Hope for iPhone Superb Columbus Owners

[darrenw]

Thought the text of my response from SUK may interest you:

Thank you for your email dated 21 September 2010, regarding iPhone connection.

I can confirm that at present, there is not an option for the iPhone in any derivative to be compatible with our current Bluetooth system. The Factory is aware that this is currently causing issues for a number of our customers and a solution is being sought as a matter of urgency. When such an option is available, our retail partners will be best placed to inform their customers.

I would therefore like to suggest that you contact your nearest Skoda Retailer to make them aware of your interest in this option. They in turn will contact you as soon as they have been informed by the Factory. Details of which I have provided below:-

That's pretty much turning into the standard reply now. :(

[mannyo]

Had a lift tonight in a mates brand new VW golf. It has essentially the same Columbus system as my Octavia VRS except it connects to his iPhone. Only had 38 miles on it so it's definitely factory fitted!!! Maybe hope for us Skoda owners with iPhones yet!!

He might have the Columbus, but the bluetooth module is not part of the Columbus. The Columbus is only used as a display interface for one of several modules which are mounted under the drivers seat. For example its still possible to control the phone system via maxidot when no headunit is actually connected to the car at all. As has been said before, the issue is Apple not providing RSAP support, whereas virtually every other phone manufacturer does now since RSAP is being fitted by more and more manufacturers as standard. Meanwhile Apple are being left behind, and threads like this crop up all over various manufactures forums.

[busta999]

Just for the record, the GSM II kit installed by VAG in the rest of Europe works with every BT enabled phone including the iPhone.

RSAP is a proprietary protocol that can be purchased from Nokia if phone manufacturers want to include it.

Apple and Nokia are both in legal action against each other.

I would really like Apple to buy into the Nokia RSAP protocol, but unfortunately they haven't.

There are significantly more phones in the world that don't support RSAP than do.

If VAG in the UK had just used the universal BT we would all be fine today.

Instead Skoda ended up buying all the bits and fitting them to make my iPhone work in my Superb, so it worked out in the end.