iPhone Charging with Lightning Adapter

now admittedly i havent been fortunate enough to plug my iphone into a 458 just yet, but i have had that issue where my converter doesnt work for a short amount of time. i know it seems like it wouldnt make a difference, but have you tried to flip the plug and plug it in with different sides facing up? that has worked for me before, also if you disconnect and reconnect it a couple times, that has fixed it for me before as well.

do you have problems with the converter anywhere else? ive had problems on docks and regular power blocks before.

 

Thank heaven's the F12 actually goes modern and has bluetooth streaming, finally eliminating this $1000 pest known as an "ipod connector".

 

May I already present you my congrats for your new F12?

 

I guess not. I'm just a futurist!

What we haven't spoken never happened. Only the expression makes things real. I apologize.

 

Bluetooth ain't gonna charge the phone either...

 

+1

 

+458

Just the opposite. Using Bluetooth depletes the phone battery and the more you use it the more it depletes. that's why I carry a phone charger in the 458. Found out the hard way when my phone died and I had no charger. Never again.

 

I can offer you a theory.

The original iPod was charged over firewire. It used a different voltage. Then came the more popular versions of the iPod which charged over USB and those use the voltage the devices still use today. On my 2007 599 the iPod connector is of the firewire charging variety. It physically fits any 30 pin iDevice and it will play music over the connector- BUT- it will not charge because of the different voltage required. Is it possible this connector is in the 458? I suppose it is possible.

If I am right then you need a convertor:

Amazon.com: Scosche passPORT Charging Adapter for iPod and iPhone (Black): Electronics


Now, if you are using a new Lightening connector- and you use the little convertor thing, please note, you will get HORRIBLE sound quality. That is because on the older devices the connector featured an analog audio out and thats what the car stereo is looking for. The new Lightening devices do not feature analog output over the connector. The only analog output is the headphone jack (and the speaker).

So in addition to converting for power, the little tab connector Apple sells has to also convert the digital audio to analog- and unfortunately, it has the worlds worst digital to analog converter. The sound quality is worse than you get with satellite radio.

My suggestion would be to get an iPod that would get dedicated use in the car and then just get a cigarette lighter charger for the new iPhone.

As to bluetooth streaming- its definitely better than going over that little convertor but I can tell you it does not have the same sound quality as going direct via wires. It's a little better than the better satellite radio stations (they use varying compression).

 

To add a little to the adapter part (since I had the same thing in my truck), but only iPods, not iPhones: The firewire to USB adapters (in link and Belkin and Pioneer) work on "some" stereos, "some" iPods, and "some" vehicles, sometimes fully functional, sometimes music/no charge, sometimes nothing. Worked on my home stereo, did not work on my Sony car stereo. Sony and Crutchfeld both said they didn't know why. Apple said with so many stereos and devices, they could not assure the adapter would work on everything.

I expect the USB 30-pin to Lightning adapters may have the same characteristics. It all depends on the software inside the car stereo in your car. It is iTunes software (kind of), but it is not an Apple car stereo, so Apple cords/adapters, etc don't always work.

I bought old ipods for the truck (firewire), since no adapter would work with Sony, 2012 iPod for the 2012 Acura (30-pin), and I expect will need to buy even newer ones for things in the future. If you get an adapter (firewire to USB or 30-pin to Lightning) make sure you can return it just in case.