Originally Posted by jfr0317

I believe the "iPod/USB interface" that BMW refers to in the article I quoted above is the 6FL option. We have the $400 6FL option on our X5 4.8, and my new iPhone works just fine with it. The only glitch is that when you first connect the iPhone to the 6FL cable, a message comes on the screen of the iPhone that says "This accessory is not compatible with the iPhone. Do you want to use "Airplane Mode" to avoid interference?" "Airplane Mode" turns off any RF signals from the iPhone so as not to cause any interference with an airplane's systems. Apparently, this message asking if you want to go to Airplane Mode appears whenever you connect the iPhone to an accessory that doesn't return a signal to it that it is "ready for iPhone" as the upcoming round of ipod & iPhone accessories will.

In any event, I just clicked the virtual button for "No, I don't want to go to "Aircraft Mode", and it worked just fine, transferring all three playlists, album, artist, and song info, etc. to the iDrive display. I was able to simultaneously listen to music from the iPhone while browsing the iPhone's phone number directory on the iDrive screen. I got exactly the same behavior, including the "Airplane Mode" message in my pickup truck, which has an Alpine aftermarket headunit with a dedicated iPod cable and a separate Parrot CK3100 hands-free Bluetooth telephone kit.

Glad to answer any other questions anybody may have.

Thanks,
John