JVC ships promised KW-V820BT receiver with support for Apple's CarPlay

JVC on Thursday launched the KW-V820BT, its first aftermarket receiver with support for Apple's CarPlay.

Originally announced at CES in January, the V820BT uses a 6.8-inch resistive touchscreen, with connection options including Bluetooth, twin 1.5-amp USB ports, three sets of RCA outputs, and hookups for rear-seat systems.

Listening to SiriusXM radio requires a separate tuner, unless those functions are already built into a vehicle. In fact a feature called "iDataLink Maestro" lets the receiver interact with many of a car's built-in tech options, such as existing media inputs.

Without CarPlay, the receiver still has integrated Spotify and Pandora apps. Audio is pumped through a 4x50-watt MOSFET amplifier, and enhanced through technologies such as a 13-band equalizer and "bass restoration" for compressed audio files.

The V820BT should now be on sale through JVC's partners for $599.95.

For many drivers, aftermarket receivers may be the only way to get access to CarPlay. The platform only started gaining wide support in late 2015, and many older vehicles can't be upgraded via a software update, even if they have a touchscreen dash interface.