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Up to Discussions in iPhone
12 Replies Last post: Jul 4, 2007 5:43 PM by Bassphil  
Click to view Mikael_Pe's profile New Member
Mikael_Pe
7 posts since
Jun 23, 2007
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Jun 23, 2007 10:21 PM

IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use?

All the great features aside, from the initial spec release it looks like the iPHONE is hopelessly outdated with regards to being useful when driving (that is after all where a lot of users spend their "bucket" of cell phone minutes).

1. No A2DP support. Does anyone out there know if the iPHONE will have the A2DP (Advanced Audio Streaming) Bluetooth profile? Motorola, Nokia and Parrot have all launched hands-free Bluetooth car-kits this year for in-vehicle installation that allows wireless A2DP connectivity to the car stereo speakers for both the voice and the music part. Without the A2DP profile the iPHONE must obviuosly connect to the car-kit/car-stereo via a 3.5 mm jack, which seems rather obsolete and outdated, especially since the Razor Vxx, the Palm 750, and many other new high end phones supports A2DP. The same logic naturally applies to not being able to wireless connect to A2DP equipped speakers at home or listen wireless using a A2DP Bluetooh headset (great stuff already available from Plantronics, Jabra, Motorola etc.)

2. No support for real time navigation. Does anyone know if the iPHONE supports having multiple Bluetooth connections active at the same time, like the newer Nokia phones? If not, there is probably no support for realtime "turn-by-turn" navigation forthcoming. GSM phones (contrary to CDMA phones from Verizon, Alltel, etc.) relies on using an external GPS receiver (=puck) which connects to an application in the phone. Without the ability to have multiple BT connections a driver can not use a headset, car-kit or car-manfacturer built-in hands-free when the phone is connected to a BT receiver. Well, since Apple has not allowed third party applications yet I guess there is no application from Garmin, Wayfiner, TeleNav or Motorola (MotoNav) anyway? Bummer... In the video Apple released today they showed how a driver gets form point A to point B using a static turn-by-turn application, actually much worse from a safety standpoint then holding an old fashioned map in one hand and the steering wheel with the other...

3. No voice dial by name, speed dial or number. Does anyone know what Apple is planning for voice dialing? It was not mentioned in the video presentation or the printed specs. Does Apple expect drivers to take their eyes of the road and hands off the steering wheel to scroll to the right contact or to dial the number?

Sorry for the long post. Maybe there is more to come from Apple? It sure looks like a great phone for anyone walking around but rather useless a serious driver companion. Any input anyone?
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Click to view G5guy's profile New Member
G5guy
4 posts since
Apr 6, 2006
1. Jun 26, 2007 12:27 PM in response to: Mikael_Pe
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use?
I see no reference to voice dialing either. I am sure it does not support it, which is the dumbest thing Apple has done in a while. I am one of those "notify me" guys and I am not buying one now ONLY because of this. Why get stuck with a phone for 2 years or more that does not voice dial while driving (crash/ticket) or even walking (trip-broken phone)? If they said they would add the functionality soon with a software upgrade (OS X afterall), I would reconsider. Until then or the version 2 (with faster access), no $$$ from me or 10s of thousands of others who need the same thing.
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Click to view feefer's profile Member
feefer
250 posts since
Dec 19, 2005
2. Jun 26, 2007 1:51 PM in response to: G5guy
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Uh, you do know you're NOT to use ANY electronic device that distracts you while driving? It's one of those, "if you have to ask, then you shouldn't be doing it anyway" kind of things, even if technically hands-free operation is OK, per State law. Get in an accident, even with hands-free, and you'll still be at risk of being found at fault (especially if there's justification for the investigating officer to think you were distracted).

That stated, I often will use my 17" Powerbook while driving, since I have a mobile EVDO connection and can get real-time traffic data, book reservations, etc, or anything else you can do on a computer. So how exactly is the iPhone more dangerous, or more distracting, than THAT?

FWIW, my cellphone has voice-recognition software for dialing, which is absolutely more dangerous, IMO: the majority of the time it ends up dialing the wrong number, so I have to hang up, activate again, etc. I find THAT more distracting than sorting thru contacts at a safe point and pushing one button (while my eyes are on the road) when I want to dial.
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Click to view drmbb's profile Old Hand
drmbb
2,353 posts since
Jun 14, 2001
3. Jun 26, 2007 2:01 PM in response to: feefer
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
feefer - you just need to get a good phone then! I have no problems at all using speaker-independed voice commands on my m610 with a moto bluetooth 2.0 headset. And with telenav, it just speaks out my directions over the BT headset, comlete with real-time traffic info and dynamic delay re-routing.

Half the time I'm using my phone in the car, I couldn't even point to wherever the actual phone is (usually tossed somewhere to my right, or stuffed into the armrest storage bin, plugged into the power outlet in there).
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Click to view KPO'M's profile Enthusiast
KPO'M
1,331 posts since
Nov 29, 2001
4. Jun 26, 2007 5:42 PM in response to: feefer
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Quote:<hr />
Uh, you do know you're NOT to use ANY electronic device that distracts you while driving? It's one of those, "if you have to ask, then you shouldn't be doing it anyway" kind of things, even if technically hands-free operation is OK, per State law. Get in an accident, even with hands-free, and you'll still be at risk of being found at fault (especially if there's justification for the investigating officer to think you were distracted).


<hr />


It's no more dangerous than plugging in your iPod into your new car's iPod port and trying to scroll through 10,000 songs!

It is a bit of an omission on Apple's part. My guess is that they were looking for anything they could to keep the weight and thickness down, and handsfree was one of them. However, might it work with an add-on? There is that iPod port on the bottom.
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Click to view stashmanguitar's profile New Member
stashmanguitar
170 posts since
Jun 28, 2006
5. Jun 26, 2007 9:10 PM in response to: KPO'M
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Does anyone here ever watch Mythbusters? They proved in one of their episodes that the actual conversation is as dangerous as driving drunk, let alone dialing, scrolling through your songs, and voice recognition.
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Click to view KPO'M's profile Enthusiast
KPO'M
1,331 posts since
Nov 29, 2001
6. Jun 26, 2007 9:38 PM in response to: stashmanguitar
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Quote:<hr />
Does anyone here ever watch Mythbusters? They proved in one of their episodes that the actual conversation is as dangerous as driving drunk, let alone dialing, scrolling through your songs, and voice recognition.

<hr />


It sounds like a rationalization here. If Apple were so concerned about our safety, they wouldn't have clamored every car maker to put an iPod connection into their cars. Had iPhone had the ability to connect to handsfree kits, it undoubtedly would have been touted. For all we know, it (along with a better camera and 3G) is planned for iPhone Rev. 2.

True, it's the conversation more than holding the phone that causes the danger. That said, sometimes it's nice to be able to receive a call and listen in.
Also, BT is a great way to connect to speaker setups. Does the iPhone support that (a question, not rhetorical)?
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Click to view Mikael_Pe's profile New Member
Mikael_Pe
7 posts since
Jun 23, 2007
7. Jun 26, 2007 10:17 PM in response to: KPO'M
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Yes, you should be able to connect the iPHONE to an after market Bluetooth car-kit (or the built-in version from car-manufacturers) so that you can hear the party you are talking to over the car speakers (assuming the hands-free system you are using a connected to the car-stereo) but you can't stream the iPOD music part wireless. I'll test the iPHONE over the weekend (if I can get one on Friday) with Bluetooth kits that have voice dialing in the kit itself to see if the iPHONE will accept voice commands from a external source (suspect it will not...).
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Click to view edwardayres's profile New Member
edwardayres
21 posts since
Jan 30, 2006
8. Jul 1, 2007 2:18 PM in response to: feefer
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
What's the matter with you people? Are you so self-absorbed that you can't manage your self-gratification impulse to know NOW? And it doesn't matter if other people do it. Everybody says that so nobody changes their behavior. You're saying It only matters if I kill somebody if I get caught? How would you feel if somebody like you killed a loved one because he or she was distracted while using a phone or laptop? Grow up.
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Click to view sandbag1's profile Enthusiast
sandbag1
817 posts since
Jan 28, 2002
9. Jul 2, 2007 12:05 AM in response to: edwardayres
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Voice Dialing using AT&T can be done with any phone even if the phone itself does not support it. It will set you back $4.99 a month though. Click Here
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Click to view radnuf's profile Member
radnuf
231 posts since
Oct 3, 2006
10. Jul 2, 2007 5:45 AM in response to: Mikael_Pe
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Quote:<hr />
the iPHONE is hopelessly outdated with regards to being useful when driving

<hr />


My driver Jeeves is never bothered by my use of a phone in the car.
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Click to view DonSmith's profile New Member
DonSmith
32 posts since
Jul 4, 2007
11. Jul 4, 2007 10:02 AM in response to: radnuf
Hands-Free Works Fine in my Dodge using uConnect
I have a 2007 Dodge Caliber. Chrysler uses a hands-free, factory installed system called uConnect. I just paired my iPhone with my car and it works identically as did with my previous phone. The uConnect does all the voice recognition and dialing. My uConnect phonebook remains intact. The only difference now is that when I start the car and first use uConnect it tells me that I'm connected to my iPhone.

Don Smith
NewsVideo.com
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Click to view Bassphil's profile Member
Bassphil
221 posts since
Jan 23, 2002
12. Jul 4, 2007 5:43 PM in response to: Mikael_Pe
Re: IPHONE useless and outdated for in-vehicle use
Good to hear that the iPhone works with the built in bluetooth hands free system.

One a side note about talking while driving. I don't think a blanket statement works. For instance, when I'm driving (and I live in NYC) I almost always end up having to ask the person I'm talking to to repeat themselves 20 times because I'm concentrating on the road.

I have a choice where to expend most of my organic processor power, so about 95% goes to the road and 5% goes to the conversation. When I have to pull out or merge or something, I always tell the person to hold on a second.

Now, if everyone else thought like I did, there would be a lot less accidents- and everyone would be using a mac
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