Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 7 and BMW Owners Experiencing Bluetooth Audio Issues

I read the entire article only to read this near the end:

BMW owners are recommended to update to the latest version of ConnectedDrive as a preparative measure. BMWs equipped with CarPlay do not appear to be affected.​

So the issue does not affect BMW with native CarPlay support? I have no experience with CarPlay or fancy infotainment systems, so can someone clarify the above? Is this ConnectedDrive system simply streaming audio from the phone without providing the full CarPlay interface?
 
iLoveMyApple said:
I have an issue in my 2016 Scion iM. It'll start playing from the phone speakers first and then go through the car's speakers about 10 seconds later. Sometimes it won't go through the car at all, but will automatically start playing on my phone, and I have to change sources to FM and then switch back to Bluetooth streaming for it to start playing through the car's speakers. It's really annoying, but I had this issue on my 6s Plus after I updated to iOS 10, so it seems to be an iOS 10 issue for me.
Click to expand...

Exact same issue but with my Sienna.
 
I had issues before with older iPhones and Fords own media system, back then Apple just expected Ford to fix it with updates, I won't be surprised if the same approach is taken here.

And those BMW drivers better not start to use their iPhones without hands free whilst driving.... that's nothing but a serious accident waiting to happen...
 
  • Like
Reactions: mspman
coolfactor said:
Is this ConnectedDrive system simply streaming audio from the phone without providing the full CarPlay interface?
Click to expand...

CarPlay has nothing to do with ConnectedDrive. "ConnectedDrive" also doesn't really have anything to do with this and is more of a marketing term than any specific thing.

They are talking about the bog-standard BT connection in BMWs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SirRahikkala and nrose101
Glad to know my BMW isn't the only one. Thought it was my phone. It happens with the 6s with the latest OS as well. BMW had tons of time to test during beta. I don't get it.
 
MacRumors said:



Over the past two weeks, an increasing number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users have experienced Bluetooth audio issues in vehicles. The majority of users experiencing problems appear to be BMW owners, regardless of model, but other vehicle brands such as Hyundai and Kia appear to be involved in limited cases.

bluetooth-iphone-7-bmw.jpg

The issues range from audio cutting out to connectivity issues with infotainment systems. BMW users in particular report being able to stream music for about 5-10 seconds, at which point the ConnectedDrive system freezes. Fixing the system requires restarting the iPhone, but the issue reemerges once the connection is reestablished.

MacRumors reader YachtMac posted in our discussion forums:Apple Support Communities member Chandy911 echoed the same problem:MacRumors reader PorscheRain:BMW itself has acknowledged the issues and said it is working with Apple to ensure iPhone 7 compatibility in its vehicles:Apple has seemingly told some customers the fix will be included in an upcoming software update. The issue is still present on iOS 10.1 beta. BMW owners are recommended to update to the latest version of ConnectedDrive as a preparative measure. BMWs equipped with CarPlay do not appear to be affected.

These types of issues have been seen before. In 2014, some users experienced trouble pairing their devices to their vehicles via Bluetooth after upgrading to iOS 8 or purchasing a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Apple fixed the issues in iOS 8.1. Similar issues affecting some iPhone SE users were addressed in iOS 9.3.2.

Article Link: iPhone 7 and BMW Owners Experiencing Bluetooth Audio Issues
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1475170268][/doublepost]Great News BMW drivers.
 
Cousin has the same problem with the Porsche Cayenne. Is able to connect but nothing happens and has to restart phone to pair again but connectivity and playback is flaky.
 
jonnysods said:
Poor rich people
Click to expand...

Really cause. My BMW is cheaper than my last VW!
[doublepost=1475170511][/doublepost]
lulla01 said:
This is driving me insane, every few minutes the phone stops playing music and requires a bluetooth reset or toggle to fix. I also find it irritating my 2016 50 thousand dollar car can't be upgraded to CarPlay that comes with the 2017's......this is 2016 people bluetooth issues should not be a thing anymore....its crazy that these companies are not held accountable, honestly its sort of a safety issue as well.
Click to expand...

My phone calls are also cutting out and going to phone then 2 seconds later bluetooth. I don't get it. PIA
 
kaneda said:
Is Apple even test their products anymore?
Click to expand...
_____________
Apple has no time to actually test their products.....plus the fact that ANYTHING..that is wireless is always problematic....every lost a call on your mobile phone? Every had you Bluray or other device lose the wifi network?
Anything that is wireless is going to have problems...
 
acedout said:
Good luck using SatNav and charging at the same time for a long journey.
Click to expand...
Why would you need luck? Just use your regular lightning charging cable for both audio and power.
Mac 128 said:
Or perhaps they can just plug it into the USB port which charges and streams higher quality audio at the same time. The headphone jack is the last thing I would want to use in my BMW.
Click to expand...
 
I'm having same issue with iPhone 7+ and new 2017 Ford Escape Titanium with Sync 3. I had an iPhone 7 that worked just fine but I exchanged it recently for the 7 plus version. The new phone will randomly disconnect from Bluetooth in the vehicle but it does reconnect automatically when it happens. It's totally random as to when it will do this and for how long it will stay connected. Audio will usually get choppy before the disconnect and Siri gets slow as well. I've tried deleting all the sync info and hard reset and re-paired the 7+ but so far no change in behaviour. Hopefully Apple and/or Ford are working on this. I'm also getting complaints on bluetooth phone calls in the car that the sound is choppy on some calls. I've never had that complaint before even with my previous iPhone 7, just the plus version. Cheers!
 
wlossw said:
I had a similar problem with my car during the beta period. I suspect this is all related to the new Bluetooth special sauce they baked into ios 10 for easier pairing with the w1 chip...
Click to expand...

Must be as asside from my BMW having issues my Polaiod Cube stopped working. Just like BMW and Apple both are aware and doing the blame game.
 
Bluetooth working fine on my 2016 3GT. Then again, I'm not using the ConnectedDrive feature. I listen to all my music/podcasts and make phone calls as bluetooth device. No problems whatsoever.
 
iPhone 7 has been the opposite for me in my Subaru. I've had my car for years. My iPhone 5, 5s, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus have all had horrible call quality, disconnects, and popping and clipping noises during audio playback. The iPhone 7 Plus is the fist time I've been able to reliably use Bluetooth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: enriquesh96
BMW (along with several other European auto companies) have been recalcitrant with their audio/infotainment systems. BMW has been one of the worst, with the fiddly and flawed "ConnectedDrive" system still being pushed into their cars. The poor performance of this increasingly important item in a car is then further crippled with a "voice control" system that isn't anywhere close to the performance and speed of Siri.

During a seminar at the Audio Engineering Society conference in Paris earlier this year, representatives of these companies got an earful from the obviously technology-oriented audience. Complaints ranged from systems crippled with software blocks in different countries as well as never-delivered firmware upgrades. The companies suggested that management and safety issues had slowed the process of bug fixes and upgrades to a crawl.

Funny, this doesn't seem to effect Tesla. Along with a few other more enlightened companies.

With direct-connection iPhone adapters to BMW audio systems running 15 months behind the actual release of the iPhone model, I wouldn't hold your breath for any quick fix from BMW.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back