Hormazd

I have read several posts wishing that signal strength with Bluetooth would display on I-Drive.

Well it does.

BMW Assist uses Verizon's network. I have been looking at the signal bars for two months now while waiting for Bluetooth and always assumed that they were exclusively for Assist. Well just got back from one of my going nowhere drives before bed time (I really miscalculated my lease miles. I drive much more in this car even if I have no where to go) and I noticed a roaming triangle outside the gate of my house. Well I have always had Verizon, but am testing Cingulars coverage and a RAZR, which was in my pocket and paired to the car. So I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sure enough the signal strength dropped in sync with the indicator on I-drive until gone when I entered my garage. To confirm this, rather than just switch the car off to break the BT link, I switched off the phone. Sure enough the roaming triangle disappeared and I suddenly get 3 bars. This presumably is now coming from the sharkfin Assist connection.

I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.

Buster

I am going in for sw 13.3/BT upgrade tomorrow. I have Cingular and V600 and will see if I observe the same. If the signal is transmitted/received from the sharkfin then there would be no signal perfomance enhancement with the phone holder installed. Charging would be the only plus. It seems odd/inefficient to me that it would not use your handset network. Shouldn't the sharkfin just amplify your signal rather than sending it over a completely different network? However, having a second network for redundancy would be great if you were in a black hole area. You could terminate the BMW BT connection, and swtich over to your headset and the Cingular network.

BTW how are you finding Cingular coverage in SoCal? I am hoping for improvement in the Bay Area after the AT&T deal. They still have some areas with poor coverage - like the MacArthur maze in Oakland - which are inexcusable.

Hormazd

I am going in for sw 13.3/BT upgrade tomorrow. I have Cingular and V600 and will see if I observe the same. If the signal is transmitted/received from the sharkfin then there would be no signal perfomance enhancement with the phone holder installed. Charging would be the only plus. It seems odd/inefficient to me that it would not use your handset network. Shouldn't the sharkfin just amplify your signal rather than sending it over a completely different network? However, having a second network for redundancy would be great if you were in a black hole area. You could terminate the BMW BT connection, and swtich over to your headset and the Cingular network.

BTW how are you finding Cingular coverage in SoCal? I am hoping for improvement in the Bay Area after the AT&T deal. They still have some areas with poor coverage - like the MacArthur maze in Oakland - which are inexcusable.
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I don't think its using the sharkfin. I think when the phone is paired, the icon on Idrive reflects the signal strength of the phone (from the phone's antenna in my pocket) When the phone is switched off, the icon then gives you the assist signal strength which is coming from the antenna.

Still testing Cingular. I haven't been around much.

wassy

when you are using the phone, the far most left antenna icon blinks.. this indicates you are using phone, and the signal is that of the phone

Hormazd

I had a coworker in the car today. He was watching the Signal strenghth fluctuate from dropped signal to 3 bars on the 405FWY while his Verizon phone had full strength the whole way. Sadly cingulars GSM coverage does not compare. I hope that Verizon fixes by V710 before my trial period is up at Cingular. I will stick with Verizon if they do......And return the very sexy and slick but expensive RAZR

ZC ED545

Hormazd is right about the bars being that of the phone.

Also, the merger of Cingular and ATT Wireless should help the coverage since they are both GSM networks.

Verizon has good coverage but antique technology.

Hormazd

Not so on both counts. They claim that the merger is already done. They just tend to drop the signal between cell sites. You never know whos network you are on. Cingular, ATT, Verizon's (Analog) or T-Mobile. Also most of their newer phones like the RAZR do not support analog.

CDMA is NOT antiquated technology. It is infact far superior to what the rest of the world (GSM) uses. Europe experiences better coverage hence no dropped calls because they standarized on a spectrum 10 years ago. Imagine if every US carrier used the same spectrum and shared the same network paying each other for roaming. There wouldn't be a spot where you couldn't get a call. That is the only reason why coverage is better in Europe. The CDMA network has more capacity per cell site and the platform to go 3G. you can already browse the internet at 10x the speed of POT (Plain old telephone) connection to your ISP, using Verizon's EVDO.

Read this post for a better understanding of cell phone technology and why ATT/Cingular and T-Mobile drop calls in moving cars.

ZC ED545

Ouch, that was a real spanking. The truth is that I only have GSM because of extensive travel to Europe. What matters to me is service coverage. Verizon is the best in the Northeast, T Mobile is horrible and Cingular/ATT is somewhere in the middle.

Also, the Cingular rep told me that the two networks have not been merged yet.

Hormazd

Im sorry, no spanking intended. I just wanted you to be better informed. Unfortunately the sales reps will tell you whatever whatever they like. They told me first that it had all happened and they had noticed better coverage. When I told them about certain spots in the hills, they said the computer had not been updated yet and some cell sites still had to be converted. Don't get me wrong I am not a fan of Verizon's right now. I only wish they didn't have such good coverage. The decsion to keep the VRAZR that works beautifully with my E60 would be sooo easy. Alas I will have to return this great looking phone.

By the way ZC ED545, did you do ED?? If so when did you take delivery and where did you drive. I am just curious. Again I apologize if my last post sounded harsh.

ZC ED545

I did ED back in September - car was built in late July but couldn't get over to Munich until late September, during Oktoberfest. I drove to Zurich (nothing special) then back to Munich. Used Munich as a base to see Bavaria, then drove north the Rothenberg, Germany, then Luxembourg for a business meeting and then to Paris.

The trip was amazing.