No offense, but that sounds like a terrible idea. The iPhone has no buttons so you can't operate it without looking down for 5 seconds or more at a time. I don't feel comfortable even answering calls on the iPhone while driving, especially top down in the S.

The reason everyone has the headunits control the iPods and iPhones is that there's more room for tactile buttons and it allows you to hide the source in a glove box when you're parked. Yeah, you lose coverflow but you gain a whole lot of safety features.

 

I understand what you are asking, and it makes no sense.

A headunit that INTEGRATES with an ipod/iphone will take away all controls from the ipod/iphone itself, and will do everything from the headunit. You can't have a headunit that does what you want, unless you ghetto rig it with an AUX input from the Iphone's headphone jack. My IDA001 does a fine job of controlling my iphone. Another bonus is the music stops when the phone rings.

 

Well, no offense to you but using the headunit is annoying and slow. To ME it's way easier and safer to use the iPhone due to its ease of use and its location in a mount to the left of my shifter.


My radio takes control of the iPhone now and if I want to look for a certain song it takes 4 times longer to nav through the headunit plus it's further away and the shifter can get in the way (I'm sure that other various headunits make search times a little faster but I guarantee I could get to a random song faster then using any headunit). Thus making using the headunit (remember this is IMO) much less safer. Also I'm not concerned with "hiding" the source and I use the iPhone as a phone too so take it with me. Where do you put your phone when your driving and when you do answer it do you go looking all over for it? When my rings (through the speakers) I grab my bluetooth earpiece (always in the the same place) and answer my call without taking my eyes off the road.

It makes perfect sense for me and the way I choose to use my gear. Plus hands down it's easier and safer. I used the factory headunit with a NEO connection for over a year with the iPhone, using the phone to control my music and it was great! Plus another bonus is that the music fades down and the ringer played through the speakers.

Guys I have this planned out (as you hopefully can tell) and the way I use my gear is up to me. I'm not looking for opinions of what others think is better or safer. Thanks for your concern but I got it covered. I'm just looking for a solution to my problem.

 

Ummm...ok...good luck with it since you have it covered.

 

haha what??

 

You can make a cable that goes into the dock connector on the iPhone/iPod. That's what I did. It charges/powers the device and also gives access to the high-quality audio line out. There are several third party products that do this too, but I am not sure if they all work with the iPhone. I know the Belkin auto-kit does, and it can easily be modified as needed.

BTW, I agree that the iPhone/iPod interface is about a zillion times superior to anything on the radio. Unless you're just using a single playlist, trying to control it through the radio is significantly more difficult and dangerous. Why bother with limited controls when the iPod interface is so perfect for browsing music?

I have my iPhone/iPod at the end of a long cable, and can hold it up at eye level when I need to operate it, thus minimizing the amount of attention I take off the road. Common sense helps too. I don't fuss with it unless it's safe to do so.

 

Thanks for your additional comments about how the "i" interface is so much easier. Spot on!

But on to the good stuff. So are you splicing wires together to get this outcome? Like creating a dock connector cable that runs to a power source and has an audio out to plug into the aux port on the headunit?

 

Exactly. The Belkin auto-kit is a good starting point (or can be used as-is).

 

Dude thanks a ton! I going to give it a try.

 

The Dension Ice Link allows you to retain iPod control. Not sure if it charges the iPhone 3G however.