THIS COVERS 3G, 3G/S, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad and iPad2 (Updated 01/23/12 - 1:56pm)
Please understand that iPod interfaces were available long before the iPhone and the iPad ever existed, and were exclusively designed to do one thing, play the audio from an iPod through the factory radio of your particular vehicle. These designs were subsequently altered to attempt to incorporate their functionality of operating an iPod with the radically different functionality of first, the iPhone and now the iPad. Consequently, there are existing operational issues with the iPhones and the iPads when being used as an iPod and connected to an iPod interface. So, whenever an iPod interface is said to be compatible with the iPhone, all they are saying is that the iPhone will connect to the interface, and when the iPhone is used as an iPod, the interface will still work the same as if it was connected to an iPod, and nothing else.
We have spent many hours testing the various vehicle iPod interfaces connected to compatible factory radios and then connecting the latest iPhones and iPads to the interface and have compiled a list of 'known' issues so we could understand the functional differences when connecting either an iPhone or an iPad to an iPod interface, and be able to explain them to you when you encounter them. Some of these issues are quirky-type issues that may or may not be an issue with your particular vehicle and factory radio and the iPod interface. Additionally, this list is by no means complete, as we continue to be told about new issues either from the manufacturers of the devices or discover new issues through our own independent testing that we continue to do.
- iPad/iPad2 Operation using an iPod Interface - There are not many operational or functional differences in the iPad when compared to the iPod or an iPhone when connected to an iPod interface. However, the one major difference with the iPad and iPad2 compared to the iPod or iPhone is that iPad/iPad2 charging requires a much heavier charging circuit. Consequently, when an iPad or iPad2 is connected to an iPod interface, it puts a heavy strain on the iPod interface's charging circuit, and in some cases, will cause the charging circuit in the interface to burn out or malfunction. For those iPod interfaces whose charging circuit is better designed and has been internally protected against too large of a power draw, the charging circuit will start to charge the iPad, then the circuit protection will engage, then will reset itself and turn the charging circuit back on and start to charge the iPad again. This recycling of the charing circuit will continue until the iPad is either fully charged or is disconnected, or in a worst-case scenario, the charging circuit will burn out. The timing of this charging on/charging off cycle depends on the design parameters of the charging protection circuit. Some cycles can be measured in seconds, others will take a few minutes to cycle on and off. And each time the cycle starts over again, the iPad will usually sound its 'charging' tone (though not all the time), which, if the cycle is measured in seconds, can be quite annoying.
- USB 5V Charging - Most iPod interfaces now being sold have been updated to allow for 5V charging so this has become less of an issue. But for those who have an older, 12V firewire charging iPod interface and have updated to a new iPod or iPhone, there are 12V-to-5V adapters and new 5V USB iPod cables for existing interfaces available that when connected, will allow the new devices to be charged on the old interfaces. Also see Charging/Not Charging below for additional issues relating to iPhone charging.
- iPhone "Nag" Screens - Currently, there are only a few "Made For iPhone" (MFI) iPod interfaces and iPod cables available for use with an iPhone. Consequently, when any generation of iPhone 3G and after is connected to any iPod interface other than those devices with Apple authorization, the first thing you'll see is what is commonly being called an Apple "nag" screen. It is a warning screen that pops up on the iPhone to tell you "This accessory is not made to work with iPhone" or some other wording of a similar warning and may or may not ask if you want to place the iPhone in 'Airplane' mode. With each successive issue of the Apple iPhone iOS, the wording and uses of the Apple "Nag" screens have been changed. The newest iOS5 "nag" screen reads "This accessory is not optimized for this iPhone". In any case, all of these screens are annoying, hence the word "nag", but none of them will affect the operation of the iPhone used as an iPod when connected to the iPod interface. So, just press "No" or "Dismiss" and move on.
- Receiving Calls - For some reason we have yet to figure out, Apple designed the iPhone so that received call audio does not come out through the 30-pin connector of the iPhone. Consequently, when an iPhone is connected to an iPod interface through the 30-pin bottom connector of the iPhone, and a call comes in over the iPhone, the iPhone will mute the iPod audio, but the received call audio cannot be heard through the radio speakers. The only way to hear the incoming call audio is to disconnect the iPhone from the iPod interface, or use a Bluetooth ear-piece, or have a set of earphones plugged into the earphone jack for when a call does come in.
- "Authentication" Chip - The 3G, 3G/S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have a built in "authentication" chip that scrambles the video coming from the iPhone if the iPhone is connected to a 'non Apple-authorized' accessory device. However, the audio is unaffected. So for those who are using the iPod or iPhone in an audio-only application, this has no bearing on it's use. However, for those who are connecting a newer iPod Video, or iPod Touch or an iPhone into a vehicle's video system, be sure the cable you will be using is an Apple-approved A/V cable, like the AV-iPD.
- Charging/Not Charging - There is a charging/not charging issue with the 3G/S and iPhone 4 (we are uncertain at this time with the iPhone 4S or phones upgrade with iOS5) that will occasionally happen with some iPhones, but certainly not all. When initially connected to a 5V charging iPod interface, some iPhones will display a different "nag" screen that reads: "Charging is not supported with this device" and the iPhone is not charged when connected. However, the next time or the next time after that or possibly the third or fourth time you plug the iPhone in to the same device, it might charge the iPhone just fine. We have done extensive testing to try to determine if there was a certain sequence or operating condition that when connecting the iPhone to the interface would allow the iPhone to charge every time it is connected. But no matter the operating condition of the iPhone, whether the iPhone was off, on, playing, not playing, in iPod mode, not in iPod mode, sleeping, awake, whatever, and the vehicle was running, not running, radio on, radio off, Radio in XM, not in XM, Radio in FM, not in FM, iPhone connected, iPhone not connected, the iPhone would still, on occasion, say it was not going to charge. From our testing of those iPhones where this happens, the "not charging" issue happens about 35% of the time when the iPhone is connected. We have even seen it where the iPhone is in use as an iPod and has been charging for a significant period of time during a road trip, and then all of a sudden, the "Charging is not supported" warning pops up and the device stops charging. We have never seen it go in the other direction, where it was not charging and then started charging after a period of use. This seems to be some sort of glitch in the iPhone OS and not all iPhones will do this. But some will. For those that will, we have found that connecting the iPhone to the interface prior to starting the vehicle dramtically increases the odds that the interface will charge the iPhone.
- Other Quirky iPhone Behavior - In some cases, connecting the iPhone to an iPod interface will result in the iPhone defaulting into a 'phonecall' mode, with the iPod audio coming only from the iPhone's internal speaker, without audio being passed through the bottom connector. If this condition appears, you will need to disconnect the iPhone from the interface and connect it to your computer using the Apple USB cable and reset the iPhone. Please note that this condition has appeared even after the iPhone has been connected successfully with the iPod interface several times before. This is a very rare condition and has only been reported on a very few iPhones. We have found the best way to avoid the "not charging" condition is to plug the iPhone into the interface cable prior to starting the vehicle. In most cases, this activates the iPhone charging upon starting the vehicle.
There is a second situation has also been reported, although very rare, when an iPhone is connected to several different iPod interfaces (not brand specific nor vehicle-specific). For the iPhone to work, either the car has to be started before the iphone is attached, or, if attached after the vehicle is already started, the vehicle has to be parked, turned off and restarted after connecting the iphone. Therefore, if you detach the iphone for any reason while driving, you would have to park and restart the car to re-attach the iPhone and have it work. Also, attaching the iPhone the first time may not always work. Consequently, you will have to restart and try again. Additionally, disengaging the iPhone to go to say, XM mode or FM mode, and then going back to the iPhone will sometimes cause it to not work, even with the vehicle running. This condition, if it appears, will generally go away after a few occurrances. However, sometimes it will happen repeatedly and never go away until the iPhone is turned completely off and rebooted. Resetting the iPhone through your computer sometimes cures this issue as well.
- - - Logjam Electronics Technical Support Team
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