Call what you want, believe what you want, that is freedom, I am not trying to stir the pot, just relaying information.
I can be listening to radio/usb/audio off, etc. and a text comes in when the PHONE, not the Mazda center unit, sends a bluetooth prompt that opens up my phone THROUGH the Mazda system (the Mazda system is NOT controling this, just acting as a conduit). As I said, it essentially allows the bluetooth version of what would be just speaker phone use of the voice commands on MY PHONE (more accurately, like a headset). I can tell the difference because I twist the knob on the center unit if I want to make it louder or more quiet (Bose trumps puny speaker on back of phone...). I was happy to find this out about my phone having this ability. I do not have, and have never used an android or iphone, so was just relaying what results I had on a smaller useage OS. I think that the system is not as good as it SHOULD be in the Mazda center unit. However, the phones that most people are listing here are more than likely better systems than the Mazda center unit, so I looked to my phone to see what alternatives I had. I am not someone that would ROM a phone or get into it at that technical level, just a user. The voice prompts on the Mazda center unit are still horrendous for making a call, but if I want to send a text via voice, call a contact, make a voice note, etc. , I pick up my PHONE and hit the voice command on my PHONE (one button), the phone does the bluetooth link and the center unit acts the same as a bluetooth headset, with much better voice quality than the speakerphone function on my phone.
On my Nokia 710 I went to: Settings>Speech>Checked Enable Speech Recognition>Checked Use Speech When Phone is Locked>Play audio confirmations ON-Bluetooth Only
Surely there are similar settings on iPhones, Samsung's and other phones. It may be the low tech way of doing this, but I am not going to get into bluetooth versions/protocols/connectivity versions, etc myself, so I found a KISS way to get it done. On my phone, there is a dedicated hardware button that you hold to get voice commands started, so I do not even have to take my eyes off the road......even easier than the phone function button on the center unit as the voice commands actually work on my phone (and probably every other phone since last century compared to the Mazda center unit). There is no need to download your phone book to call someone doing it this way.
i'm guessing that most likely i think your phone is hearing the commands you're speaking directly 'in air' rather than going thru the cars headunit/bluetooth module
Since the phone is linked with bluetooth in a similar way as it would with a headset, the microphone and speaker on the phone are disconnected. So I doubt it was the phone picking it up, as it worked with the phone buried in the back in my luggage during a road trip after a zealous packing session.
The only issue is that some of the time when I am done with the call/text/voice function, the Mazda unit does not disconnect the Bluetooth, easily done from the steering controls via the
"hangup" key.
Due regards, and let us know if the other OS's have similar functions (not a stab at them, just my lack of familiarity with them)
I do think that everyone here should contact Mazda about our disappointment with the hands free system issues.....JMHO though