[john335i]

I think that BMW really missed the boat on this issue. I think even in a Nissan Sentra Bluetooth is standard. You would think when you pay $50k - $60k that it would include it. Does anyone know if you can get the module after purchasing the car (335i).

[tirana]

You can probably get some aftermarket kits but they won't allow integration with iDrive, sterring wheel controls, auto-mute of the radio/music, etc. I agree, it should be standard although it's difficult to see why BMW charges $1100 (which includes a year of BMW Assist). The price of integration.... That said, it works really well if you have the right type of phone (I use a Blackberry 8700).

[rocketm]

Should it work with all phones that have bluetooth? Or is there a specific one you need in order to work with IDrive?

Originally Posted by tirana

You can probably get some aftermarket kits but they won't allow integration with iDrive, sterring wheel controls, auto-mute of the radio/music, etc. I agree, it should be standard although it's difficult to see why BMW charges $1100 (which includes a year of BMW Assist). The price of integration.... That said, it works really well if you have the right type of phone (I use a Blackberry 8700).

[aspiring335]

Originally Posted by john335i

I think that BMW really missed the boat on this issue. I think even in a Nissan Sentra Bluetooth is standard. You would think when you pay $50k - $60k that it would include it. Does anyone know if you can get the module after purchasing the car (335i).

Yes, my understanding is that you can get it after the fact by ordering and fitting the bluetooth module and some people on this board have done so. I believe the only functionality you lose is the voice dialing. Try PM'ing this member:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/member.php?u=7886

When I was first looking to get a 330i last year, I put a deposit on a model with a really nice colour combination but no Assist / Bluetooth. I PM'd Palazzom and he informed me that he had ordered and installed the parts. I ended up not buying that car when I found another at the other Calgary dealer, with a less desirable colour combination but all the other options I wanted, including bluetooth.

I agree that it's dumb that Bluetooth isn't standard. At least in the US it's included in the premium package. Still not a very common option for the cars dealers bring into inventory in Canada.

[aspiring335]

Originally Posted by rocketm

Should it work with all phones that have bluetooth? Or is there a specific one you need in order to work with IDrive?

It works with most bluetooth phones, as far as I can tell (and also you don't need to have iDrive to have bluetooth integration). BMW has a list of supported phones on their site, but it's out of date and doesn't include lots of models that work just fine. If you have a relatively new phone, from a mainstream brand, you should be fine.

I've used a Motorola Razr, HP iPaq 6515 and my Blackberry Pearl. The Razr and the Pearl work flawlessly; the iPaq doesn't allow address book transfer, but connects just fine.

[spacedogg]

I agree. BMWs should come standard with both bluetooth and alarm.

Totally dumb that these do not come standard on a $40k + car.

[shipill]

BMW sucks

[discoboy1]

It should at least come bundled with the navi package