus. BT works but the UI is inferior.
 
Hippyshakes

Hippyshakes

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 14, 2012
30
0
Atlanta, Georgia - from San Francisco Cali
kas23 said:
Here's the skinny on this. And I wish I knew about this earlier before I preordered my iPhone 5.

After the Keynote, I sent an email to Tim Cook. While I did not get an email back, they did call me and I just spoke with a representative. He gave me good news and bad news.

Good news: the adaptor will allow you to hook your phone up to your 30-pin connector to your car and your music will play out through the speakers.

Bad news: you will no longer be able to navigate through your songs and play them via the screen on your dashboard.

I hope this has clarified this issue for most. I see this as bad news, but at least something I can live with. That said, I probably would have held off on preordering.


----------



My hope is that BMW comes out with a new adaptor in due time.
Click to expand...


That's what I believed as well from reading. Seems we must wait for digital to analog adaptors or new propriatary cables.

I will most likely now use my iPhone 4 for music and movies and have the 5 over bluetooth for hands free calling etc, not sure if that means I lose the ability to auto kill sound when I get a call for my Audi.
 
Chupa Chupa

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
TopToffee said:
It's not just older BMW's. I've got a 2012 3 series, and that uses the same "splitter" cable.
Click to expand...

?. My 2011 335i w/ the iPhone pkg uses a regular dock connector cable & plugs into the cars' USB port. If the 2012 requires the BMW splitter cable they are going backwards -- had that on my '07.
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
greytmom said:
Loving the Aux jack in my car right now...
Click to expand...

Well, there's really no huge reason to love it. Basically anyone who used to connect their iPhone to the 30 pin connector will be now be basically connecting their iPhone into a makeshift Aux jack now. Except the adaptor will give the ability to charge your phone in addition, where the aux jack does not. Myself, I'll definitely be missing the songs on the screen of my dash. Or maybe I'll keep my 4S as an iPod. Having to sync 2 devices could be cumbersome though.
 
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