[numbersguy]

Looks great! Especially the shift knob.

If this was my car I'd have to put those floor mats away and use black ones.

[JaF22MPower]

Beautiful combination! Love how they swapped out the center by the gear leaver for the oyster instead of black plastic. I ordered coral red, would have gotten the oyster but I've had it for the past 3 years on my E90. Enjoy and keep it clean!

[paulao]

Nice colour !!!! congratsss

[valentinbmw]

Originally Posted by Rumpelstilskin

Thanks for asking. I knew a lot of people were interested but forgot to include that in my original post. The part number for the iPhone 5 Snap-In Adapter Connect is 84 21 2 351 308.

For those of you waffling because of the price, I recommend you bite the bullet and go for it. The phone sound quality is the best I've heard in a car (especially for those on the other end of the call) and the Connected Drive features, primarily Pandora in my experience, sound great even though the UI is a bit cumbersome. It's much better than Bluetooth because the phone signal source is the car's antenna, not the phone's, plus the phone battery is charged while sitting in the cradle.

Some quick caveats:

* I have grandfathered unlimited data on my iPhone. I don't know if Pandora data usage is an issue for people with limited plans, or even if Pandora uses an excessive amount of data.

* I have the tech package. I don't know if that is required to enable anything that I described.

* The somewhat cumbersome UI that I described may be because I don't know the best way to access Pandora. (I know there are several ways to achieve the same things.) I'll post the question in the techie thread when I have a few minutes to remember all my steps.

Thank man, i just order the snap in, it wasn't here but i got it from the states, and you where right it wasn't cheap, it was almost 500, but i thing it's gonna worth it, on my dad 640 grand coupe it works great.

[modeboy]

Other than the phone, what's the different in using the snap in connector vs just the usb connector / cable and the connected app?

I had one on my 135 and never used it. I thought it was a pain and would have to take my case off my phone in order to even snap it into the thing...

JB

[Rumpelstilskin]

Originally Posted by modeboy

Other than the phone, what's the different in using the snap in connector vs just the usb connector / cable and the connected app?

I had one on my 135 and never used it. I thought it was a pain and would have to take my case off my phone in order to even snap it into the thing...

JB

It all comes down to how you use your phone. If, like me, you use it as a receiver for Pandora (my primary source for music) and tend to lose the battery charge by the end of the day (due to long business calls and heavy app use), the ability to simultaneously charge the phone while using the connected apps trumps everything else. If the phone is connected by USB, the power provided is insufficient to charge the battery and manage the app at the same time.

And we shouldn't discount the significant difference in sound quality when listening to Internet radio or making a call. The phone uses the car's fin antenna when nestled in its cradle. This makes a huge difference in the consistency of a strong signal. I no longer have to warn people on the other end of the phone that I'm at that spot where the signal typically drops, and people rarely tell me that they're unable to understand me. In my experience the difference is dramatic.

Yeah, a normal iPhone case is a pain to remove every time you get into the car, and that tends to strip off any protective shield you may have applied. I'm considering replacing mine with this one, although I'm not comfortable with the fact that I can't glance at the face of the phone when it's sitting on my desk.

I know the cradle isn't for everybody, and I admit that I'm concerned that I may have to replace it when the iPhone 6 comes out in a new size (effectively doubling the price of the phone), but for now the advantages justify the cost.

(Thanks to my SA Phillip Nguyen at Momentum BMW in Houston. I called him to confirm I wasn't making this stuff up.)

[Rumpelstilskin]

Originally Posted by valentinbmw

Thank man, i just order the snap in, it wasn't here but i got it from the states, and you where right it wasn't cheap, it was almost 500, but i thing it's gonna worth it, on my dad 640 grand coupe it works great.

Hey Valentin - I remembered you were from Chile when I heard the news reports this morning. I hope you and your family are safe from the hurricane and threatened tsunami.

[valentinbmw]

Originally Posted by Rumpelstilskin

Hey Valentin - I remembered you were from Chile when I heard the news reports this morning. I hope you and your family are safe from the hurricane and threatened tsunami.

Thank for asking rupelstilskin, actually the earthquake was upnorth i live in Santiago wich is the Capital, and it wasn't that bad there either, no great damage, and only 4 people died, the constructions here are awesome and very solid.
Now the earthquake of 2010, now that was scary.
Besides i am used to wake up once a month with an earthquake, is like we are used to earthquakes as people of texas are used to hurricanes or cyclones.

[Mark]

Looks awesome!! I have the oyster + fineline combo on my X and even after 2 years now it still looks as amazing as the day I got it and never really gets old. Congrats!

[scanepa]

I think she looks really good. Congrats and enjoy her.

[EnjoySeattleLife]

Great looking combo. What tires came with the car? Looks like Michelin PS A/S. They're not run-flats are they?

[Rumpelstilskin]

Originally Posted by EnjoySeattleLife

Great looking combo. What tires came with the car? Looks like Michelin PS A/S. They're not run-flats are they?

No, not run-flats. They're the Michelin PSS summer tires that come standard with the car.

[crawfordbay]

Awesome clear shots. Thanks!

[alexb]

Congratulations on your new ride! I love that Oyster interior! I also love that wood trim! That is exactly how I would order it -- though I'm waffling between Mineral Grey and Estoril. I'll whole-heartedly agree with the other posters on the floor mats: I run black rubber floor mats in my (all) tan leather interior and they look great and wear nicely. The best part of your car, though, is that sick stick-shift transmission. How is it?

Seriously, light interiors are a great look. I do somewhat prefer the Oyster & Black "two-tone" look that is available for the 228i, but that may be because I'm used to it from the E90 days. It's too bad you can't have your choice of each, IE: "Oyster" vs "Oyster Extended" M3 style. I'm a sucker for that "all-black" sport look that comes from black headliners and black plastics, but I like the white seats.

[jgunnz]

I think yours is the best looking m235i I've seen. Brave call with Oyster & Fineline, but it works beautifully. Congratulations!!

[2+3=5]

Hi thanks for the great pics! I ordered the oyster interior too being tired of my black e46 interior for 10 years! I thought the foot rest was suppose to be M and silver in colour?

[///M235i]

Originally Posted by Rumpelstilskin

Thanks for asking. I knew a lot of people were interested but forgot to include that in my original post. The part number for the iPhone 5 Snap-In Adapter Connect is 84 21 2 351 308.

For those of you waffling because of the price, I recommend you bite the bullet and go for it. The phone sound quality is the best I've heard in a car (especially for those on the other end of the call) and the Connected Drive features, primarily Pandora in my experience, sound great even though the UI is a bit cumbersome. It's much better than Bluetooth because the phone signal source is the car's antenna, not the phone's, plus the phone battery is charged while sitting in the cradle.

Some quick caveats:

* I have grandfathered unlimited data on my iPhone. I don't know if Pandora data usage is an issue for people with limited plans, or even if Pandora uses an excessive amount of data.

* I have the tech package. I don't know if that is required to enable anything that I described.

* The somewhat cumbersome UI that I described may be because I don't know the best way to access Pandora. (I know there are several ways to achieve the same things.) I'll post the question in the techie thread when I have a few minutes to remember all my steps.

Two quick questions or statements I'd like to get your thoughts on here first I want to say all those features are available thru BMW apps or via Bluetooth or more so when you plug in the USB plus audio Y adapter. I want to say the cradle functions much in the same manner. The next question I have is with that cradle what happens when Apple changes the size and shape of the next iPhone? Not only will it not fit, it will literally take months and months if not to the next model year to have one manufactured that fits… And that would be yet an additional investment. Can anyone add perspective?

[///M235i]

Originally Posted by 2+3=5

Hi thanks for the great pics! I ordered the oyster interior too being tired of my black e46 interior for 10 years! I thought the foot rest was suppose to be M and silver in colour?

I had the same question about the foot rest. It turns out it looks like the automatic has the silverplate and the stick doesn't…?…

I also got the oyster interior is bright it is cheery it is more roomier and it brings an additional feeling of elegance to the car, especially with the woodgrain inserts. It is classic BMW.
…

[Rumpelstilskin]

Originally Posted by MmmTwo35

I had the same question about the foot rest. It turns out it looks like the automatic has the silverplate and the stick doesn't…?…
…

Good question. I hadn't noticed it until you guys pointed it out. I thought it might be the oyster, or the fineline trim, or the manual shift (can't imagine why), but none of those change the footrest when I use the (never dependable) online configurator. The metal rest is certainly the classic choice and should hold up better. I'm anxious to hear if anyone knows why mine showed up the way it did.

Originally Posted by alexb

I'll whole-heartedly agree with the other posters on the floor mats: I run black rubber floor mats in my (all) tan leather interior and they look great and wear nicely.

Just waiting for the oyster mats to show some signs of wear and I'm swapping for some black rubber. Everything is fine for the time being.

Originally Posted by alexb

The best part of your car, though, is that sick stick-shift transmission. How is it?

I'm old school when it comes to transmissions. I love the feel of this manual. It's similar to the one on our old '08 335i, but gives the impression of shorter throws. As silly as it sounds, my favorite part of the stick is the shape of the shift knob. The one on the 335 felt better suited to an automatic.

Originally Posted by MmmTwo35

Two quick questions or statements I'd like to get your thoughts on here first I want to say all those features are available thru BMW apps or via Bluetooth or more so when you plug in the USB plus audio Y adapter. I want to say the cradle functions much in the same manner. The next question I have is with that cradle what happens when Apple changes the size and shape of the next iPhone? Not only will it not fit, it will literally take months and months if not to the next model year to have one manufactured that fits… And that would be yet an additional investment. Can anyone add perspective?

The first major difference is that the system uses the car's antenna when the phone is sitting in the cradle but uses the phone's antenna when plugged into the USB. That makes a big difference if your reception varies by location.

The second is that the phone battery is being charged while in the cradle but not when plugged into the USB. For me, this is the difference between a sufficient charge for an entire day's work and draining the battery before the end of the day.

I'm with you on what happens when I'm ready for an upgrade. I think the bigger concern is that it's a big chunk of change to pay on top of the price of a new phone. I'm less concerned with whether BMW will have the option available. The accessories change as the need arises, not as a function of car model years. They've got a built-in audience for the upgrade so I expect it will happen fairly quickly. (I have no experience with this . . . it's just my gut feel.)


Thanks for all for the positive comments about my color/trim choices! I'm still loving it and enjoying the complements from friends and strangers alike.

[Lynn_228i]

I LOVE the combination! The Mineral Grey is gorgeous and look so beautiful with the Oyster Fineline Trim combination! I am questioning the black leather interior with the Silver Mat Trim I just ordered with my Alpine White Car. I have the Oyster/black combination now for 3 years in my BMW 128i Alpine White Car and I love it except for the black plastic seats in the back and the black on the sides of the seat. Seeing how all the plastic matches you Oyster color and how great it looks with the Fineline wood trim, I am wondering if I should have done this as I like light trim. I had seen a trade-in with the Oyster Sensatec and the Silver trim and I did not like it that much but I see the Oyster looks amazing with the Fineline trim! I wish I saw this post before placing my order today. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your gorgeous car!

[Lynn_228i]

Originally Posted by MmmTwo35

I had the same question about the foot rest. It turns out it looks like the automatic has the silverplate and the stick doesn't…?…

I also got the oyster interior is bright it is cheery it is more roomier and it brings an additional feeling of elegance to the car, especially with the woodgrain inserts. It is classic BMW.
…

I need to get sleep. I am excited about my new car order but now think I made mistake and should have ordered the oyster with the fineline after seeing these pictures. Are the back of the seats black or beige? Any pictures of the full seat with the plastic under it and a picture of the back of the seat? I should have waited one more day to be sure. I got Alpine White again on the exterior but since I had the Oyster/black combination for 3 years, I thought black would be easier to keep clean and looked better with the mat silver trim. I did not try it out with the fineline trim! It looks awesome!

[///M235i]

Originally Posted by Lynn_128i

I need to get sleep. I am excited about my new car order but now think I made mistake and should have ordered the oyster with the fineline after seeing these pictures. Are the back of the seats black or beige? Any pictures of the full seat with the plastic under it and a picture of the back of the seat? I should have waited one more day to be sure. I got Alpine White again on the exterior but since I had the Oyster/black combination for 3 years, I thought black would be easier to keep clean and looked better with the mat silver trim. I did not try it out with the fineline trim! It looks awesome!

Yes with the wood it's off the chain. The back of seat plastic is the same oyster perfect match. Saw another post - your trunk liner is going to be dark gray felt... …