the bluetooth car weblog

Acura's new Bluetooth minisite

Acura has created a great support site for Bluetooth on acura.com.   Here they will help you find a phone based on carrier, and help you set it up.   Magnificent. 

Cingular 8525 works with Acura HandsFreeLink

 

I'm happy to report that the Cingular 8525 works with the Acura HandsFreeLink system.  In fact, although it does not pass the battery meter or signal strength to the console, the speed at which the phone passes control to the Acura HandsFreeLink system makes it probably the best phone i have used with the system as far as making and receiving calls.

The 8525 is a Windows Mobile 2005 device that slides out a panel with a full querty keyboard, which I have found quite usable.  If you use Microsoft Outlook, and care about synching your contacts, calendar, notes, there's probably no better solution than this.  It has Cingular's HSDPA 3G service, Wi-Fi, and of course Bluetooth that interfaces with your car among everything else.  The Bluetooth is not crippled in any way.

My biggest gripe with this device is battery life, which can certainly be categorized as "poor".  You will definitely need a car charger, and probably otherwise have to keep it tethered to a charger whenever the device is in use.  If you are the type that likes to go three days between charging your phone, than this device is not for you.  Otherwise, it's a winner.

 

Link to 8525 - Cingular Wireless

Verizon Wireless Bluetooth Car Kit/Accessory Support Matrix

Verizon Wireless has an excellent support matrix now for all its Bluetooth phones, including PDFs of every phone, that has compatibility with each carphone kit for each firmware build.  This is really impressive, as they've enumerated support for Acura, Audi, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Nissan, Renault, Jaguar and Toyota, and the different features they support as well.

 

This is a model every operator should follow, although an HTML version in addition to PDF would be great as well!

 

The direct links to the PDFs are provided here for convenience:

 

The charts below are for use with Verizon Wireless Bluetooth-compatible devices:*

BlackBerry®

• BlackBerry 7130e™
• BlackBerry 8703e™

Kyocera

• Kyocera v323

LG

• LG Chocolate
• LG VX5300
• LG VX8100
• LG VX8300
• LG VX8600
• LG The V
• LG enV

Motorola

• Motorola v325i
• Motorola v710
• Motorola e815
• Motorola MOTOKRZR K1m
• Motorola RAZR V3c
• Motorola RAZR V3m
• Motorola Q™

Nokia

• Nokia 2366i
• Nokia 6256i
• Nokia 6315i

Palm® Treo™

• Palm Treo 650
• Palm Treo 700w

Samsung

• Samsung SCH-i730
• Samsung SCH-i830
• Samsung SCH-a870
• Samsung SCH-a930
• Samsung SCH-a950
• Samsung SCH-a970
• Samsung SCH-a990

Verizon Wireless

• Verizon Wireless XV6700
  

 

Link to Bluetooth® Car Kit/Accessory Support Matrix

The DVD-Audio disc you must buy for your Acura

If you are even just a little bit of a Beatles fan, you absolutely must buy this disc for your Acura DVD-Audio player. It has been remixed by George Martin and his son for the Vegas show, and is generally just a great remix/mash-up of Beatles songs, but the DVD-Audio version that comes with this special edition is awesome in the Acura 5.1 stereo system.  It really, really shows off the capability of DVD-Audio when the disc is mixed correctly.  The isolation of the instruments and voices you will hear coming from the back speakers will blow you away.    

Link to: Love (CD + Audio DVD): Music: The Beatles

HandsFreeLink in 2007 Acura TSX

 

I get asked a lot when the TSX will include HandsFreeLink.  Good news, the 2007 TSX will, along with an iPod jack.

 

Link to 2007 Acura TSX Car Reviews - The Car Connection

Acura has an RSS feed

It's not easy to find - but Acura now has an RSS feed that will deliver to you the latest product information and goings-on from the world of Acura. 

 

Link to Acura RSS

Nokia E61 and E62 work with Acura HandsFreeLink

For the last few months, I've been using a Nokia E61 with my Acura TL, and it works pretty well.  You won't get any battery meter or signal strength on the HUD, but otherwise, it's pretty solid with connecting and disconnecting.

I use the E61 with the Nokia provided "BlackBerry Connect software" on the Cingular network in the U.S.  Note that I already had a Cingular BlackBerry provisioned, so i was able to copy over the settings from my BlackBerry to get this to work.  Otherwise, this will not work if you are not paying for a Cingular BlackBerry account.

The E61 is the European version of this phone, which can be ordered from here, which includes Wi-Fi.

Cingular in the U.S. sells the E62, which is more or less the same phone but does not include Wi-Fi.  I have heard from several readers now that the E62 works fine as well with HFL.

LG CU500 works with HandsFreeLink

Good news!  For the last week I've been using Cingular's first 3G HSPDA phone, the LG CU500 with the Acura HandsFreeLink.  Pairing the phone worked on the first try, and I can place and receive calls without a problem.

The LG CU500 is a good choice if you are looking for a phone similar to the Motorola RAZR, but at 3G speeds.

The LG CU500 does NOT send battery or signal information to the HUD.

This phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera, and also has a decent music player.  To listen to tunes, though, you will have to buy a 1 GIG memory microSD card, however - there is not one provided in the box.

Anyone got the Motorola Q to work with HFL yet?

I'll probably get one soon, but wondering whether any readers out there have had any sucess pairing and using the Moto Q from Verizon with HandsFreeLink.  please leave a comment if you have...

Acura RDX to include HandsFreeLink

Stoney Creek News is reporting that the new 2007 Acura RDX, a sporty sub SUV, will include the option of a "Technology Package" that includes bilingual-HandsFreeLink.  Since this website is Canadian, I can only imagine they are referring to French/English.

Still DVD-Audio, though.  I don't even know where you can buy DVD-Audio anymore.


Stoney Creek News