lep354

Have read mixed reviews on the iPhone 3G and the MB bluetooth puck. Does the address book download? Anyone having bluetooth "echo" problems during calls? Would appreciate any feedback from users. Thanks!

baxterdown

WHOLY COW BATMAN!!!!! I just logged in to post on this!!!!!!!

Here's the scoop. There are some iPhone 3G owners posting in the macrumors.com forum about the echo problem.

I've been having echo problems as well since I got the 3G phone, so I went to the Apple store a few days ago (for something else) and asked a genius about the echo. I asked if I should wait for the (not soon enough) upcoming software update, he said not to; that the problem was most likely hardware and he ordered me a replacement phone (they were out of them at the store).

The update came out yesterday and I updated the phone right away. The problem didn't get fixed. This morning, I got a call from the Apple store that the replacement phone was in. So, I went over after work and got the phone replaced.

Here come the bad news. The problem is still there. So, it doesn't seem to be hardware. It is probably software/firmware related. Or, as they say in my neck of the woods: ANOTHER FREAKIN' BUG!!! Ugh! This 2.0 sofware is getting old!

By the way. I have tested my 3G phone in my ML, my partner's E-Class and a C-Class loaner I got last week when my car was in the shop. Echo on all three cars... My partner's 2G phone with 2.0 software works fine in both our cars.

lep354

That's very disappointing! Does the address book download? I really need to the phone work well as a "phone", the bluetooth echo issue is a major one for me. I make a lot of work calls from my phone.

Diesel Benz

European owners at least suffer from lack of phone book download. The strange part of it is that it worked on an older SW (of the first generation iPhone) but does not work with the current SW (2.0?). Owners are waiting for an update from Apple.

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost....6&postcount=37

klpete

I've got a 3g iPhone with the Bluetooth puck in my 2004 e320. The address book does sync with the car nav screen. My brother has the original iPhone with the Bluetooth puck in his G class. He said that originally the address book did sync with the car, but since he upgrades to 2.0, it no longer does. I hope the fix involves an Apple update and not a Mercedes update, because the Apple update will be free and quicker, most likely.

dw8083

I have a 1.0 iPhone upgraded with 2.0 software and Euro BT module in a 2005 e320.

I'm not experiencing any of these issues. Echo is possibly a function of the network, as this is not uncommon for any manufacturer of cell phones.

The ability to listen to voicemail over the car's BT was disabled, since Apple took the position that using the phone for accessing VM via BT was a liability due to driver distraction.

I'm experiencing another issue. If I'm talking on the phone directly, and than hang up and turn on the radio; the station defaults to my first FM preset, but COMAND displays the last station I was listening to. If the last listened to station was on AM, that station is displayed, but I hear the audio from the first FM preset. To resync the radio, I have to select the this FM station, and then the station I actually want to listen to.

Kind of annoying.

In short: BT connection works as advertised otherwise, downloads phonebook, place and receive calls, no echo, etc.

-David

dw8083

Also MB is selling a dedicated iPhone setup that replaces the BT puck in Europe. MLBenz mentioned that he could bring one over. It;s supposed to allow the iPod capability in the phone to work with the car as well.

-David

Diesel Benz

So you are not using the iPhone specific cradle that also does phone functions via BT? I'm not sure which BT device was used by those users who had problems, perhaps it was the iPhone specific cradle (that also uses BT for phone functions). Or perhaps the car/head unit makes a difference.

Since the BT puck cannot be updated, even if the fault was there, hopefully Apple makes a fix to the iPhone. Even if it first stopped working on the same setup for SW 2.0, it doesn't mean iPhone was "guilty" even if it likely is.

baxterdown

Yes it does. It did with the original 3G phone and does with the replacement as well. Also, it worked with both 2.0 and 2.01 software.

By the way, I have the 2nd gen BT puck on both cars: PN B6-7-87-5878.

Regarding the iPhone MB dock, isn't the whole purpose of Bluetooth not to have to take the phone out of your pocket? So, now MB wants me to open the center armrest console (or worse, the glove compartment) and plug/unplug the phone every time I get in the car? Hmm, that sounds to me like another brilliant piece of MB electronics engineering!

Diesel Benz

I was asking this myself but did not get a clear answer. I understand that it needs to be docked when playing music as it is using the iPod cable interface for that but if you only want to place and receive calls, there should not be any need to place the phone to the cradle. Someone claimed that the cradle does not activate before the phone is in place. Why not then place some dummy plastic covers to the cradle if one only wants to use the phone.

Unless they are afraid of the high current consumption (low phone battery life) when going to 3G mode, I don't see any reason why it could not work from the pocket (and perhaps it does, I've just not seen this confirmed, more like opposite comments).

klpete

I'm sorry, I meant to say The address book does not sync with the car nav screen.

Sorry for any confusion.

baxterdown

2G phones don't have the echo problem. According to a member of the macrumors.com forum, it is ineed hardware; more specifically, the 3G radio. He challanged me to pair any other 3G cell phone (non-Apple) and see if there is still an Echo.

If anyone out there happens to have a 3G phone (Blackberry? Samsung? Not sure...), please let us know.

Jose

lep354

I will be able to tell you this coming week. Decided to order the Moto Q 9H; it has gotten great reviews. I know that ATT is no longer going to carry it, but I really needed to get something quickly for work. The Tilt is too cumbersome and I hated the original Blackjack I had. I really love my Curve, but it is now useless if my work won't support it; small company, all iPhone fanboys!

baxterdown

Great! Looking forward to your report