iPhone 5 iOS 8 Bluetooth issues with Audi A1

I'll look for that next time I'm in the car. Thanks!

And yes, as for Apple releasing half-baked software updates now, I completely agree. For me it's gotten so bad that honestly now feel Android is leaps and bounds better than Apple (1st party software-wise), Even though they still have some fragmentation issues and some devices may not work as "perfectly" with others, at least they don't have any MAJOR issues plaguing their newer phones anymore (like the Bluetooth issues stated above). Seriously, Bluetooth has been around since 1994, and Bluetooth 4.0 has been around since 2012, 4.1 since 2013, and most recently 4.2 since 2014 (which Apple doesn't even support yet since there's a hardware factor to this change as well). How did Apple NOT notice MAJOR bluetooth issues in iOS 8.2 that wasn't present in iOS 8.1.3... especially when they took so long and so many beta iterations to test???

Actually Apple's Bluetooth problem is more widespread than you think. However, unless certain (common) circumstances are met, users may not detect the issues.

Let's use the Bluetooth audio skipping/buffering issue as an example:

1) If you connect your iPhone (with iOS 8.2) and begin streaming Bluetooth audio to ONLY ONE (1) DEVICE and left your phone alone, the audio would probably NOT skip or continuously buffer (assuming your download speeds are sufficient), so you would think there isn't any problems with Bluetooth.

2) However, if you connect your iPhone to multiple devices (for example your smartwatch, your car's Bluetooth which doesn't stream audio since it's a few years old, and an auxiliary Bluetooth streaming device for your car). You will notice that the audio streaming from your iPhone will pause/stutter every few seconds (even if you're getting fantastic download speeds, even if you change audio quality to the lowest bitrate, etc). If you remove one device, the pause/stutter will decrease significantly (or maybe become undetectable). If you remove all devices except for the Bluetooth audio device, you'll get the same results as scenario #1 above.

3) Now some people may dismiss this finding and say that's just a limitation of Bluetooth, or the car manufacturer, or anyone else EXCEPT Apple. So lets get TWO (2) iPhones and test them side-by-side (which I have done). One iPhone has iOS 8.1.3, and the other is running iOS 8.2. Other than that they are EXACTLY THE SAME (same exact model and part number, cloned from the exact same backup or factory resetted, etc) Then we apply scenario #2 to both phones. You will notice the iPhone with iOS 8.2 behave exactly as described in scenario #2 above. However, the iPhone with 8.1.3 continues to play audio smoothly without pause/stutters. Even if you connected 4 or 5 Bluetooth devices simultaneously it will still play without missing a beat (depending on the specs of your device and what you are doing on Bluetooth at the time).

All of the scenarios above have been and can be reproduced with 100% certainty (at least with the 4 x iPhone 6 Plus, 1 x iPhone 6, 4 x iPad Air 2, 1 x iPad Mini 2, and 3 x iPad 4 we have). The Apple rep I spoke to confirmed that she experiences the same exact problem with her iPhone 6 as well. Several posters in this and other forums/webpages have expressed similar results.

However, if someone only has 1 Bluetooth device connected to their iPhone/iPad at a time and doesn't experience a problem... that doesn't mean that the problem doesn't exist. It just means the problem doesn't affect that ONE (1) person (and potentially others that use their iPhones/iPads in the same way). Even if the MAJORITY of iPhone/iPad users only connect ONE (1) Bluetooth device at a time and replicates scenario #1, that doesn't mean the MAJORITY of iPhone/iPad users don't have a problem... it just means they don't experience the inherent problem(s) within iOS 8.2 because of the way they are using their device(s). That doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist (as illustrated in scenarios #2 & #3)...

I don't have any stuttering with my phone when BT connected to one of several devices.

I haven't connected it simultaneously but that seems like it would get confusing for the device.

Not saying it's not a bug, it's just weird.

If you look at the Android boards there are always a lot of people with issues connecting those devices as well - it's a game of standards and who implemented what, how.

FWIW, my "works pefectly" BT sink is the radio in a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser.

UPDATE 4/2/15: Tonight I tried to stream Bluetooth audio from Pandora and Rhapsody through my UE Boom. I had my Pebble Steel, Panasonic 6.0 DECT Link-to-Cell Cordless Phone System, and UE Boom connected via Bluetooth at the time. Bluetooth audio skipped 1-2 times per second. This issue is getting very frustrating... to the point where I want to throw my iPhone in the trash.

So I found the "arrow" icon and tapped it. The Bluetooth device it was currently connected to was correct (marked by a "check"), but audio still stutters/skips.

In this case, it doesn't seem to be a matter of Bluetooth audio switching back-and-forth between devices (at least the "arrow" menu didn't indicate so). As I try more and more devices/configurations with the same result, I'm becoming more and more convinced that this issue is directly the result of Apple poorly implemented and/or wrongly changed Bluetooth in iOS 8.2 (from 8.1.3).

To experience the issue, you will need to simultaneously connect (not only pair) to multiple Bluetooth devices (i.e. Bluetooth smartwatch, car Bluetooth, Bluetooth audio streaming device... or Bluetooth keyboard, Bluetooth Cordless Phone System, Bluetooth portable speaker... etc). The reason why you haven't experienced these issues is because you iPhone is either:

1) Running a previous iOS version (NOT iOS 8.2)

2) NOT simultaneously connected to 3+ Bluetooth devices (which is different than being paired to but NOT actively connected to)

As for Android Bluetooth issues, I have not seen anything this wide-spread or serious ever. Sometimes there are Bluetooth issues that are device-specific, but those usually are solved relatively quickly by patches/updates by the device manufacturer (if NOT hardware-related).

As far as Apple is concerned, to my knowledge Bluetooth was working OK in iOS 8.0, but then with every iOS iteration since 8.0.1 Apple has only made things worse. What is ironic is that Apple had 6 months (and plenty of iOS updates) to fix the existing Bluetooth issue(s)... but instead Apple avoided fixing the existing Bluetooth issues and instead kept introducing NEW and MORE SERIOUS Bluetooth problems. Now those that have updated are stuck at iOS 8.2 and are at the mercy of Apple to release a fix in iOS 8.3 (which from past experience will probably just make things worse).

Two examples on other platforms:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/android-4-4-kitkat/395451-bluetooth-audio-stutt ering-since-kitkat.html

http://forums.windowscentral.com/hp-stream-7/330740-stuttering-bluetooth-audio.h tml

What the issue is here is unknown, but be sure to contact AppleCare about it as these forums are not an official way of notifying Apple of an issue, but this is:

https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/contact/

Thank you for the links. Looks like Android started exhibiting problems after I switched to Apple. Luckily, it seems isolated to only a couple manufacturers and specific models of phones... and they seem to have a few working theories on how to fix their issue (seems like some settings need tweaking in most cases).

I have contact Apple Support regarding my case, and after troubleshooting was told there was nothing anyone can do except for Apple to fix the issue in an iOS update. When that would be (if ever) they weren't sure. However they said that the more people who contact Apple and file a case about issues they are having, the better. I can only imagine that Apple will likely focus on issues that involve a significant number of cases... and take their time (or possibly ignore) the issues that are affecting only a few people.

I am having this exact problem. Thanks for trying to trouble shoot this. So---if I unpair from the 2009 version AUDI MMI, and just pair to my iWave streaming device it might reduce the incredibly frequent stuttering? I will give that a try.

This is an iOS 8 issue. I upgraded all my car software.. tried everything but still had all the problems. Everything was fine under iOS7.

I installed iOS 9.1 Beta on my iPhone 5S and it appears that all the problems have been resolved. I connected via BlueTooth and my address book now fully loads. I did search of address book and that works. I placed phone calls. I played music. I then connected USB and for full music interface. All issues have been resolved.

I have a BMW 535.