Windows Phone Compatibility With Enform

[Rudy Caruso]

I just bought a 2013 ES 350. I have a windows based Nokia Lumia smart phone. I now find out that the phone is not compatible with Enform built into the car. Is Lexus doing anything to make them compatible?

[JonQ32]

Yes... that's a good question. Is Lexus working on this?

[1990LS400]

It's a matter of the phone manufacturer and its software supplier following standards that ensure compatibility with car manufacturer's Bluetooth and other systems. Don't expect the Toyota Motor Company to fix the phone problem. Car manufacturers have sometimes bent their systems to allow for extremely popular phones (e.g. iPhone) that do not follow industry standards but I doubt if that is going to happen or happen nearly as soon with Windows Mobile phones.

[JonQ32]

Well... perhaps we should contact the phone company... or better yet... perhaps Lexus could collaborate with the phone companies.

[pj8708]

Well... perhaps we should contact the phone company... or better yet... perhaps Lexus could collaborate with the phone companies.

It would be virtualy impossible for any car maker to install in hundreds of thousands of cars, model after model, with backwardly compatible and forwardly upgradeable software for every single phone protocol in every country in the world. Now Having said that, I'll retract my statement saying it would be nearly impossible. It could be done, but how much would you be willing to pay for it. You could pay $40,000 for the car and as a feature, buy the phone package for $100,000.

The Lexus platform is geared towards the Iphone device, as is the audio software using the ipod.

I can say with confidance, that Toyota will not make any immediate changes as long as Apple has a strong presence in market share.

[1990LS400]

Well... perhaps we should contact the phone company... or better yet... perhaps Lexus could collaborate with the phone companies.

An easier route would be to get a phone that has a high degree of compatibility - there is a link on the Lexus website to a list of phones that have been tested and which shows the degree of compatibility: http://www.lexus.com/MobileLink/ It can take a while for Toyota to test newer phones but you are usually safe if you buy a phone that is similar (same manufacturer and software) that is similar to one that has been tested and has a high degree of compatibility. I know that both my wife's iPhone 4 and my Samsung GS3 (Android) work very nicely with the navigation system and Entune in her Prius so they should work well with the similar Lexus Enform.

[tebaho]

The bluetooth connex problem as applicable to Pandora isn't unique to non-iOS/Apple phones. I have an iPhone 4s that has serious connex and delays-to-connect problems with both Enform and Entune, (Toyota). It isn't very likely (altogether impossible, actually), that any automotive manufacturer is biased toward a cellphone manufacturer sufficient to preclude enthusiasm in working with all large-major cellular phone carriers, manufacturers and operating systems. Toyota doesn't want any impediments in appealing to a larger purchase/lease audience. Some manufacturers were Apple-centric when iPod was the 8000 pound (kilo?) gorilla in the room, but that's changed.

There are a couple or three bugs with Enform/Entune, inclusive of map display superseding/dominating though a NAV destination or function hasn't been selected. Yes, it's possible to set-up media display rather than all-map/only-map, but my experience is that map still overrides unless the map screen option of half-map, half-media info is chosen. And the half-screen media info display provides minimal info and facilitates virtually no media options on-screen; all this while allowing only 50% map display.

Would enjoy others' experience in dealing with Enform-bluetooth or Enform-Pandora issues.