Anybody tested a Bluetooth phone in '05 RX330?
10-17-04, 12:03 PM
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Anybody tested a Bluetooth phone in '05 RX330?
i have read some posts about bluetooth relating to other Lexus models (LS, for instance). and i have been to the Lexus "approved" list of phones.
just wondering if anybody has tested any bluetooths in the '05 RX? my RX is due in the last week of october, and i will need to upgrade my cell to a bluetooth version [i'm on cingular].
but the phones cingular offers are very limited -- two! they offer a Nokia with bluetooth (but it's freakin' $300 and that's after a $100 rebate). the other is a sony/ericsson [T637] which has buttons too small for a man's fingers...it's like a joke in my hand. i realize i may be able to voice-dial in the RX (that is, if everything works as promised), but at other times i need to be able to use the phone keypad. and that one is a joke.
the nokia seems to be my only cingular-approved choice, but i hate to go out and purchase something that expensive and then not have it work properly in the RX. have a buddy with an '04 Acura TL, and his bluetooth stuff works like 75% of the time, but the times it dudn't work are driving him nutso. for instance, sometimes he can voice-dial, other times not. seem to be some glitches going on with his car...or his phone...and Acura dudn't know how to help him.
evidently the PAN (personal area network?) generated by bluetooth technology requires some high quality gear to work properly; i'm trusting that the Lexus system will be high quality...and want to buy a phone that's just as good. any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
johnnyM
winston-salem nc
just wondering if anybody has tested any bluetooths in the '05 RX? my RX is due in the last week of october, and i will need to upgrade my cell to a bluetooth version [i'm on cingular].
but the phones cingular offers are very limited -- two! they offer a Nokia with bluetooth (but it's freakin' $300 and that's after a $100 rebate). the other is a sony/ericsson [T637] which has buttons too small for a man's fingers...it's like a joke in my hand. i realize i may be able to voice-dial in the RX (that is, if everything works as promised), but at other times i need to be able to use the phone keypad. and that one is a joke.
the nokia seems to be my only cingular-approved choice, but i hate to go out and purchase something that expensive and then not have it work properly in the RX. have a buddy with an '04 Acura TL, and his bluetooth stuff works like 75% of the time, but the times it dudn't work are driving him nutso. for instance, sometimes he can voice-dial, other times not. seem to be some glitches going on with his car...or his phone...and Acura dudn't know how to help him.
evidently the PAN (personal area network?) generated by bluetooth technology requires some high quality gear to work properly; i'm trusting that the Lexus system will be high quality...and want to buy a phone that's just as good. any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
johnnyM
winston-salem nc
10-17-04, 01:55 PM
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I've had my 2005 RX330 for less than a month. I'm very excited about the POSSIBILITIES of bluetooth. Since we recently switched to Verizon -- and signed a year's contract or some such -- I'm stuck with the bluetooth phones Verizon offers. There aren't any! At least you have two choices!
10-17-04, 10:00 PM
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I have an 05 RX 330 and the Verizon Motorola V710. The bluetooth does work great but not all of it's awesome functions are available. I love the high quality speakerphone, the controls on the steering wheel and the 1-touch memory settings on the Nav, the fact that I can leave my phone on my beltclip and bluetooth picks up the signal the minute I enter the car.
The bad part is the phone/address book doesn't transfer into the Nav system, you can't dial using the Nav screen while in motion (except for the numbers saved in your memory settings), and you can't answer call-waiting via bluetooth so if someone calls you while you're using bluetooth, you have to press "Send or Answer" on your phone, and when you get an incoming call, there's no ring. What happens is, the Nav screen gets an "Incoming Call" display and the radio goes Mute.
So overall, looks like bluetooth, wih the functions that are active on my phone is nothing more than a very cool hands free kit and although most of it's useful functions are not working for now, I use it daily and I love it.
The bad part is the phone/address book doesn't transfer into the Nav system, you can't dial using the Nav screen while in motion (except for the numbers saved in your memory settings), and you can't answer call-waiting via bluetooth so if someone calls you while you're using bluetooth, you have to press "Send or Answer" on your phone, and when you get an incoming call, there's no ring. What happens is, the Nav screen gets an "Incoming Call" display and the radio goes Mute.
So overall, looks like bluetooth, wih the functions that are active on my phone is nothing more than a very cool hands free kit and although most of it's useful functions are not working for now, I use it daily and I love it.
10-18-04, 05:04 AM
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Hi, I just got my 05 RX330 this past Saturday. The bluetooth works great with my AT&T Motorola V505 phone. It works fine, but not sure if i get all the feature to work since i dont know what all the feature are. But one thing i notice is that i wasn't be able to transfer the entire phone book, i can only do one entry at a time.
10-18-04, 06:31 AM
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Since Bluetooth is new to the RX, i'd like to point out some common misconceptions..
The term Bluetooth simply means that a telephone has the ability to be a wireless device.
The '05 RX has bluetoothe capability, meaning that it can be used to accept a WIFI device as well.
It does not mean that any Bluetooth phone is going to work seamlessly with the RX.
If you're buying a Bluetooth Lexus, go to lexus.letstalk.com and find the phone&carrier that are available in your area so that you can utilize the BT technology.
-Dont buy a BT phone off Ebay
-Dont buy a BT phone at Radio Shack
-Dont buy a BT phone at your Verizon/Cingular/Sprint Store
-Dont assume any BT phone will work!
There is a short list of BT phones that pair correctly with the BT powered Lexus's
(there maybe more phones available by now)
Motorola V600
Nokia 3600, 3620, 3650, 6310i
Siemens S56
Sony Ericsson T608, T610, T616, T68i
Buy the correct phone & dont be frustrated because your new phone doesnt work right!
(and note the V710 isnt on the list)
The term Bluetooth simply means that a telephone has the ability to be a wireless device.
The '05 RX has bluetoothe capability, meaning that it can be used to accept a WIFI device as well.
It does not mean that any Bluetooth phone is going to work seamlessly with the RX.
If you're buying a Bluetooth Lexus, go to lexus.letstalk.com and find the phone&carrier that are available in your area so that you can utilize the BT technology.
-Dont buy a BT phone off Ebay
-Dont buy a BT phone at Radio Shack
-Dont buy a BT phone at your Verizon/Cingular/Sprint Store
-Dont assume any BT phone will work!
There is a short list of BT phones that pair correctly with the BT powered Lexus's
(there maybe more phones available by now)
Motorola V600
Nokia 3600, 3620, 3650, 6310i
Siemens S56
Sony Ericsson T608, T610, T616, T68i
Buy the correct phone & dont be frustrated because your new phone doesnt work right!
(and note the V710 isnt on the list)
10-18-04, 06:47 AM
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As many of you already know, lexus.letstalk.com is usually old, and not very useful.
Also, making claims such as "don't buy from here or there" is not productive. Many people buy used, extra phones on eBay. I do that for one of my ATT accounts since it's easy to move the sim card between phones. You just take your chances.
Finally, as it's already been posted, the v710 DOES work. As you probably know, Motorola has chosen to disable some of the functionality of the v710 for its own reasons, but the core functionality appears to work. So it was really just an issue of how much functionality would work. I have a v710 and hope to upgrade my 300 to a 330 soon. The hands free ability is really all I need. My address book has maybe 10 names in it.
Thanks gs4to4 for the info! I was hoping it was going to work.. at least a little.
Also, making claims such as "don't buy from here or there" is not productive. Many people buy used, extra phones on eBay. I do that for one of my ATT accounts since it's easy to move the sim card between phones. You just take your chances.
Finally, as it's already been posted, the v710 DOES work. As you probably know, Motorola has chosen to disable some of the functionality of the v710 for its own reasons, but the core functionality appears to work. So it was really just an issue of how much functionality would work. I have a v710 and hope to upgrade my 300 to a 330 soon. The hands free ability is really all I need. My address book has maybe 10 names in it.
Thanks gs4to4 for the info! I was hoping it was going to work.. at least a little.
Last edited by jazzsax; 10-18-04 at 06:49 AM.
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10-18-04, 12:34 PM
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Point taken jazzsax, who am I to suggest where to purchace your phone 
My claim to not buy from places like Ebay or Radio shack come from some experience with customer frustration from buying the incorrect phone for the vehicle.
MANY people assume that a BT phone will work with their BT Lexus, just because BT is BT is BT. Right? Wrong! Its a hugely common misconseption that any phone will "Just work" out of the box. Fact of the matter is that a very small percentage of BT phones that integrate completely with the Lexus BT.
My point should be this. When a Lexus dealer delivers an '04 LX/LS with the BT chip (and whichever '05 models have it) they should be taking more time with their customers. The sales people need to explain what BT is and how it can pottentialy work in their vehicle. But unfortunately this doesnt always happen, someone takes delivery of a $65k car/truck and next thing you know, the customer is upset because his new V710 'doesnt work right'
The sales department not educating their customer on how to go about getting a BT phone that works properly with a Lexus ultimately brings dissatisfaction. If you go down to your local Verison store, do you think that they really give two hoots if it pairs with your vehicle correctly or completely?
And i need to nitpick a little
If you use Letstalk.com you will be sent in a direction that you have a telephone that works with your vehicle from a provider in your area. If having all the functionality of a BT phone isn't important, dont waste your time with this.
It works, sure. But read what gs4to4 said about its functionality and you'll see that it doesnt ALL work. If you dont mind pressing 'send/answer' to get a call while you're on the phone, or mind inputting your address book from scratch, its the perfect phone for a BT lexus. (sarcasm)
I dont mean to lecture, or tell people what to do. I'm just trying to save future '05 RX330 owners some heartache in purchacing the wrong phone! I know that the list of Lexus-Approved BT phones is VERY small, but it has grown some since the '04 LX/LS were released with this relatively new technology. More phones will be added in the future.
It all starts with customer education about what bluetooth is (wireless communication technology) and what it isnt (a plug and play protocol that automagicaly works).
I will honestly admit, i'm tired of getting this phone call (bear with me, i work in parts..)
customer: "My cell phone doesnt work right, somthing is wrong with my 2004 LS"
myself: "What kind of phone"
customer: "Motorola V710"
myself: "That phone isnt approved by lexus to work with your vehicle"
customer: "Its a bluetooth phone; fix my car"
/sighs
My claim to not buy from places like Ebay or Radio shack come from some experience with customer frustration from buying the incorrect phone for the vehicle.
MANY people assume that a BT phone will work with their BT Lexus, just because BT is BT is BT. Right? Wrong! Its a hugely common misconseption that any phone will "Just work" out of the box. Fact of the matter is that a very small percentage of BT phones that integrate completely with the Lexus BT.
My point should be this. When a Lexus dealer delivers an '04 LX/LS with the BT chip (and whichever '05 models have it) they should be taking more time with their customers. The sales people need to explain what BT is and how it can pottentialy work in their vehicle. But unfortunately this doesnt always happen, someone takes delivery of a $65k car/truck and next thing you know, the customer is upset because his new V710 'doesnt work right'
The sales department not educating their customer on how to go about getting a BT phone that works properly with a Lexus ultimately brings dissatisfaction. If you go down to your local Verison store, do you think that they really give two hoots if it pairs with your vehicle correctly or completely?
And i need to nitpick a little
lexus.letstalk.com is usually old, and not very useful.
as it's already been posted, the v710 DOES work
I dont mean to lecture, or tell people what to do. I'm just trying to save future '05 RX330 owners some heartache in purchacing the wrong phone! I know that the list of Lexus-Approved BT phones is VERY small, but it has grown some since the '04 LX/LS were released with this relatively new technology. More phones will be added in the future.
It all starts with customer education about what bluetooth is (wireless communication technology) and what it isnt (a plug and play protocol that automagicaly works).
I will honestly admit, i'm tired of getting this phone call (bear with me, i work in parts..)
customer: "My cell phone doesnt work right, somthing is wrong with my 2004 LS"
myself: "What kind of phone"
customer: "Motorola V710"
myself: "That phone isnt approved by lexus to work with your vehicle"
customer: "Its a bluetooth phone; fix my car"
/sighs
10-18-04, 12:44 PM
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I agree with most of your points.
And most of the problems probably aren't with Lexus, but with Motorola.
Let's see... I have no names in my address book, and nobody ever calls me... Couldn't be more perfect for me! 
And most of the problems probably aren't with Lexus, but with Motorola.
Originally posted by Traturn
It works, sure. But read what gs4to4 said about its functionality and you'll see that it doesnt ALL work. If you dont mind pressing 'send/answer' to get a call while you're on the phone, or mind inputting your address book from scratch, its the perfect phone for a BT lexus. (sarcasm)
/sighs [/B]
It works, sure. But read what gs4to4 said about its functionality and you'll see that it doesnt ALL work. If you dont mind pressing 'send/answer' to get a call while you're on the phone, or mind inputting your address book from scratch, its the perfect phone for a BT lexus. (sarcasm)
/sighs [/B]
10-25-04, 11:16 PM
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Bluetooth
I use a Sony-Erricson Model T610 thru T-Mobile and it works terrific. I have had it about 2 weeks and have been able to use it in my 05 RX without any trouble. My phone cost me 50 dollars after a rebate of $100.
I was able to download all the contacts in the phonebook as long as I stored each number in it's own position. (not nested in one name)
The "1-Touch" dialer works great. You can use it when you are moving.
I was able to download all the contacts in the phonebook as long as I stored each number in it's own position. (not nested in one name)
The "1-Touch" dialer works great. You can use it when you are moving.
10-26-04, 08:40 AM
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Re: Bluetooth
Originally posted by GSLEX
I use a Sony-Erricson Model T610 thru T-Mobile and it works terrific. I have had it about 2 weeks and have been able to use it in my 05 RX without any trouble. My phone cost me 50 dollars after a rebate of $100.
I was able to download all the contacts in the phonebook as long as I stored each number in it's own position. (not nested in one name)
The "1-Touch" dialer works great. You can use it when you are moving.
I use a Sony-Erricson Model T610 thru T-Mobile and it works terrific. I have had it about 2 weeks and have been able to use it in my 05 RX without any trouble. My phone cost me 50 dollars after a rebate of $100.
I was able to download all the contacts in the phonebook as long as I stored each number in it's own position. (not nested in one name)
The "1-Touch" dialer works great. You can use it when you are moving.
thanks for the good report on the S-E T610. very VERY glad to hear that the 1-touch dialer works. i'm trying to figure out if you can dial out without touching the screen...voice commands maybe? i find the "manual" that came with the RX Nav to be fairly sketchy in the bluetooth section...not quite translated perfectly from the Japanese in every way. reminds me of early 60's instructions that came with Japanese gadgets and sound equipment.
10-26-04, 12:54 PM
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winsalem
You are right about the nav manual being a little confusing in the bluetooth section.
The voice commands are really not very good in this car imo. I was not able to make it respond properly to the words "phone" or "telephone" or anything related to the phone section. There is a little fold out card that came with my manual that is a quick guide to the nav. I don't remember if it has the voice command chart on it.
When I was looking for my car I tested the MDX Nav which imo is far ahead of the Lexus nav in the voice commands. The RX is still a far better car for everything else. Who buys a car just for the nav?
Anyway the only you can effectively use the phone while your driving is through the 1-touch dialer.
Have fun making it work for you.
You are right about the nav manual being a little confusing in the bluetooth section.
The voice commands are really not very good in this car imo. I was not able to make it respond properly to the words "phone" or "telephone" or anything related to the phone section. There is a little fold out card that came with my manual that is a quick guide to the nav. I don't remember if it has the voice command chart on it.
When I was looking for my car I tested the MDX Nav which imo is far ahead of the Lexus nav in the voice commands. The RX is still a far better car for everything else. Who buys a car just for the nav?
Anyway the only you can effectively use the phone while your driving is through the 1-touch dialer.
Have fun making it work for you.
10-26-04, 03:40 PM
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So does voice activation work for the Navigation system for things other than phone? Can you use it to recognize addresses, etc so you don't have to sit there and type it all in before leaving?
10-26-04, 09:23 PM
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The voice commands are not that sophisticated. I may be wrong but I haven't been able to just speak a address and go. I always pre program my destination by typing in what I want before starting.
There maybe some things you can do that I don't know about. I will try to find out more and maybe post a list of commands that the system recognizes.
The voice commands are not that sophisticated. I may be wrong but I haven't been able to just speak a address and go. I always pre program my destination by typing in what I want before starting.
There maybe some things you can do that I don't know about. I will try to find out more and maybe post a list of commands that the system recognizes.
10-26-04, 09:30 PM
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I know I'd like the novelty of having the Navigation system, but I just don't think I'd use it that much. If I want to get on the road for a trip, I don't wanna sit there for a few minutes to punch everything in. I wouldn't use the bluetooth feature. I do think I'd like seeing where I'm at on the map though ... $2400 seems a lot for just that though.