Uploading contacts from an iPhone to COMAND in a C63

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trando

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Jan 20, 2009
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Location
Winchester
Car
C63 AMG
MB said that there is a problem with uploading contacts from iPhones to COMAND using Bluetooth. MB said it couldn't be done without buying a cradle, which I didn't particularly want to do...

There is a workaround though which sounds a lot more daunting than it actually is. I followed these steps tonight and I now have 350 contacts in COMAND.

What I had to do was export my contacts from Outlook as .vcf files. There are a few different ways to do this. What I did was select all my contacts then send them as business cards and they appeared as attachments in an email that I was then able to copy to the root of an SD card. I'm sure that a smarter IT type might be able to come up with a slicker way....... The SD card then goes into a PCMCIA adaptor which slots into the front of COMAND. In the Telephone menu there is an option to 'Receive Business Cards'. Select it and hey presto within about 20 secs, 350 contacts are ready to use!!

Bingo!

Just thought it might be useful as I can't believe I am the only person who has come across this problem......
 
You could also use another phone and send all contacts at once to your Comand.

I've understood that the issue is about Apple not liking Microsoft contact info format while "the rest of the world" has adopted the Microsoft approach. It must be the cradle that takes care of the conversion then?

Not exactly related to cars but how do you use iPhone for business email if your company email is Microsoft Exchange, like most companies have?
 
My iPhone (3G S) is a company issued phone and it works fine. No problems with MS Exchange.
 
MB said that there is a problem with uploading contacts from iPhones to COMAND using Bluetooth. MB said it couldn't be done without buying a cradle, which I didn't particularly want to do...

There is a workaround though which sounds a lot more daunting than it actually is. I followed these steps tonight and I now have 350 contacts in COMAND.

What I had to do was export my contacts from Outlook as .vcf files. There are a few different ways to do this. What I did was select all my contacts then send them as business cards and they appeared as attachments in an email that I was then able to copy to the root of an SD card. I'm sure that a smarter IT type might be able to come up with a slicker way....... The SD card then goes into a PCMCIA adaptor which slots into the front of COMAND. In the Telephone menu there is an option to 'Receive Business Cards'. Select it and hey presto within about 20 secs, 350 contacts are ready to use!!

Bingo!

Just thought it might be useful as I can't believe I am the only person who has come across this problem......

Trando this is a really useful information as i am just about to be given an iphone by work so this could come in useful

I have already got alot of my contacts on my comand but i have a few new one i would like to put on
 
I really don't get as to why, my inferior car, with inferior Bluetooth stereo (Audio 20), had no problems what so ever in uploading contacts via my iPhone.

Is it a problem just with COMMAND stereos?
 
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I really don't get as to why, my inferior car, with inferior Bluetooth stereo (Audio 20), had no problems what so everyin uploading contacts via my iPhone.

Is it a problem just with COMMAND stereos?

Its the BT built into the W204 that the issue.
 
Its the BT built into the W204 that the issue.

Any more details on that? The W204 built in radio works fine with other phones, how come it is then an issue at the head unit? Why would the iPhone not want to work like other phones do (with the MB radio at least)?

Or did I misunderstand which one works and which one does not. Anyway both the Audio 20 and Comand work with most other phones fine.
 
The W204 Comand/audio20 was supposed to have the same functionality as the HFP cradle but it doesnt. The HFP cradle does work with the iphone whereas the head unit in a w204 wont. In my experience the HFP cradle (and the viseeo) work with lots more phones than the standard head unit in a W204 does.
 

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