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iOS 5 Streams Track/Artist Information to Bluetooth Audio Devices

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Buried in the hundreds of new features in iOS 5 is support for AVRCP 1.3 (or maybe even 1.4!), a Bluetooth standard that gives iPhones the ability to send artist, album and track name information to Bluetooth audio devices such as those in the stereos of some newer cars.

bluetoothiphone-500x276.jpg




iOS has been stuck at AVRCP 1.0 for nearly a year, and though the iPhone allowed control of the some music playback (back, next, play/pause, and volume up/down), the device wouldn't pass on information about what song was currently playing. In iOS 5, that all changes.

For more information, check out Wikipedia's page on the different versions of AVRCP and what, exactly, each version supports.

Article Link: iOS 5 Streams Track/Artist Information to Bluetooth Audio Devices
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/09/ios-5-streams-trackartist-information-to-bluetooth-audio-devices/
What about Bluetooth contacts?

Does this mean I'll be able to browse my contacts on my Bluetooth stereo also? Right now, I can only see the number displayed when others call.
 
calebkingston said:
Does this mean I'll be able to browse my contacts on my Bluetooth stereo also? Right now, I can only see the number displayed when others call.
Click to expand...

No, that's another Bluetooth profile. I'm able to browse my contacts over bluetooth with iOS 4.
 
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Ummm... How do you do this? My car (2011 Mazda 3) supports it, but my iPhone on iOS5 isn't sending the data. Maybe I have to re-pair it?
 
rootyb said:
Ummm... How do you do this? My car (2011 Mazda 3) supports it, but my iPhone on iOS5 isn't sending the data. Maybe I have to re-pair it?
Click to expand...

I just paired my device and it started transmitting the data, although only the track title. The artist and album were missing. Beta 1 has been very unstable wrt. AVRCP for me, I struggle to pair with my car stereo.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Are we still able to control the iPod trough the phone itself? When I connect my iPhone 4 to my Prius through USB, I can only control through the car's nab system which is really tedious. When j connect through Bluetooth I can only control through the phone, which I prefer. If this new Bluetooth standard means I can no longer control trough the phone, this is very sad news.
 
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Under iOS 4 and 5 I've been able to control music playback via both the iPhone music app and the car stereo/steering wheel controls.

Currently iOS5 will not stop you controlling music from the phone... who knows, maybe by the time it's released in Autumn you'll have both control options too.
 
I read this as I was streaming to my car stereo through Bluetooth (yes, I have 5.0) and no artist/song info for me.... just "Media Stream" displays. I have Ford SYNC. Anyone else have SYNC and getting it to work?
 
Metadata streaming fine on a 2011 bmw 335 (w/ idrive)... Only from the ipod app though.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I would be interested to see if anyone can get this working on a Ford SYNC
 
I haven't noticed this with in my car, now I will have to check on my way home this evening....
 
fabianvs said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I would be interested to see if anyone can get this working on a Ford SYNC
Click to expand...

I have suck mean SYNC as well :) I will have to play around with it tonight...
 
fabianvs said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I would be interested to see if anyone can get this working on a Ford SYNC
Click to expand...

I have iOS 5 and Sync (2009 Lincoln MKX)...no artist of title info being show. I have had a couple random disconnects though.
 
I don't have anything that uses this, but I really hope Apple uses the latest & greatest version of this. People say that it's about how things are used, not just the specs. My feeling is specs & how it's used go hand in hand. You can't do a lot of cool usability stuff without good specs, and specs mean nothing if they aren't usable. Plus, with the best specs, there's always the bragging rights. Seeing what many people on MacRumors write, a lot of you seem to really like the high specced stuff.
 
Now the next question is whether Apple has updated the Bluetooth MAP profile to allow for "office" functions like calendar/sms/etc... (it's enabled for some blackberries and other phones, I think) It doesn't seem like it so far. It kind of sucks to always be one step behind.
 
SMS Bluetooth profile?

Wonder if they'll finally have the SMS bluetooth profile as well. Once could only hope...might finally be able to utilize the bluetooth watch that shows the callers and sms.
 
I too have a 2011 Mazda 3. I repaired the phone and I am still only able to see "BT Audio" displayed. No track information.
 
Brand new 2011 Mazda3 also unable to get metadata from iOS 5 beta.

Subscribing with hopes that someone somewhere finds a solution.
 
Confirmed, iOS5 transmits Artist/Track info to my Sync system in my 2011 Ford Edge Sport, it did not in iOS4. :D
 
mrfrosty said:
working perfectly in my 2010 Volvo S60
Click to expand...

Thanks MrFrosty, I thought that had really put the final nail in my coffin.

Not sure why I even started to tantalise myself reading this thread; my MY09 Volvo V50, doesn't even have DAB as an option and can't even talk USB to my 3G (long story) as I can't upgrade to 4.3 to get the bug-fix.

So when I read the story I thought I doubt my V50 will support that. But you've given me hope, according to:

http://www.volvocars.com/intl/sales-services/sales/bluetooth/pages/faqbpm.aspx

there may be hope for when I upgrade to which ever iPhone gets launched next.

Obviously if anyone has tried this in a MY09 or later V50, I'd be interested to know you mileage ("If you'll pardon the pun").
 
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