Information request on option 6NS -Convienence Telephony/ Smartphone Conn

[volinder]

Hi everyone,

My father bought a 2016 X5 35d brand new. One of the options is the 6NS- Convenience Telephony w/ Smartphone. On the website the option has very little description but shows the following cradle as the picture



Unfortunately his X5, nor does my 2016 X5M have this cradle installed. The dealer insists that the cradle isn't included but rather the fact the phone can be plugged in using an iPhone cable to the usb that allows it to interact with BMW Apps is the actual feature.

Can someone please clarify if this is the case. Unfortnately we already found out our brand new X5 listed options that we paid for and ended up not having them in the vehicle. The dealer took responsibility for this and is refunding us the money but the trust is now lacking.

Regards,

VSD

[artem123]

6NS option can very easily be coded into the car without paying for it. The only hardware difference is second microphone on the passenger side which is in my opinion not needed. 6NS gives you an "office" in idrive manu, and ability to pair more then one phone with bluetooth. iPhone cradle is useless and many users are asking how to remove it since it takes up so much room.

[r33_RGSport]

@volinder , I may be wrong, but MY16, BMWNA changed the 6NS into with the cradle and without the cradle. I don't remember the exact option code.
I think it was about 200-300USD difference.
Also, keep in mind, even if you have the cradle, the phone adapter is sold separately.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

I always had the 6NS option added to my cars - along with the cradle. I won't add it again since connecting with a cable is actually more convenient and as others have said, 'enhanced Bluetooth' as we call it can be coded.

In the UK, 6NS includes cradle, additional mic and a 4G (LTE) connection rather than 3G.

For MY17 the cradle is gone but wireless charging added instead.

[taxjoc]

Originally Posted by artem123

6NS option can very easily be coded into the car without paying for it. The only hardware difference is second microphone on the passenger side which is in my opinion not needed. 6NS gives you an "office" in idrive manu, and ability to pair more then one phone with bluetooth. iPhone cradle is useless and many users are asking how to remove it since it takes up so much room.

I think I mentioned this in one of my other posts a few months ago. I know I am in the minority, but I like the 6NS option with the cradle. Yes, you lose a lot of space in the arm rest and you still have to purchase the snap in adaptor for your particular smart phone but I like it because when you use the snap in adaptor, you get a different image on the screen when the adaptor is in use and it looks a little cleaner since you don't have phone cables hanging out of arm rest. I will also acknowledge that much of this could be achieved by simply connecting through blue tooth but I just like that the phone is hard wired to my X5.

[artem123]

Originally Posted by taxjoc

I think I mentioned this in one of my other posts a few months ago. I know I am in the minority, but I like the 6NS option with the cradle. Yes, you lose a lot of space in the arm rest and you still have to purchase the snap in adaptor for your particular smart phone but I like it because when you use the snap in adaptor, you get a different image on the screen when the adaptor is in use and it looks a little cleaner since you don't have phone cables hanging out of arm rest. I will also acknowledge that much of this could be achieved by simply connecting through blue tooth but I just like that the phone is hard wired to my X5.

I remember the thread))). Glad that cradle works for you. What i did was i bought a very short like 3-4 inch apple cable and just keep a phone in the compartment.

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by artem123

6NS option can very easily be coded into the car without paying for it. The only hardware difference is second microphone on the passenger side which is in my opinion not needed. 6NS gives you an "office" in idrive manu, and ability to pair more then one phone with bluetooth. iPhone cradle is useless and many users are asking how to remove it since it takes up so much room.

Hey @artem123 Don't be a 'cradleist'! I love my cradle, had one in all my Beemers. Wouldn't be without it. It charges up my iPhone, improves connectivity via the sharkfin, keeps it nice and secure and out of the way.

Don't be 'disin' us who love The Cradle'.

[artem123]

Originally Posted by Baunton

Hey @artem123 Don't be a 'cradleist'! I love my cradle, had one in all my Beemers. Wouldn't be without it. It charges up my iPhone, improves connectivity via the sharkfin, keeps it nice and secure and out of the way.

Don't be 'disin' us who love The Cradle'.

Ok, ok)))) You got me convinced. My next one will have it)))

[alphaod]

Originally Posted by Baunton

Hey @artem123 Don't be a 'cradleist'! I love my cradle, had one in all my Beemers. Wouldn't be without it. It charges up my iPhone, improves connectivity via the sharkfin, keeps it nice and secure and out of the way.

Don't be 'disin' us who love The Cradle'.

I've never been able to improve reception. If I didn't have reception before docking, I didn't have reception after docking.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

iPhone reception isn't improved - iPhones have no connection to an external antenna so it's impossible.

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

iPhone reception isn't improved - iPhones have no connection to an external antenna so it's impossible.

MarkG335 Am I being fooled and is BMW telling porky pies?

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/acc...l?proDsId=9125

The signal strength indicator bars go up when using the snap-in so it connects to something.

[artem123]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

iPhone reception isn't improved - iPhones have no connection to an external antenna so it's impossible.

Well, i second that^^.
Only way how cradle can improve iPhone's reception is if it becomes a femtocell, which is not. Now, i cannot say the same about other brands, but i can assure that iPhone's reception and usb port are two different ball parks.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by artem123

Well, i second that^^.
Only way how cradle can improve iPhone's reception is if it becomes a femtocell, which is not. Now, i cannot say the same about other brands, but i can assure that iPhone's reception and usb port is two different ball parks.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Baunton

MarkG335 Am I being fooled and is BMW telling porky pies?

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/acc...l?proDsId=9125

The signal strength indicator bars go up when using the snap-in so it connects to something.

That description has been the same for donkeys years - it's generic.

As for the signal going up, it's more likely a result of not being in your hand or a case!

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

Exactly.



That description has been the same for donkeys years - it's generic.

As for the signal going up, it's more likely a result of not being in your hand or a case!

You just be right

[ajob]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

iPhone reception isn't improved - iPhones have no connection to an external antenna so it's impossible.

This is a reasonable theory, but it's contradicted by facts.

If you use the Universal Snap-in Adapter with, say, an iPhone 6, the internal iPhone antenna will wirelessly couple to the adapter antenna and radiate through the car's external "shark fin" antenna.

You may find some manufacturer's details here, on page 11:

http://www.peiker.de/fileadmin/media...t-Internet.pdf

If you wish to numerically appreciate the significant improvement in signal strength while using the adapter, I suggest (on an iPhone) to enable a numeric field strength display as follows:

>To enable the iPhone r/f antenna db display, dial:
*3001#12345#*
You can make it permanent: press the "screen off" button, when "Swipe to shutdown" appears press Home button until screen reappears.<

Please note that the iPhone does not update the field strength display instantaneously - I never understood how often it does so - but three minutes seems to be a reasonable safe readout delay.

To further improve phone communication you can add a separate BMW accessory called "Antenna amplifier" - I installed it with very good results - but I'm not sure it's available in the US.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by ajob

This is a reasonable theory, but it's contradicted by facts.

If you use the Universal Snap-in Adapter with, say, an iPhone 6, the internal iPhone antenna will wirelessly couple to the adapter antenna and radiate through the car's external "shark fin" antenna.

You may find some manufacturer's details here, on page 11:

http://www.peiker.de/fileadmin/media...t-Internet.pdf

If you wish to numerically appreciate the significant improvement in signal strength while using the adapter, I suggest (on an iPhone) to enable a numeric field strength display as follows:

>To enable the iPhone r/f antenna db display, dial:
*3001#12345#*
You can make it permanent: press the "screen off" button, when "Swipe to shutdown" appears press Home button until screen reappears.<

Please note that the iPhone does not update the field strength display instantaneously - I never understood how often it does so - but three minutes seems to be a reasonable safe readout delay.

To further improve phone communication you can add a separate BMW accessory called "Antenna amplifier" - I installed it with very good results - but I'm not sure it's available in the US.

Very interesting. You know for a fact the BMW cradles have passive couplers? I've had every cradle up until iPhone 5s and found no improvement at all. The info in the document is still vague since it's quite generic.

What is this booster antenna you mentioned - can you add a link?

[ajob]

Well, I can speak only for the BMW Universal Snap-in Adapter: being a curious electronic engineer, I disassembled my one and could see the peripheral wireless coupling antenna going through its internal electronics and from there to the car's external antenna connection.

As per the Antenna Amplifier, you can get more details here:

http://mybmw.com.ua/wp-content/uploa.../PIDoc2308.pdf

Again, I can't tell if its available in the US or, if you import one, whether its frequency range is the right one for the US cellular system, but maybe you find somebody who could tell. In Europe it works very well; where I live the highways are full of tunnels and the rate of interrupted phone calls has dropped from frequent to rare.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

I'll check that out and also throw a sim in my old iPhone 5s to measure differences - I'm in the UK in any case.

[apw2607]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

@volinder , I may be wrong, but MY16, BMWNA changed the 6NS into with the cradle and without the cradle. I don't remember the exact option code.
I think it was about 200-300USD difference.
Also, keep in mind, even if you have the cradle, the phone adapter is sold separately.

You are correct for USA cars. Its now just the wiring and baseplate. Its complete junk.

Thankfully with idrive 5.0 you no longer need to physically connect the phone with a cable anymore to get things like apps.