AppleInsider Staff
Japanese aftermarket manufacturer Alpine confirmed on Tuesday that it will be the second car audio maker to bring Apple's CarPlay to aftermarket receivers with products set to launch in the U.S. and Europe later this year.
"For more than a decade, we have worked with Apple to produce products that integrate their technology into our car entertainment and information products," said Alpine Senior Director and CTO Hirofumi Morioka. "Our new CarPlay-enabled products represent the next step in providing users a seamless iPhone experience in the vehicle."
According to Alpine, units featuring CarPlay integration will bow at the end of 2014, though there was no word on pricing. The company was also mum on whether existing Alpine models would gain the functionality via a firmware update or if new hardware would be required.
Word of Alpine's move first appeared on Monday with a report in Japanese media that placed their cost at $500 to $700.
Alpine is the second aftermarket company to officially announce CarPlay products after competitor Pioneer unveiled CarPlay-enabled head units of its own earlier Tuesday. Pioneer's offerings will start at $700 when they go on sale this summer.
Malcolm Owen
Charles Martin
Andrew O'Hara
Amber Neely
Oliver Haslam
Christine McKee
12 Comments
"More than a decade..." Really? iPod over their stereo then, I take it? Anyhow, I think this road to integrated tech in the car is a great evolution, and I for one am happy Apple is on board!
$700?!? Seriously. Methinks it's "gouge the Apple customers time". This functionality should add $100 to a standard touch screen car stereo, tops.
[quote name="Gustav" url="/t/178513/alpine-confirms-apple-carplay-head-units-coming-in-2014#post_2517232"]$700?!? Seriously. Methinks it's "gouge the Apple customers time". This functionality should add $100 to a standard touch screen car stereo, tops.[/quote] Unless I'm mistaken it's not adding anything to the current prices. That's how much those after-market units cost before CarPlay was ever announced. edit: Three of the 5 listed on Pioneer's compatibility page were for sale before CarPlay was even announced and none of them on Amazon even mention any CarPlay support at this time. [LIST] [*] http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/CarPlay/ [/LIST]
Sweet! Love it.
I hope this is true. iPhone integration with aftermarket car stereo's is abysmal, and iOS 7 took my Kenwood's that had decent integration and screwed it up so that now I have to plug the 3.5" aux audio jack in to get audio. The USB still charges and controls my iPhone, but audio no longer plays over USB and I can't get any response from Kenwood if they will ever release a firmware update. Why bother putting a USB support and the ability to update firmware if you never are going to offer new firmware?!? In reading through various forums and online reviews, Alpine, Panasonic and Sony have all been equally inconsistent on iPhone integration as well. I would love to find a site that reviews car stereos for their iPhone integration in detail, not as some @^%#&* afterthought :(