Alpine launches $800 CarPlay-compatible iLX-007 in-dash receiver
Aftermarket options with support for Apple's CarPlay continue to expand, with Alpine launching a new $800 unit on Monday featuring a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen and support for Siri voice commands.
Shipping starting today to select authorized Alpine retailers in North America, the iLX-007 is dedicated for use with Apple's CarPlay platform, allowing users to place calls, use Maps, listen to music and access messages by either voice or touch. CarPlay uses a Lightning connector and is compatible with the iPhone 5 or later running the latest version of iOS.
The iLX-007 features three preouts, one aux input, and Alpine's MediaXpander technology for improved playback of compressed media. It also has an input for a rear view camera system, sold separately.
With a shallow 3-inch chassis, Alpine also says the iLX-007 offers greater installation flexibility with vehicles. The company also offers its Alpine TunIt application for providing customized sound tuning.
"Apple CarPlay is an incredible experience for drivers. We are pleased to offer Alpine users a product dedicated to Apple CarPlay, which provides access to the iPhone features they want to use most while driving, such as Maps, Messages, making calls, listening to music and more," said Hirofumi Morioka, Alpine's senior director and CTO.
Hardware options for CarPlay continue to hit the market, as do CarPlay-compatible applications. This month, both iHeartRadio and Rdio were both updated to add CarPlay support.
Some existing Pioneer aftermarket car stereos are also compatible with CarPlay via a software update that launched this month. And the company also offers the $600 AppRadio 4 with a 6.2-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and CarPlay support.
Shipping starting today to select authorized Alpine retailers in North America, the iLX-007 is dedicated for use with Apple's CarPlay platform, allowing users to place calls, use Maps, listen to music and access messages by either voice or touch. CarPlay uses a Lightning connector and is compatible with the iPhone 5 or later running the latest version of iOS.
The iLX-007 features three preouts, one aux input, and Alpine's MediaXpander technology for improved playback of compressed media. It also has an input for a rear view camera system, sold separately.
With a shallow 3-inch chassis, Alpine also says the iLX-007 offers greater installation flexibility with vehicles. The company also offers its Alpine TunIt application for providing customized sound tuning.
"Apple CarPlay is an incredible experience for drivers. We are pleased to offer Alpine users a product dedicated to Apple CarPlay, which provides access to the iPhone features they want to use most while driving, such as Maps, Messages, making calls, listening to music and more," said Hirofumi Morioka, Alpine's senior director and CTO.
Hardware options for CarPlay continue to hit the market, as do CarPlay-compatible applications. This month, both iHeartRadio and Rdio were both updated to add CarPlay support.
Some existing Pioneer aftermarket car stereos are also compatible with CarPlay via a software update that launched this month. And the company also offers the $600 AppRadio 4 with a 6.2-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and CarPlay support.
Comments
It costs a bundle to get adapter kits. Try visiting www.crutchfield.com to see if a kit even exists for your car.
I'm pretty sure these are the head units he used.
For that price, a 7-inch screen is chintzy.
Usually, removing the stock unit means giving up some features, but for many of the cars that have integrated HVAC functions, there's a wiring adapter and a dashboard kit for aftermarket units that has the heating and cooling controls moved to the kit.
Not necessarily.
If you have no internet access you're not going to have Internet access, but remember that once you set a destination the maps for that route will be cached and the GPS will track without an Internet connection.
Also, CarPlay is an oveay so if that is an issue you can get a head unit that also comes with navigation. If you don't currently have a head unit that offers navigation the concern is immaterial.
Finally, there are plenty of App Store apps that offer local maps. I'm a big fan of Tom Tom's app which will has features and an "intelligence" that neither Apple Maps nor Google Maps have, although I'm not sure if Tom Tom has updated their apps to work with CarPlay
"Apple CarPlay is an incredible experience for drivers."
No, no it isn't. I bought the Pioneer AVH-NEX4000 about 6 months ago in anticipation of Apple CarPlay. CarPlay is... meh, at best.
I'm not sure why it needs to be wired either. That aspect is unfortunate.
The whole thing is laggy to navigate and some screens (I'm looking at you Now Playing) are just dumb looking.
There are almost no compatible apps outside of the super buggy and unusable Spotify app. The other apps that Apple claims to have available...aren’t. Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and a few others are all supposed to be supported and available but aren't.
I know Apple loves to show real "GQ" type guys using their beautiful CarPlay features in the cockpits of their amazing Ferrari/Mercedes cars, but CarPlay just isn't a good experience at all yet.
My 2008 has a screen that also controls the heat, radio, and such. Do these aftermarket systems allow the car's native functions as well as CarPlay?
It depends on what screen you're talking about. If you have a navigation system that includes lots of controlling features for your vehicle, then waiting for that manufacturer to patch their system with the CarPlay application would be the best way to go. If your screen is part of your vehicle stereo system, you would end up taking that out and replacing it with the Alpine or Pioneer head units. These typically don't have input ports for non-stereo types of things. I just took apart my 2011 Subaru Legacy with the standard HK stereo. Subaru added a Bluetooth system that's separate from the stereo. The steering wheel has controls for the stereo but not Bluetooth. I still need to check with Alpine to see if the iLX-007 has ports for external controllers before even thinking about using it with CarPlay. I did find out they have a USB connection kit that extends the AUX input to a USB plug in the center console.
Trying to get heater controls, mileage, temperature and anything else available through the OBD port all depends on how far Alpine wants to take their head units. They can't configure a specific unit for every model of car ever built to handle everything so you have to be willing to lose some things.
Just in from Crutchfield: Since the Alpine iLX-007 is so new, I don’t currently show it as a fit for your vehicle although I do have a double DIN dash kit to fit the Subaru so there’s a good chance it would work.
Keep in mind that the receiver does not have Bluetooth. You can make and receive phone calls with a connected iPhone but not wirelessly.
I hope this helps. Feel free to call me at the number below and we can discuss this further.
Hunter
Crutchfield Advisor
Still need to figure out I assume his statement means the hands-free calling would plug into whatever microphone you might already have in your vehicle, playing through your speakers.
What head units offer WiFi? Are you thinking Bluetooth has enough bandwidth for a secondary iPhone display?
"Apple CarPlay is an incredible experience for drivers."
No, no it isn't. I bought the Pioneer AVH-NEX4000 about 6 months ago in anticipation of Apple CarPlay. CarPlay is... meh, at best.
I'm not sure why it needs to be wired either. That aspect is unfortunate.
The whole thing is laggy to navigate and some screens (I'm looking at you Now Playing) are just dumb looking.
There are almost no compatible apps outside of the super buggy and unusable Spotify app. The other apps that Apple claims to have available...aren’t. Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and a few others are all supposed to be supported and available but aren't.
I know Apple loves to show real "GQ" type guys using their beautiful CarPlay features in the cockpits of their amazing Ferrari/Mercedes cars, but CarPlay just isn't a good experience at all yet.
The NEX4000 unit existed before CarPlay came out. Is it possible that the experience could be better on hardware that was intended for CarPlay originally, and not an update?
Thanks. I did not know about the overlay. I was aware of the caching, however, depending on the length of trip and network connection I guess it would not always be optimal. Example: Starting from within an underground garage with no network whatsoever, and by the time you have maps properly loaded you always had to make three turns :-) sure you ouwld have the GPS signal, but it would be "blind" as you might not have the maps data loaded.
I myself prefer Navigon as offline solution.
The NEX4000 unit existed before CarPlay came out. Is it possible that the experience could be better on hardware that was intended for CarPlay originally, and not an update?
I don't think so.
It's a new unit, and one of the units that Apple themselves touted as being CarPlay ready as soon as the software was to be available in the Fall. The day that the CarPlay firmware came out, I updated and started using it. I don't see how it could be any better on a different unit. The available software just feels very rudimentary and the app selection is almost nonexistent. Those aspects are with Apple, not my Pioneer unit.
What head units offer WiFi? Are you thinking Bluetooth has enough bandwidth for a secondary iPhone display?
The firmware update can easily hold the simple interface. What does the phone need to do other than send the audio and data info? (album art, song name, etc). This is already done via BT on some portable speakers, and BT is currently able to send audio, voice, data, photos, and video. Why not in the car?
I'm not sure what part of my comment or CarPlay isn't registering, but CarPlay is a UI built atop iOS. It runs on the iPhone which is why BT isn't feasible for running an external display. You seriously think Apple is going to not only license iOS to every car company and head unit maker in the world and then support and update their "firmware" for the CarPlay OS and UI?
not really. standard fare for double DIN head unit.
Still need to figure out I assume his statement means the hands-free calling would plug into whatever microphone you might already have in your vehicle, playing through your speakers.
I would think it comes with its own microphone in the box. Plug the provided mic into the input on the back, snake wire under dash, use VHB tape and mount mic at eye level on A pillar, or on top of steering column.