New connect cradle

[TheStammeringBiker]

Does it matter? We have no problems with our Android phones. The chap said to follow the phone manufacturers instructions, Apple say don't fit their phones to a motorbike. Blame Apple.
Where my nav mount fits on the 1250RS there are rubber grommets so it does have anti vibration built in.

Well it kinda matters to me a bit yeah. What he said is only correct to SOME of the range of bikes, I assume (perhaps wrongly) there are more GS's on the road than F900's or 1250RS's) but for me it makes the cradle useless whether I have an iPhone or not. Apple are just covering their arses. Auto focus and stabilisation mechanisms are always going to be potentially affected whether they are on an iPhone or not. There's nothing special about the iPhones way of doing this. I know Android users who have also suffered the same issue so for me, with a GS, this solution is not viable regardless of who makes my phone.

And given my Nav6 has started to play up, I was hoping this would be a potential replacement.

 

[GB.]

Does it matter? We have no problems with our Android phones. The chap said to follow the phone manufacturers instructions, Apple say don't fit their phones to a motorbike. Blame Apple.
Where my nav mount fits on the 1250RS there are rubber grommets so it does have anti vibration built in.

That mount isn't the same as a GS mount though

 

[GB.]

Talking to my Apple fan boy at work, Apple went from moving the lens to moving the sensor for image stability after the iPhone 11. Vibration would still create the same issue if it's at the incorrect frequency. Never had an Android phone so don't know how their image stabilisation works.

 

[TheStammeringBiker]

Talking to my Apple fan boy at work, Apple went from moving the lens to moving the sensor for image stability after the iPhone 11. Vibration would still create the same issue if it's at the incorrect frequency. Never had an Android phone so don't know how their image stabilisation works.

I'm no camera tech either sadly. But I've heard some people say it's the auto focus mechanism that gets damaged, and some say it's the OIS, which are obviously 2 different things. Given that most camera modules aren't made by Apple themselves, or Samsung etc, it's unlikely that there is that much of a difference between the auto focus and stabilisation mechanisms across most modern phones, so I find it hard to believe this issue is only limited to iPhones. Only proof I have is a friend who's Galaxy S10 was damaged in the same way as people have reported with iPhones. But for some reason people seem to be of the opinion that because Apple has publicly said "don't mount your phones on a bike" that this problem is limited only to Apple products.

Someone on FB is trying to tell me that because in the world only 30% of people have an iPhone that this is a minority issue and that the other 70% of people in the world are unaffected by the problem.....

 

[GB.]

I agree with everything you say. For me personally I don't use the nav bar to mount my nav holder, so I have isolators coming to mount it on. But if I didn't I would machine some rubber up to mount the holder on.

 

[<<Mark_C>>]

Soon after I bought my 1250GS this April I started mounting an Iphone 7 in one of the Ebay cradles that sits in the Nav Prep, much like this new cradle does. All was fine for a while but in the summer while away on a trip the phone camera started playing up, jumping all over the shop and became useless. I can only assume it suffered the vibration damage much talked about. If the Nav Prep unit itself does have some damping inside then it didn't work for me.

I may well still buy this new cradle for the whizz wheel functionality, but I certainly wont be putting my newer iPhone in there. The old iPhone 7 can live on as a bike Sat Nav only. My new phone will be staying in my pocket.

 

[GB.]

Isolators have arrived so all I need now is the cradle and I'm away. Can adjust how much tension they have simply by tightening. I previously had a quadlock with an anti-vibe mount fitted but I think this set up will work better.
I know this won't relate to most peoples set up but as soon as the cradle arrives I will test out its mapping and bike info.

 

[IrishGaucho]

Are you telling me that I no longer have to spend hours with the horrible basemap, don't have to be concerned about ghost touches, can have a responsive screen and no longer need a computer to do updates?

Oh, and I can have as many navigation apps as I want?

It's an all around YES if the wonder wheel works properly. UI looks pretty sleek on the app and easy for them to keep upgrading.

 

[Anthony Byrne]

Have mine ordered for delivery on December 15th

 

[TheStammeringBiker]

Are you telling me that I no longer have to spend hours with the horrible basemap, don't have to be concerned about ghost touches, can have a responsive screen and no longer need a computer to do updates?

Oh, and I can have as many navigation apps as I want?

It's an all around YES if the wonder wheel works properly. UI looks pretty sleek on the app and easy for them to keep upgrading.

The whiz wheel integration ONLY works with the BMW Connect app sadly.

 

[BigT]

The whiz wheel integration ONLY works with the BMW Connect app sadly.

The ability to operate the Connect App with the whiz wheel is a bonus saving the frustration of trying to use gloved fingers on the move or remove gloves when stopped. I've lost track of how many times I've got all suited up only to realise I'd forgotten to put the Connected App on my phone screen to then have to stop, remove gloves, set the phone up then carry on.

Why BMW couldn't integrate the total control of a phone into this is beyond me. Moreover they still insist that in order to use the whizz wheel for volume control we MUST use a BMW headset. I've got round this by employing a Sena RC3 handlebar remote which works reliably and well. I'm not going to rush to buy the Cradle but will wait and see how limited it is.

 

[TheStammeringBiker]

The ability to operate the Connect App with the whiz wheel is a bonus saving the frustration of trying to use gloved fingers on the move or remove gloves when stopped. I've lost track of how many times I've got all suited up only to realise I'd forgotten to put the Connected App on my phone screen to then have to stop, remove gloves, set the phone up then carry on.

Why BMW couldn't integrate the total control of a phone into this is beyond me. Moreover they still insist that in order to use the whizz wheel for volume control we MUST use a BMW headset. I've got round this by employing a Sena RC3 handlebar remote which works reliably and well. I'm not going to rush to buy the Cradle but will wait and see how limited it is.

Obviously I don't work for BMW or have access to their tech directly, but I'd hasten a guess this would just be too much work. I work in Software Development and to engineer a solution to provide complete control of a smartphone with the whizz wheel would be a massive undertaking. Combined with the fact that there are countless versions of iOS in the wild and even more variations of Android. If BMW said they were going to develop a solution to control ANY function of ANY smartphone from the whizz wheel I'd be nervous to be honest.

But for the volume yeah that is a mega pain in the ass, I tend to turn my phone up full before mounting it or putting it away and then just use the roller wheel on the side of my PackTalk, but it would be nice if they integrated that into the whizz wheel for non-BMW helmet comms.

 

[Smartbazza]

i used the connected APP for two trips to scotland and used one of the non official cradles to mount my iphone8 on the have mount.

the app / tft / iphone all worked brilliantly....until i tried to take a pic on return as the image stabilisation was fooked. Regie353 from here had the same problem on the same trip.

the one other issue i have is that the nav5/6 unit can be locked on the bike at all times. pulling the phone into / out of the mount / waiting for it to reconnect is a minor irritation. i'd be worried that some toerag would try to nick the phone if the bike is left while you go for a cuppa.

asides from that the cradle looks a positive step forward!

Barry

 

[vincentrapide]

I’ve been using an old IPhone 7 as a sat nav running the BMW app in one of the cheapo eBay phone holders that fit much like this. I don’t care what happens to its camera because my decent phone stays safely in my pocket. It doesn’t need a SIM card as it tethers to my newer phone automatically. It mostly works well.

This looks like a step forward because the main downside is not being able to use the phone screen easily with gloves on. Will be interesting to find out exactly what the wonder wheel will actually be able to do….

What a good idea. I too keep an older iPhone just for navigating in the event the Garmin dies on me again. Never thought of using the tethering function though.

 

[BobT]

What a good idea. I too keep an older iPhone just for navigating in the event the Garmin dies on me again. Never thought of using the tethering function though.

Don't bother tethering for the sake of the BMW connected app as it uses no data at all. All the maps are on the phone so it does not need a SIM card.

 

[GB.]

Don't bother tethering for the sake of the BMW connected app as it uses no data at all. All the maps are on the phone so it does not need a SIM card.

It must use some data for traffic updates etc? Not sure what the roaming situation abroad is since Brexit?

 

[leadfarmer]

It must use some data for traffic updates etc? Not sure what the roaming situation abroad is since Brexit?

Roaming seems to be normal still, I’ve used calls and data on my French phone in Blighty a few times since brexit with no extra charges

 

[BobT]

Roaming seems to be normal still, I’ve used calls and data on my French phone in Blighty a few times since brexit with no extra charges

I have just given up the UK SIM in my dual sim phone as they are now starting to charge for using it in France. Some phone companies are reportedly going to charge £2 a day to use a UK phone in the EU.
The UK got what it voted for.

 

[smudger64]

It must use some data for traffic updates etc? Not sure what the roaming situation abroad is since Brexit?

Depends who you’re with.
Most have introduced roaming charges, either now, or when you upgrade.
I upgraded my deliberately early to miss the cut off date on EE. Means mines fixed until I upgrade again. Since I’m on a sim only deal, that’s not going to be for quite some time!

Did that around the same time as I applied for my Irish passport….

 

[TheStammeringBiker]

Most mobile phones struggle to lock onto a good GPS signal without a SIM card as I'm pretty sure most still use A-GPS, but it might have improved in recent years so I could possibly be talking nonsense.