Apple's CarPlay reportedly coming to aftermarket Alpine stereo systems

Posted:
in iPhone edited April 2014
Consumers looking for a way to take advantage of Apple's new CarPlay infotainment offering without buying a new vehicle may soon be able to do so, as aftermarket manufacturer Alpine is said to preparing a CarPlay-compatible receiver for release later this year.

CarPlay


Alpine will reportedly begin shipping the units in the U.S. and Europe for $500 to $700 this fall. Word of the product was first reported by Japanese financial news service Nikkei Asian Review.

The new stereo is thought to sport a seven inch diagonal touchscreen and support for CarPlay's Siri-powered voice commands. Alpine is making the move quickly, Nikkei believes, to secure first-mover advantage and the financial boost that goes with it.

After Apple introduced CarPlay earlier this year, it appeared that chances for its appearances in the aftermarket were slim. A Kenwood representative told AppleInsider that the system would not appear in any 2014 products from the company, while a Pioneer spokesperson denied earlier rumors pointing to an offering of its own.

If true, an aftermarket option would likely come as a relief to consumers and significantly boost CarPlay adoption. The system is currently only available in upcoming vehicles from luxury brands Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari, though compatible models from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citro?n, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota are also expected.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    If around the £300 mark put me down for one in my 5 year old Ford!
  • Reply 2 of 15
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    saarek wrote: »
    If around the £300 mark put me down for one in my 5 year old Ford!

    5 year old Ford? Your vehicle might be old enough to use NokiaPlay.

    1000
    (Calm down! It's the first image I could find that fit the joke).
  • Reply 3 of 15
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    I hope Mini is included under the BMW umbrella?
  • Reply 4 of 15
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post



    I hope Mini is included under the BMW umbrella?

    I wonder if mini has that much dashboard space! Sorry!

  • Reply 5 of 15
    Given my Volvo's head unit is dying, this could be great timing. I'd love to replace the stock unit with one more integrated with my iP5s.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jmgregory1 View Post



    Given my Volvo's head unit is dying, this could be great timing. I'd love to replace the stock unit with one more integrated with my iP5s.

    You better hope it dies very slowly. Fall release could mean as late as Christmas

  • Reply 7 of 15
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    I encourage all car stereo system makers to stop making uglyass stereos that look out of place when fitted into any ANY car.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    Are they talking about replacing the head unit or some more add-on unit? I think I'd prefer something that I can add to my car stereo rather than have to pull apart my car to get CarPlay. Is it just me who'd rather not have to pull apart my dash?
  • Reply 9 of 15
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member

    Price is a little insane, and Alpine isn't my favorite in terms of aesthetics- but if they're the only ones that have it- deal.  Although I'd likely wait 6 months.  Because the crazy thing about this is- its just a huge ass screen that essentially mirrors your iPhone.  So prices are going to drop rapidly because they cant offer anything more than "Big screen".

  • Reply 10 of 15
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cwoloszynski View Post



    Are they talking about replacing the head unit or some more add-on unit? I think I'd prefer something that I can add to my car stereo rather than have to pull apart my car to get CarPlay. Is it just me who'd rather not have to pull apart my dash?

    It'd look a million times better.  And if it simply uses Bluetooth to connect- then you just hook up 5-10 wires and you're done.  Not that tough.  Just pay a best buy clown a hundred bucks to put it in if you feel like its too much.

  • Reply 11 of 15

    With a little imagination anything is possible. 

  • Reply 12 of 15

    Or bypass carplay and just use your iPad? 

  • Reply 13 of 15
    ipilyaipilya Posts: 195member

    I am rather excited by this news. I will replace the RCD-810 in my 2013 Golf TDI. I have already been thinking about dumping my desire for an Audi A3 partially do to their lack of adoption of CarPlay (also because the lack of sportback). 

  • Reply 14 of 15
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    andysol wrote: »
    And if it simply uses Bluetooth to connect

    This won't work because we're talking about the entire UI needing to be pushed from the iPhone to the dash. The only way wireless will happen will be if in-dash systems start including WiFi designed to handle this sort of traffic. I think that will happen but we're still a long ways off. And how long for WiFi to initialize after you turn on your car? Even 60 seconds is a long time to wait.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    This won't work because we're talking about the entire UI needing to be pushed from the iPhone to the dash. The only way wireless will happen will be if in-dash systems start including WiFi designed to handle this sort of traffic. I think that will happen but we're still a long ways off. And how long for WiFi to initialize after you turn on your car? Even 60 seconds is a long time to wait.

    Oh ya- duh.  Forgot they plug into Lightning- brain fart

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