iOS 5 Bluetooth ford problem

If you are referring, as I suspect, to me I think you are the real proof of how Apple is making an excellent marketing job.

If you do think that ALL customers impacted by this Bluetooth iOS update issue are ONLY the ones posting on this thread, there is not that much to comment about. These are clearly the top 1-5% of those people experiencing the problem and who are so upset that they looked for this thread and decide to post their unsatisfaction...

In any world where all things become interconnected a company can of course follow the latest technology trends but it should keep room for backwards compatibility, otherwise you are causing problems to people's life. And technology should not cause problems, it SHOULD SOLVE PROBLEMS. That's what wise companies normally should do.

Do you still think that Apple managed everything properly? I leave you with this opinion, at the end we (almost all) live in democracies...

R.

I for one remain unhappy with Apple's response, even though thanks to other forum users assistance, I have managed to upgrade my system.

I haven't had the opportunity to count the number of individuals who have raised this as an issue, I do however have no doubt at all that those who have done so are by no means the ONLY people impacted by this, they simply represent those who have taken the trouble to come onto the forums.

If Apple are so ahead of the game that they were able to warn Ford (incidentally by no means the only manufacturer having these problems) of the problem, then surely it simply serves to illustrate their contempt for the end user that, they knowing a solution was available didn't have the courtesy to come onto one of their own forums and inform their users.

Again, I hate to be argumentative but Apple provide this forum as a user community and don't respond themselves to posts here. So you bemoaning that fact is not a valid or fair point either. If you want a response from Apple, go to a store or call them.

So much of this bad feeling on here in general is completely misdirected and inappropriate. Apple obviously don't need me to stand up for them but this thread, and all other threads on here, should be about users helping each other out with issues, or sharing tips - not people trolling to have an ill-informed pop at Apple, a company who, lets face it, for all their flaws, have provided us with a product that most of the time we almost can't live without!

I am sick of it and I snapped.

I apologise if I have offended anyone.

It is not just Ford I am having similar issues with my Audi. My 2005 A6 has a built in handsfree kit that worked beautifully with IPhone on IOS 4. Having upgraded to IOS 5 my phone connects and works then disconnects halfway through a conversation. When it does this the call remains active on the phone, press any button and it re-connects. However come to end the call and you can only do it on the phone. If you do it on the in car system it says you have ended the call then 10 seconds later it re-connects. So having had a perfectly safe hands free kit with a great phone, I now have something that has nearly caused a couple of crashes.

Before you ask I deleted the Bluetooth settings in the car and on the phone and then reinstalled. Somebody help please.

Dear Eddie,

you didn't offended anybody, I think.

Let me just throw out few comments and then I promise to stop since I think we definitively have two opposite point of view about this issue.

1. If this is an Apple User Community, Apple should call it this way and not Apple Support Community. If you write "support" you cannot not expect that people ask what you state, i.e. support.

2. I wanted a response from Apple and as you suggested I went to a store, I contacted the Express Lane and AppleCare help desk and also filled up a feedback form on Apple website. Guess what? None of the people I talked with have any clue about what I was talking about and at the end of the submission of my feedback form Apple kindly informed me that I should not expect any answer since they do not commmunicate with individuals. Very nice.

3. As you see the issue is impacting at least Ford, Renault and Audi users. Not considering all the others that probably don't even know that this community exists.

4. I still think that Apple products are great. However, if Apple position itself on the market as one of the best companies of the ICT world, customers have all the right, especially for the huge price they pay for in iPhone, to have the expectation to be treated in the best way. And if you look at the posts from people who did contacted Apple about this issue, this does not really seem to be the case.

5. Finally, despite almost a total at least official feedback from Apple about this issue, users really did what Apple didn't do: they provided each other with a solution, at least for Ford cars.

So, Apple is and considers itself to be the best? As a customer I want therefore the best from them not only from their products but also from their assistance. But unfortunately this was not really the case...

Cheers,

R.

Wow, the emotions are heating up around here...! I had posted my problem with the Renault Mégane Sound System previously in this thread, and I also posted it as a bug report to Apple. Last week, I got a response, asking me for bluetooth logs. So Apple Engineering is aware of the problem and they are looking into it. Here goes the e-mail I received:

Hi Benjamin,

This is a courtesy email regarding Bug ID# 10324016.

Engineering has requested the following information in order to further investigate this issue:

Could you please collect Bluetooth logs for this issue?

Bluetooth Logging Instructions:

1. Install the attached profile on an iOS device that's having the issue. (An easy way to do this is to email the profile to an account which is accessible from the iOS device).

2. Once installed, Bluetooth diagnostic logging will be enabled and a new option will appear in Bluetooth Settings called "Diagnostic Mode".

3. Reproduce the issue in question.

4. After reproducing the issue, go into Bluetooth Settings and select the new diagnostic option. Add a short description of the problem or any specific notes in the "Comment" field, then press save. The next time your device is plugged into a host computer, timestamped logs will be synced to /Users/<your username>/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice/<your device name>/BluetoothDiagnostics/.

5. Attach the above file to your bug report.

To turn off logging, remove the profile:

1. Launch Settings

2. Tap General

3. Tap Profile(s)

4. Tap Bluetooth Diagnostic Mode profile (If this is your only profile, it will take you to Bluetooth Diagnostic Mode profile automatically)

5. Tap Remove

6. Tap Remove

7. Enter your passcode, if you have one

8. Reboot

I have contacted a local ford dealership and was informed by email that the download available doesn't fix the problem and that ford and apple are developing software do overcome the problem.

However, I downloaded the ford update, followed the instructions and apparently the problem is now solved.

Hello My Friend,

This problem is not limited only on Ford and Renault. I'm having Porsche Cayenne GTS and facing the same problem with my IPhone 4S as well as withh my IOS upgraded IPhone 3S. I tried the same with Black Berry and it works perfectly.

After I updated my other half's iPhone 4 to iOS 5, I encountered the issues described when using the Bluetooth with my 11 plate Megane. As a result, I have spoken to Renault customer services and they are "investigating the issue". They are still selling the same cars with the same radios, so I am hopeful that there will be a fix at some point. I know they issued a patch for the radios after the release of iOS 4.

It seems Apple are aware of the issue too, so perhaps it'll be rectified in iOS 5.0.1, which is currently in beta testing.

Either way, it's annoying. I want iOS 5, but I use my Bluetooth too much for calls and, particularly, music.

I have received a new company car in may 2011 (Ford Smax) equipped with Ford Bluetooth radio.

With my Iphone 4 IOS 4.3.1 I was delighted to notice that next to the bleutooth phone connectivity also the connectivity to Bluetooth audio was possible. Enabling to play music stored on the iphone and navigate via the steerinwheel buttons between songs (although no song titles were displayed) an issue that I could cope with.

After the upgrade to IOS5 nothing but problems

1/ not longer the iphone connects automatic to the car via bluetooth

2/ the bluetooth connectivity is not stable and drops

3/ I am unable to use both functionalities phone and audio connectivity

4/ If I am able to connect by manula forcing via the car audio system and play music the audio connectivity drops after a while

5/ sometimes I can navigate between different songs, but than al of sudden I cannot do so any longer usually a few minutes after the music stops playing not on the iphone but on the radio

6/ When calling sometimes when the call has been ended the car audio system indicates that the call is not yet terminated

I am very disappointed on the downgrade of the performance with the IOS 5

I've just had a call back from Renault customer services. They said the parts and acessories people are now well aware of the issue, and it will be discussed during a teleconference with their French counterparts later this week or early next week. I didn't get any firm promise of a fix, but an assurance that they are working to resolve the issues.

To be sure the problem is linked to the IOS 5 bleutooth performance I tested with an Iphone 4 IOS 4.3.1

No problems at all

Direct automatic bluetooth connectivity to phone and audio

Easy navigation between songs via steeringwheel buttons

Easy navigation between, radio, phone and Aux (iphone audio connection)

No disconnection of bluetooth audio while playing songs

No disconnection of bluetooth phone while calling

No calls that remain active on ford audio display when call is ended

The problem is clearly linked to the degraded bleutooth performance in the IOS 5

Hopefully an upgrade arrives soon

Hi Christophe,

I had the same issues with my iPhone 4.

On http://www.ford-mobile-connectivity.com/downloadsUpdates is an update available for your Bluetooth module.

This should fix most of your concerns.

Cheers.

Thanks for the tip, the car is bound for maintenance monday so I will check with the garage for an update on the software of the bluetooth module

I will keep you posted on the outcome.

Regards

I am also having trouble with Bluetooth with iOS 5 on my iPhone 4.

I have a Nokia handfree kit installed in my car, and with iOS 4.3.5 the display on the handsfree said the name of my carrier, signal strength, battery level and it showed the caller ID when someone called me. No it doesn't say anything. It is very annoying that virtually any other mobile phone is OK, but not my iPhone after upgrading it.

Yngve