I too would like to know if there are any "easter eggs" (never heard that before but i like it!

 

So that's what I've been hearing when using Bluetooth on our '12 Altima SL with the standard radio. I'd also be interested if there's a free way to increase the radio's capabilities.

I like using a USB stick on my other car to play MP3s but wasn't going to spend $1K for the bose upgrade.

 

I've got the non-navigation Bose in a 2012 Altima and I think I have gotten my computer and maybe my phone to send music to the headunit via bluetooth. It wasn't using bluetooth streaming audio though - the quality was the same as if you were hearing hold music on a phone call. It would be good enough for navigation and voice control type of apps.

There is a diagnostics mode for the headunits but there aren't any hidden settings in there - nothing but diagnostic tests.

 

I checked today and my phone wouldn't stream audio to it in phone quality - must have been my computer then. I'll have to give that a try sometime.

I looked through the service manual to see if that might have any hints in it or if it might help clear things up. It turns out that the bluetooth systems are very different between the Bose without navigation and Bose with navigation.

The cars that have navigation have the bluetooth integrated right into the main headunit. The cars without navigation have a separate unit in the trunk that handles the bluetooth (it's to the left and behind the trunk light - it's attached to the bottom of the rear deck). The hardware is completely different between the two so I really doubt there is a way to get BT streaming audio working if you don't have the nav system.

The easiest thing to do is to plug into the aux port or go with an aftermarket headunit. If you don't have the Bose just get an aftermarket unit, it will be much better than what you've got installed from the factory. It's an easy swap to do on your own or for an audio shop to do for you. If you've got the Bose without navigation in a newer Altima, the USB port works great with newer Apple i-Devices and with flash drives too (it does not play MP4/AAC though).

 

I just went out to the car with my laptop and found that the laptop could use the car as a microphone and for audio out. The audio out was not bluetooth streaming audio, it was about the quality of hold music you get when you call up a company. When I had the car selected as the audio out source or as a microphone, the headunit thought it was in a phone call.

So my conclusion is it may be able to work with some phones as an audio out source, but it's not good quality.

 

I have found that if you use the Apple Cable with USB on the end and plug it into the center console plug that you can listen to pandora and other radio apps through the stereo. It's not BT, but it works and the sound quality is the same as the ipod playing the same way.

I have the Bose Non Nav System with BT.