[jrbmw]

I have an '07 335i with idrive. Has anyone had any success using the voice command function to dial names from your phone book. It seems to verge on impossible and when the system comes up with a name (usually wrong) it seems to be in a German accent with the wrong intonations.

I also have an '02 325xi that I retrofitted with an original BMW bluetooth system and the voice command system allows you to record the name with the associated phone number. It works quite well.

Am I missing something?

[sflgator]

Originally Posted by jrbmw

I have an '07 335i with idrive. Has anyone had any success using the voice command function to dial names from your phone book. It seems to verge on impossible and when the system comes up with a name (usually wrong) it seems to be in a German accent with the wrong intonations.

I also have an '02 325xi that I retrofitted with an original BMW bluetooth system and the voice command system allows you to record the name with the associated phone number. It works quite well.

Am I missing something?

Mine works great; it transfers all 42 or so phonebook entries from my Palm Treo 650 and it usually recognizes my speech "Dial" request. However, it does have some trouble on certain entries, like those that have abbreviations. I've been playing around with it though by changing a couple phonebook names on my Palm Treo 650 so my BMW BT understands what I'm saying. Overall, I'd say it works ~ 80-90%.

[geoheo]

Motorola Q work fine with Asian accent.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by jrbmw

I have an '07 335i with idrive. Has anyone had any success using the voice command function to dial names from your phone book. It seems to verge on impossible and when the system comes up with a name (usually wrong) it seems to be in a German accent with the wrong intonations.

I also have an '02 325xi that I retrofitted with an original BMW bluetooth system and the voice command system allows you to record the name with the associated phone number. It works quite well.

Am I missing something?

Don't speak immediately after the 'beep' sound. Wait until the speech icon appears in the bottom left hand corner of the idrive screen.

This has increased my success to pretty much 100%.

The internal memory - 'dial name' - function is not available on i-drive cars.

This initially seemed odd to me, but now I find the new system better

[poiney]

For the phone book recognition specifically, my results have been successful ~90%, but I confess I only dial a couple of numbers. SOme of my other entries might be difficult to hear. I don't know.

[jrbmw]

Thanks.
I will work on my diction. I think that my problem is that I have 100+ entries that include 1st and last names. If I could find a way to reduce them down to one word, that may improve my success.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by jrbmw

Thanks.
I will work on my diction. I think that my problem is that I have 100+ entries that include 1st and last names. If I could find a way to reduce them down to one word, that may improve my success.

Waiting for the icon is the key. The voice recognition system is not ready till it appears, so it you speak immediately after the beep it misses the first part of whatever you are saying.