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iPhone using Macbook as Bluetooth Headset - Viable Idea?

Lostanddamned

Lostanddamned

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 3, 2009
677
357
London, UK
I was thinking about this recently - The iPhone supports bluetooth connection to Macs - this is clear through the ability to tether the iPhone, enabling it to be used to provide mobile internet to the computer.

The Macbook or iMac's have built in speakers and microphones. These are options for the Mac Mini, or the Mac Pro.

I believe that it would be convenient and cool to be able to connect an iPhone to a Mac via bluetooth, and then make or take calls through the Macbook.

There exists a Nokia device for use in the car, and the Nokia Windows software allows for texting from the PC.

Since the technology exists, I think that the ability to use the iPhone through Bluetooth on a Mac, would be very useful when using the iPhone at home or in an office.

What I am not looking for is Google Voice, as it is US only, and I am in the UK (and don't really want to have to pay what would be in effect twice for every call) - in addition it would require me to make all of my various contacts aware of a new phone number - I have had the same mobile number since I was 12 and feel no need to change it.

My question is - does an app/jailbreak app exist that allows this, or is there any other way of doing so?
 
Outrigger

Outrigger

macrumors 68000
Dec 22, 2008
1,765
96
Lostanddamned said:
I was thinking about this recently - The iPhone supports bluetooth connection to Macs - this is clear through the ability to tether the iPhone, enabling it to be used to provide mobile internet to the computer.

The Macbook or iMac's have built in speakers and microphones. These are options for the Mac Mini, or the Mac Pro.

I believe that it would be convenient and cool to be able to connect an iPhone to a Mac via bluetooth, and then make or take calls through the Macbook.

There exists a Nokia device for use in the car, and the Nokia Windows software allows for texting from the PC.

Since the technology exists, I think that the ability to use the iPhone through Bluetooth on a Mac, would be very useful when using the iPhone at home or in an office.

What I am not looking for is Google Voice, as it is US only, and I am in the UK (and don't really want to have to pay what would be in effect twice for every call) - in addition it would require me to make all of my various contacts aware of a new phone number - I have had the same mobile number since I was 12 and feel no need to change it.

My question is - does an app/jailbreak app exist that allows this, or is there any other way of doing so?
Click to expand...

wait, let me get this straight. instead of turing the speakerphone feature of the iphone on and make calls that way, you want to use bluetooth and use the mac's mic and speaker function and talk into a computer instead of a phone?

Question #1. even if this can be done which I don't think it can, how is this useful when at home or in office? the mics on laptops are pretty crappy to begin with.

Question #2, can the iphone even broadcast sound when on a call via bluetooth in stereo?

Question #3, what purpose would this even serve? if you want to go to another room to talk or move around, are you going to carry your computer with you?
 
Lostanddamned

Lostanddamned

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 3, 2009
677
357
London, UK
Question #1. The ability to make/recieve phonecalls without pulling your iPhone from the pocket/surface where you have left it/wherever. The ability to make calls with a clearer speaker, capable of greater volume than that of the iPhone speaker, whilst typing or working on a seperate project, as both hands are free.

Question #2, Broadcast sound when in a call? Like a bluetooth headset? I would imagine so, as this is the main purpose of bluetooth, it may not be stereo - but as the call is being made through the phoneline, which normally uses a single microphone it wasn't being transmitted in lossless 5.1 audio either.

Question #3, Physical keyboard for SMS, more powerful speakers when walking around, the simplicity of using a laptop for calls - leaving iPhone tucked away (IE on a train where you might not want to risk leaving it behind). Also you asked one question twice (#1 & #3 are in effect identical - why is this useful? questions)

It is much less talking into the computer, and more like speaking to the computer - as in a Skype call. I feel that - whilst it might not be a killer app - it would be relatively useful to include, and probably quite useful.
 
S

skwoytek

macrumors 6502a
Feb 15, 2005
706
0
In OS X Tiger, after pairing your mobile phone with the Mac you could dial and send SMS from Address Book. Also, if Address Book was opened when a call was incoming, it would display the number on the screen. If the number was already in your address book, it would display the associated name as well. Once the call was displayed on the screen you could select "Answer" or "Send to Voice Mail." But as far as I know, you could never use the Mac as a bluetooth "headset," you had to grab the phone to actually talk.

These features were removed in 10.5 - Leopard. Maybe someday we'll see them again for iPhone. It was nice to know who was calling when my phone was in the other room.
 
renewed

renewed

macrumors 68040
Mar 24, 2009
3,068
7
Bemalte Blumen duften nicht.
skwoytek said:
In OS X Tiger, after pairing your mobile phone with the Mac you could dial and send SMS from Address Book. Also, if Address Book was opened when a call was incoming, it would display the number on the screen. If the number was already in your address book, it would display the associated name as well. Once the call was displayed on the screen you could select "Answer" or "Send to Voice Mail." But as far as I know, you could never use the Mac as a bluetooth "headset," you had to grab the phone to actually talk.

These features were removed in 10.5 - Leopard. Maybe someday we'll see them again for iPhone. It was nice to know who was calling when my phone was in the other room.
Click to expand...

Being a relatively recent Mac OS adopter I didn't know this was possible... I wonder why they left it out...
 
Outrigger

Outrigger

macrumors 68000
Dec 22, 2008
1,765
96
markfc said:
Or you could just buy bluephoneelite...
Click to expand...

it doesn't seem to be too practical. I tried that app, problem is it takes about 30 seconds for the call to connect and the caller on the other end hears nothing in the mean time and whoever calls or whoever you call will have long hung up by now. Maybe when they fix this monumental delay, it'll take off among the niches.
 
mkrishnan

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
alansmallen said:
iPhone compatible?
Click to expand...

Some of its features do... the compatibility matrix is on their website:

http://mirasoftware.com/BPE2/phones/

Basically, the part where BPE acts as a handsfree works on almost anything -- what happens is that the software makes the Mac able to act as a device supporting the handsfree profile. Almost every cell phone with BT supports that profile, and for the same reason you don't have to wonder whether your BT headset is compatible with your BT phone, you don't have to worry about whether BPE would work either.

Most of the other features don't work, in some cases because they rely on what profiles the iPhone supports on its side.
 
J

janitor1999

macrumors regular
Sep 9, 2008
103
0
Isn't this what is coming in yosamite, the ability to take calls and send SMS on your mac or ipad as long as your iphone is within a reasonable distance.
 
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