iPhone kinda supports playing any audio through a bluetooth headset
As I understand it, there are a lot of new DAPs and music-enabled mobile phones that support A2DP - a technology that allows devices to transmit stereo audio to Bluetooth headphones. It's all the rage with the kids these days, and many fans of cutting cables wherever possible were a bit disappointed when the A2DP acronym didn't make the iPhone's feature list. Thanks to a tip from TUAW reader Earle Davies though, the iPhone apparently does seem to support sending any audio - including music and the audio tracks from your videos - to a Bluetooth headset that isn't even enabled with A2DP - but it aint pretty.To tinker with this, you of course need to have a Bluetooth headset paired with your iPhone. I personally have an older HS-850, one of the first Motorola models with a microphone that flipped open to toggle the headset on and off. After you've switched your headset on and it's shaken hands with your iPhone, go into the Visual Voicemail screen and tap the Audio button in the upper right (which is otherwise a Speaker button when your headset isn't on and communicating with your phone). You'll receive an audio selection dialog much like the in-call dialog that allows you to chose where to send the iPhone's audio. As you might guess, select the Headset option, then switch over to the iPod and begin playing music or a video. This, unfortunately, is why I had to include 'kinda' in this post's headline - while the iPhone sends audio to both Earle's Motorola H700 headset and my HS-850, it still plays audio though the iPhone's speakers as well. It's a bizarre quirk I can't seem to figure out how to stop, which makes me think this is either an unfinished feature or, perhaps more likely, simply a side effect of some of the iPhone's functionality.
Whether you can use this trick to get the iPhone to send stereo audio to a true set of Bluetooth headphones I couldn't tell you, because I own no such headphones. If you readers tinker with this more and help uncover more of what's going on here, please sound off in the comments.
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As I understand it, there are a lot of new DAPs and music-enabled mobile phones that support A2DP - a technology that allows devices to...
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I am having a devil of a time getting the s9 headset to play audio from an iBookG4 (purchased around November 2005). It sometimes goes through the paring very nicely. I used the Bluetooth setup assistant. The status report declares that everything is paired but never ever declares itself "connected." Has anybody ever got this to work.
November 22 2007 at 12:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replywill the oakley icombi pair with other BT headsets? not stereo BT headset.
if it does, how will i pair the icombi with that BT headset, then pair my iphone with that BT headset?
My 6 month old Mac Book Pro does not support A2DP nor bluetooth stereo, but I understand that it will with the new operating system release. It must be a codec issue.
I am holding out hope that this can be enabled then, in the iPhone, with a software update.
I was using my iPhone with the Belkin Headphone adapter through the AUX input in the car. I took a call as I exited the car and took a call on the Apple BT (I unplugged the 3.5m wire from the Belkin adapter and left it plugged into the iPhone a I wa on the phone). While on the call I played the iPod. It didn't play through the speakers, just through the headset. I assume because the Belkin adapter was plugged in. My bro could not hear the music on his end (had an iPhone).
1] What does this tell about the potential bandwidth for Bluetooth capacity on the iPhone? Does it mean it is essentially transmitting 3 channels of audio (2 for iPod and 1 for phone)?
2] Shouldn't a software hack enable the BT channel to open for audio streaming from the iPod? What's the rationale for closing it?
On the subject of stereo BT headphone works when you go to voicemail on iphone and apply BT device as audio output I have a set of Anycom BT stereo headset works fine, but sound still comes out of iphone speakers?
August 12 2007 at 11:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHas anyone tried paring the Motorola S9 with the imuffs bluetooth adapter? The imuffs adapter has the advantage of being the only ipod bluetooth adapter I know of that has the connector actually centered in the middle of the adapter (rather than off to one side) -- so that it fits with many iphone cases. But I cannot seem to get the S9 to pair with it.
Thanks.
Hey Chris, I am using the gophone option as well with my Iphone and I have visual voicemail...
August 12 2007 at 2:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI was extremely upset when I found out my new iPhone and my Motorola S9 stereo headset would only do voice calls and not A2DP. I bought the Oakley icombi for $50 and solved that problem. Search Youtube for "iPhone A2DP" for a working video. Works great!!!! Shame on Apple though, those WM5 and WM6 fanboys are loving the fact we have to "hack" at this topic.
August 11 2007 at 4:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyworks with my jawbone too :-)
August 11 2007 at 3:12 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI have a Plantronics 590, it works with both headphones.... but i still can't turn off the speaker on my phone.
Anyone know how?
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