iPhone 3G, '07 (July) , USB Interface

[Ferguson]

I've been searching web sites for a couple days with mixed results.

'07 X5 with USB/Ipod interface, 3G Iphone, wife has an iPod.

If I plug the iPod into the USB with JUST a vanilla Apple USB cable, it is recognized and I can control it with the idrive interface.

If I plug the iPhone 3G in with just the USB cable it charges, but no music, no control ("USB" is grey on the idrive and cannot be selected).

I'm using a real Apple USB cable. And note the 3G does charge.

I do not have a "Y" cable. It sounds like I was supposed to get one with the car, I do not think I did. Even if I did, I understand that the '07 cables do not work (will not charge) the 3G, a post-August-08 cable is needed. Local dealer did not have one (though I could order, haven't yet).

It's not clear why I need the Y cable to work with the iPhone when the iPod works just fine without? Which makes me hesitant to go lay out $70 for a Y cable at the dealer (dealer who said "I can't guarentee it will work" by the way). I worry I will get it, plug it in, and nothing but AUX (non-USB) will work. Not what I want.

If the USB cable alone works on an iPod should I expect to need the Y cable for the iPhone?

$70 for just a cable?

And what a disappointment that the fancy tray for the iPhone ONLY does antenna and power, not integration for music control.

PS. So far the blue tooth integration is working fine, a few quirks I may put separately.

[RichardP1]

I don't know for sure, but I'd guess it won't work.

The iPhone and Touch do not support accessing the music on them via the standard file system, as can be done with other iPods. If the USB interface just 'sees' an iPod as a USB storage device, it won't find any music on an iPhone or Touch.