Typically, UI and graphic design from Asian CE companies is mediocre at best (Japanese) and often bloody awful (Chinese). They have no eye or patience to look at the whole design. There are different engineering teams working on different features (audio, video, nav, BT etc.) often each with their own UI and graphics design. Then they have to make those functions work together. This is compounded by the use of 3rd-party software for Bluetooth and navigation, for example, introducing yet another graphic design. That's it. Nobody goes back to try and unify the design and smooth out the rough edges. That's just the way it is.
the Apple CarPlay interface is sensible and useful. the Pioneer AppRadio interfsce is a janky mess.
just like every other version of AppRadio (I had 1 and 3). I'm so perplexed at how awful pioneer is at software, after all these years. clearly they're aware of what Apple does well...why can't they emulate it? 4 actually looks jankier and busier and less user friendly than 3.
that being said, I'll probably still get 4 and use it solely for CarPlay, FM radio, and Bluetooth calling when not plugged in.
The audio from those non-CarPlay sources continues to play when you switch back to CarPlay mode. It's not perfect, but it's very, very good - depending on what you want out of such things. As I mentioned, when Pioneer does create iOS style interfaces in the AppRadio Maps application, they're iOS6 interfaces. Asking them to design their radio interface to match means they'll have to keep up, which could be a whole other set of problems.
using iOS 6 alerts is poor. designing for ios 7+ and having to keep up is better, because that's what commercial work is - keeping up. that's part of their job and part of what the $500 retail price pays for. if they had switched to iOS 7 style last year they wouldn't have had to change this year for iOS 8.
I drive a Prius, which has a touch screen that provides both feedback on engine systems and interaction, via touch, for the audio system. Replacing that with a CarPlay unit means I give up a lot of the functions Toyota built in, and requires me to have my iPhone with me for audio functionality. ALso a few of the units out there, from Alpine for example, remove the CD player which is built into the current touch screen, and all the button functionality is dropped. I think I'd have to wait for Toyota to add CarPlay to their Prius line, and to possibly offer a unit to upgrade previous models so that one can have both options%u2014CarPlay interface and standard Prius interface, with all button controls functional.
Been looking to do this exact install for awhile now...just waiting for Pioneer to release a firmware update due to most apps (for me I only care about WAZE) having problems with in-app keyboard use with iOS8 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio
I drive a Prius, which has a touch screen that provides both feedback on engine systems and interaction, via touch, for the audio system. Replacing that with a CarPlay unit means I give up a lot of the functions Toyota built in, and requires me to have my iPhone with me for audio functionality. ALso a few of the units out there, from Alpine for example, remove the CD player which is built into the current touch screen, and all the button functionality is dropped. I think I'd have to wait for Toyota to add CarPlay to their Prius line, and to possibly offer a unit to upgrade previous models so that one can have both options%u2014CarPlay interface and standard Prius interface, with all button controls functional.
Your Prius has handsfree, if it's a third generation Prius. It sounds from the way you describe it as if it's a second generation Prius. In the third generation Prius, the headunit is a headunit separate from the hybrid status. JBL makes it in a CD/AM/FM only and a touchscreen NAV version.
Instead of losing features, you should probably plug in your phone to charge and use 'Hey Siri' to prompt it to do things similar to what CarPlay offers, but without the screen, obviously. Also an option for you is a product like Beancotech's Mobile Home, which is essentially a bluetooth keyboard with a single key, the home button.
Or, you could use a lockpick type device and feed video from an AV adapter to the Prius display. I have no experience doing so, and cannot say how well it might work - I expect it would display the video fine, but not be as good as a touchscreen replacement.
Been looking to do this exact install for awhile now...just waiting for Pioneer to release a firmware update due to most apps (for me I only care about WAZE) having problems with in-app keyboard use with iOS8 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio
I've read that warning, but I have to say that I was able to navigate with waze using the saved destination history just fine. I had already entered the destinations on the phone while not connected to the Pioneer unit, and on connecting was able to tap to select, select route, and start navigation. I didn't try and enter a destination only because the destinations I needed were already in Waze's history, and it worked.
Typically, UI and graphic design from Asian CE companies is mediocre at best (Japanese) and often bloody awful (Chinese). They have no eye or patience to look at the whole design. There are different engineering teams working on different features (audio, video, nav, BT etc.) often each with their own UI and graphics design. Then they have to make those functions work together. This is compounded by the use of 3rd-party software for Bluetooth and navigation, for example, introducing yet another graphic design. That's it. Nobody goes back to try and unify the design and smooth out the rough edges. That's just the way it is.
I have to say, the worst of this was the AppRadio LIVE app. The rest of the AppRadio bits were mostly internally consistent in terms of widgets / window decoration / behavior. AppRadio LIVE violated every expectation. Maps with it's iOS6 behaviors and non-working GPS were pretty terrible. NavFree and Waze get excused, they're from third parties and Pioneer lacks the power to force them to make interfaces that conform to a Pioneer interface guide.
But in CarPlay, Rdio, Spotify, Overcast all basically look and feel like they fit right in. Pandora is the weird one - Pioneer had enough juice to get Pandora to not require AppRadio mode, and the on dash interface conforms to the AppRadio Pioneer interface.
Apple's unlikely to take over making headunits any time soon.
I agree that the mishmash of UI is awkward.
Using CarPlay and escaping only to the AppRadio interface for AM/FM and Pandora works for keeping you primarily within the CarPlay interface (volume controls excepted.)
The audio from those non-CarPlay sources continues to play when you switch back to CarPlay mode. It's not perfect, but it's very, very good - depending on what you want out of such things. As I mentioned, when Pioneer does create iOS style interfaces in the AppRadio Maps application, they're iOS6 interfaces. Asking them to design their radio interface to match means they'll have to keep up, which could be a whole other set of problems.
Thanks for the review. I have some idea of what to look forward to from a factory CarPlay system.
I realize Apple may someday refresh their UIs again in the future, but iOS 7 was the last major change (iOS 8 looks more or less the same), and 7 been around long enough (going all the way back to WWDC 13 when it was unveiled that I'm surprised Pioneer skinned it in iOS 6. I mean, those Goophone i6's running Android this year were skinned to look like iOS 7, so I don't know what Pioneer's excuse is.
At least they might be able to update it later, one hopes. Easy enough to fix.
Thanks for the review. I have some idea of what to look forward to from a factory CarPlay system.
I realize Apple may someday refresh their UIs again in the future, but iOS 7 was the last major change (iOS 8 looks more or less the same), and 7 been around long enough (going all the way back to WWDC 13 when it was unveiled that I'm surprised Pioneer skinned it in iOS 6. I mean, those Goophone i6's running Android this year were skinned to look like iOS 7, so I don't know what Pioneer's excuse is.
At least they might be able to update it later, one hopes. Easy enough to fix.
The truth is, I wish they'd skin the Pioneer side of things when CarPlay is connected - make the volume controls fit, make the AV source selection fit, maybe make the Bluetooth call interface similar.
Do you have more images or text on how it looks installed? That's actually a very important factor to me.
I notice from one image above it looks pretty flush. Is it because the car, stock, has that housing? Or does the kit come with different frames? My car is a 2014 mustang. I just don't want it to look aftermarket if I install this.
Do you have more images or text on how it looks installed? That's actually a very important factor to me.
I notice from one image above it looks pretty flush. Is it because the car, stock, has that housing? Or does the kit come with different frames? My car is a 2014 mustang. I just don't want it to look aftermarket if I install this.
The plastic dash kit is a metra accessories product. I've also used Scosche dash kits in the past. This metra has the pioneer recessed a little but it has the same surface finish and color as the rest of my dash.
The radio does not come with the dash kit from pioneer, that's something you or your installer will get separately. I can take more pictures of the install if you like but in this car there's not much to it.
1. Pop and lift up center air vents
2. Pop and remove HVAC controls
3. Remove four screws that hold radio in
4. Remove antenna wire and three connectors from back of factory radio
5. Install pioneer into dash kit
6. Install wiring harness (the pac audio units appropriate for your car)
7. Install dash kit in dash, reinstall HVAC and vents.
Does the Pioneer unit support AAC over Bluetooth? Maybe it goes without saying due to all the attention paid to audio configuration, but I'd sure want to know before forking over $500 (plus installation).
Ultimately, no matter how easy to use, I wouldn't replace my head unit for this one without an app like Tune-In Radio being available. One of my favorite things while driving--especially while driving long distances--is listening to radio stations from distant parts of the country.
Pioneer tells me that they do both AAC and Apt-X over Bluetooth.
Do you have more images or text on how it looks installed? That's actually a very important factor to me.
I notice from one image above it looks pretty flush. Is it because the car, stock, has that housing? Or does the kit come with different frames? My car is a 2014 mustang. I just don't want it to look aftermarket if I install this.
Comments
Typically, UI and graphic design from Asian CE companies is mediocre at best (Japanese) and often bloody awful (Chinese). They have no eye or patience to look at the whole design. There are different engineering teams working on different features (audio, video, nav, BT etc.) often each with their own UI and graphics design. Then they have to make those functions work together. This is compounded by the use of 3rd-party software for Bluetooth and navigation, for example, introducing yet another graphic design. That's it. Nobody goes back to try and unify the design and smooth out the rough edges. That's just the way it is.
just like every other version of AppRadio (I had 1 and 3). I'm so perplexed at how awful pioneer is at software, after all these years. clearly they're aware of what Apple does well...why can't they emulate it? 4 actually looks jankier and busier and less user friendly than 3.
that being said, I'll probably still get 4 and use it solely for CarPlay, FM radio, and Bluetooth calling when not plugged in.
using iOS 6 alerts is poor. designing for ios 7+ and having to keep up is better, because that's what commercial work is - keeping up. that's part of their job and part of what the $500 retail price pays for. if they had switched to iOS 7 style last year they wouldn't have had to change this year for iOS 8.
agreed. CarPlay works, but the rest of AppRadio is clearly piss poor at best, and broken at worst. that cannot reconcile with a 4.5 rating.
I drive a Prius, which has a touch screen that provides both feedback on engine systems and interaction, via touch, for the audio system. Replacing that with a CarPlay unit means I give up a lot of the functions Toyota built in, and requires me to have my iPhone with me for audio functionality. ALso a few of the units out there, from Alpine for example, remove the CD player which is built into the current touch screen, and all the button functionality is dropped. I think I'd have to wait for Toyota to add CarPlay to their Prius line, and to possibly offer a unit to upgrade previous models so that one can have both options%u2014CarPlay interface and standard Prius interface, with all button controls functional.
Your Prius has handsfree, if it's a third generation Prius. It sounds from the way you describe it as if it's a second generation Prius. In the third generation Prius, the headunit is a headunit separate from the hybrid status. JBL makes it in a CD/AM/FM only and a touchscreen NAV version.
Instead of losing features, you should probably plug in your phone to charge and use 'Hey Siri' to prompt it to do things similar to what CarPlay offers, but without the screen, obviously. Also an option for you is a product like Beancotech's Mobile Home, which is essentially a bluetooth keyboard with a single key, the home button.
Or, you could use a lockpick type device and feed video from an AV adapter to the Prius display. I have no experience doing so, and cannot say how well it might work - I expect it would display the video fine, but not be as good as a touchscreen replacement.
Thank you for this wonderful subject
We hope more of these topics
Been looking to do this exact install for awhile now...just waiting for Pioneer to release a firmware update due to most apps (for me I only care about WAZE) having problems with in-app keyboard use with iOS8 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio
I've read that warning, but I have to say that I was able to navigate with waze using the saved destination history just fine. I had already entered the destinations on the phone while not connected to the Pioneer unit, and on connecting was able to tap to select, select route, and start navigation. I didn't try and enter a destination only because the destinations I needed were already in Waze's history, and it worked.
Typically, UI and graphic design from Asian CE companies is mediocre at best (Japanese) and often bloody awful (Chinese). They have no eye or patience to look at the whole design. There are different engineering teams working on different features (audio, video, nav, BT etc.) often each with their own UI and graphics design. Then they have to make those functions work together. This is compounded by the use of 3rd-party software for Bluetooth and navigation, for example, introducing yet another graphic design. That's it. Nobody goes back to try and unify the design and smooth out the rough edges. That's just the way it is.
I have to say, the worst of this was the AppRadio LIVE app. The rest of the AppRadio bits were mostly internally consistent in terms of widgets / window decoration / behavior. AppRadio LIVE violated every expectation. Maps with it's iOS6 behaviors and non-working GPS were pretty terrible. NavFree and Waze get excused, they're from third parties and Pioneer lacks the power to force them to make interfaces that conform to a Pioneer interface guide.
But in CarPlay, Rdio, Spotify, Overcast all basically look and feel like they fit right in. Pandora is the weird one - Pioneer had enough juice to get Pandora to not require AppRadio mode, and the on dash interface conforms to the AppRadio Pioneer interface.
Apple's unlikely to take over making headunits any time soon.
I agree that the mishmash of UI is awkward.
Using CarPlay and escaping only to the AppRadio interface for AM/FM and Pandora works for keeping you primarily within the CarPlay interface (volume controls excepted.)
The audio from those non-CarPlay sources continues to play when you switch back to CarPlay mode. It's not perfect, but it's very, very good - depending on what you want out of such things. As I mentioned, when Pioneer does create iOS style interfaces in the AppRadio Maps application, they're iOS6 interfaces. Asking them to design their radio interface to match means they'll have to keep up, which could be a whole other set of problems.
Thanks for the review. I have some idea of what to look forward to from a factory CarPlay system.
I realize Apple may someday refresh their UIs again in the future, but iOS 7 was the last major change (iOS 8 looks more or less the same), and 7 been around long enough (going all the way back to WWDC 13 when it was unveiled that I'm surprised Pioneer skinned it in iOS 6. I mean, those Goophone i6's running Android this year were skinned to look like iOS 7, so I don't know what Pioneer's excuse is.
At least they might be able to update it later, one hopes. Easy enough to fix.
Thanks for the review. I have some idea of what to look forward to from a factory CarPlay system.
I realize Apple may someday refresh their UIs again in the future, but iOS 7 was the last major change (iOS 8 looks more or less the same), and 7 been around long enough (going all the way back to WWDC 13 when it was unveiled that I'm surprised Pioneer skinned it in iOS 6. I mean, those Goophone i6's running Android this year were skinned to look like iOS 7, so I don't know what Pioneer's excuse is.
At least they might be able to update it later, one hopes. Easy enough to fix.
The truth is, I wish they'd skin the Pioneer side of things when CarPlay is connected - make the volume controls fit, make the AV source selection fit, maybe make the Bluetooth call interface similar.
I notice from one image above it looks pretty flush. Is it because the car, stock, has that housing? Or does the kit come with different frames? My car is a 2014 mustang. I just don't want it to look aftermarket if I install this.
The plastic dash kit is a metra accessories product. I've also used Scosche dash kits in the past. This metra has the pioneer recessed a little but it has the same surface finish and color as the rest of my dash.
The radio does not come with the dash kit from pioneer, that's something you or your installer will get separately. I can take more pictures of the install if you like but in this car there's not much to it.
1. Pop and lift up center air vents
2. Pop and remove HVAC controls
3. Remove four screws that hold radio in
4. Remove antenna wire and three connectors from back of factory radio
5. Install pioneer into dash kit
6. Install wiring harness (the pac audio units appropriate for your car)
7. Install dash kit in dash, reinstall HVAC and vents.
Does the Pioneer unit support AAC over Bluetooth? Maybe it goes without saying due to all the attention paid to audio configuration, but I'd sure want to know before forking over $500 (plus installation).
Ultimately, no matter how easy to use, I wouldn't replace my head unit for this one without an app like Tune-In Radio being available. One of my favorite things while driving--especially while driving long distances--is listening to radio stations from distant parts of the country.
Pioneer tells me that they do both AAC and Apt-X over Bluetooth.
Do you have more images or text on how it looks installed? That's actually a very important factor to me.
I notice from one image above it looks pretty flush. Is it because the car, stock, has that housing? Or does the kit come with different frames? My car is a 2014 mustang. I just don't want it to look aftermarket if I install this.
http://metraonline.com/part/99-5823CH
or
http://metraonline.com/part/99-5826CH++++++ ;
are the dash kits - it appears that they have the HVAC controls integrated, so it will looks somewhat aftermarket.
Downside- it requires the Lightning connection. If you want a Bluetooth CarPlay solution you need to wait a little longer.