Mobile Phone Cradle

Colin_E said:
One way to get artwork on the display is to put all your music on a USB & plug it into the USB socket in your photo.
I got a tiny 128Gb 'ultra fit' drive for 12 quid or so that barely protrudes from the socket and it just stays there permanently. There's ample capacity for more than 1000 albums at higher resolution than the onboard hard drive (which is a bit useless IMHO in terms of capacity, audio quality and lack of artwork).
In my case the cigar lighter socket alongside has another dual USB to provide power to charge a phone
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How did you get a 128gb stick to work?
 
Does anyone know how to get a 64gb stick to work? (Or 128gb would be better) I’ve seen some people mention they use a 64gb stick. Thanks.
 
CNR said:
Does anyone know how to get a 64gb stick to work? (Or 128gb would be better) I’ve seen some people mention they use a 64gb stick. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Depends on your setup. I've got the full option list for the iDrive, but it's all down to having the Combox. I'm running a Sandisk 64gb small factor stick, this one to be exact...

Are you having trouble getting one to work?
 
Yes. My 32gb one works but nothing bigger. Is there a way to tell I have the combox without ripping the car apart? Car is a 2015 35is.
 
CNR said:
Yes. My 32gb one works but nothing bigger. Is there a way to tell I have the combox without ripping the car apart? Car is a 2015 35is.
Click to expand...
Do you have bluetooth music?
If you do then you have a Combox.
On the 32gb stick do you have album art?


From the internet....

A BMW fitted with a Combox supports significantly larger USB memory sticks (typically 128GB to 512GB+ tested, often relying on exFAT) compared to a MULF2 High (most stable at 32GB, max 64GB, strictly requiring FAT32).

The Combox is an upgraded module, usually found in later E-series (2011+) and F-series, which supports modern file systems and larger capacities, whereas the MULF2 (most commonly in 2007-2010 models) is limited by older hardware and software.
Memory Stick Capacity Comparison
MULF2 High: 32GB is the commonly reported "safe" limit. While 64GB can work, it requires specific FAT32 formatting and might encounter slow loading times or read errors.
Combox: Users frequently report success with 128GB and 256GB sticks, with some reporting functionality up to 512GB and 1TB SSDs, particularly when formatted with exFAT.

Technical Limitations
Feature MULF2 High Combox Media/Telematics
Common Capacity 32GB (64GB max) 128GB - 512GB+
Format Strictly FAT32 FAT32 or exFAT
File Limit Lower (~16k tracks typical) Higher (40,000+ tracks)
Album Art Limited support Full support
Crucial Factors
File System Format: MULF2 must be formatted in FAT32. Windows does not natively allow formatting drives larger than 32GB to FAT32, requiring third-party tools. Combox supports exFAT, which works seamlessly with large drives.
Drive Type: External Hard Drives (HDD) often fail to get enough power, while flash-based "stubby" USB sticks are recommended to allow the armrest lid to close.
Loading Times: While the Combox supports larger sticks, indexing time can increase if the drive is filled with high-bitrate files.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, it was a while ago I tried it so I’ll try again using exFAT. Since I posted I got my snap in adapter working so could try a 128gb iPhone SE.
 
Yes, I do have Bluetooth music and there is album art on the stick.
 
CNR said:
Thanks, it was a while ago I tried it so I’ll try again using exFAT. Since I posted I got my snap in adapter working so could try a 128gb iPhone SE.
Click to expand...

CNR said:
Yes, I do have Bluetooth music and there is album art on the stick.
Click to expand...
OK, well with some more research some people are saying that ex-FAT works, alas I can't remember what mine is in.
A couple of points to note here,
1) USB3 probably wont work, it'll need to be USB2
2) For Album Art to appear each track needs to have the album art embedded within its metadata file, with a maximum picture size of 500x500. I use a program called "Mp3tag" to add this and adjust and other information so that they appear correctly.
 
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64mb formatted in fat 32 ..a paradox I know works fine …usb 3 stick is backward compatible so shouldn’t be an issue imho
 
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IMG_7786.jpeg


Thanks all for the help but I decided to go down the snap-in adapter route as my music is about 100gb and a mate gave me an iPhone SE 👍
Also album artwork is handled much better on the phone than a stick.

Does anyone know how long the power to the iPhone lasts after I lock the doors?
 
CNR said:
View attachment 293688


Thanks all for the help but I decided to go down the snap-in adapter route as my music is about 100gb and a mate gave me an iPhone SE 👍
Also album artwork is handled much better on the phone than a stick.

Does anyone know how long the power to the iPhone lasts after I lock the doors?
Click to expand...
Yes I should have kept my snap in unit..I used to use iphone 5se but now use a later iphone 7 with 256gb..

Power down period varies for various reasons but usually no more than 10-15 mins max
 
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