Pioneer unveils new range of aftermarket dash units ready for Apple CarPlay

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
Pioneer on Wednesday laid plans for a new series of NEX dash systems, expanding the number of aftermarket upgrade options enabling Apple's CarPlay.

Pioneer's first-gen CarPlay units.
Pioneer's first-gen CarPlay units.


The top-tier model will be the AVIC-8200NEX, equipped with a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen. The AVIC-7200NEX and AVH-4200NEX will retain the same size, but downgrade to resistive touchscreens, while the AVIC-5200NEX and AVIC-6200NEX will use 6.2-inch resistive screens.

The three 7-inch models will additionally support Android Auto, Google's answer to CarPlay.

No other details about the hardware have been released, including prices or release dates.

A growing number of carmakers are supporting CarPlay in their 2016 models, but most people with older vehicles will have no choice but to upgrade using aftermarket parts. Even then, only Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer are currently producing compatible dash units, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars each.

Though officially a CarPlay partner, Toyota this week said it would opt for Ford's SmartDeviceLink platform instead, which supports a broader range of mobile devices. Ford, ironically, announced that it would support CarPlay in 2017 models, as well as some 2016 models through a software update.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Sure would like to know the differences between the AVH-4200NEX and AVH4100NEX. I know they left my AVH-4000NEX in the dust with firmware updates. Hope they don't do the same with the 4100 I just got my wife.
    cornchip
  • Reply 2 of 16
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    7" seems chintzy....
  • Reply 3 of 16
    braderunnerbraderunner Posts: 53member
    anantksundaram said:
    7" seems chintzy....
    Are you saying they are cheaply made?  Or, do you mean 7" seems small. 
  • Reply 4 of 16
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,286member
    anantksundaram said:
    7" seems chintzy....
    Kidding right? It still needs to fit in the dash of the older cars.
    mdriftmeyerpotatoleeksoupbraderunnernolamacguycornchipredgeminipa
  • Reply 5 of 16
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Jeeze... these names! (The all new AVAVIKHFFFIC-7209400000000NNMNS^XXXEBBBBBBX)
    Yeah, these things are pricey. I'd have to really, really love the current car I had, to go for one of these.
    braderunnerurahara
  • Reply 6 of 16
    rob bonnerrob bonner Posts: 237member
    I have been down this road recently, had a unit installed, the Alpine unit. Nothing wrong with the unit, but you could clearly tell that car play was not really ready. Apple maps are good, but not as good as Google Maps with traffic and routing, messages didn't really work well (siri keeps messing up). Music worked well, but was not integrated with the radio very well. Did not find the overall experience anywhere near as good as other Apple products. Took it back a week later. I would love to see Apple partner with a manufacture and make a actual iPodTouch in the dash type of product that uses wifi from your device, would be cool and eliminate the delays associated with current car play transactions. But, also betting there are not a ton of folks who would buy at this point.
    edited January 2016 urahara
  • Reply 7 of 16
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    braderunner said:
    anantksundaram said:
    7" seems chintzy....
    Are you saying they are cheaply made?  Or, do you mean 7" seems small. 
    Yes, I meant 'small'; 'chintzy' as in 'holding back on what they should be offering relative to the likely (based on prior data) price at which this will be offered.'
  • Reply 8 of 16
    egold4egold4 Posts: 1member
    Related only to Pioneer, own A4 AirPlay speaker, need troubleshooting help. Pioneer stopped updating firmware and iOS app couple years back. I have no issues with AirPlay to Apple TV or Airport Express, but Pioneer speaker is spotty, will connect to iOS 9.2 device or OSX 10.10.5 then drops out, then disappears from AirPlay options on mobile but not computer or both. Any AirPlay wizards out there adept at 3rd party issues? 
  • Reply 9 of 16
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    I've had a couple of the pioneer AppRadio head units. 6-7" is the normal size for a double-DIN unit. since these are standard bays I doubt they'll have bigger displays for some time. honestly never felt it was too small. 

    pioneer's implementation was kinda crappy, so my next one will likely be something else. Alpine unit looks good but oddly lacks blue tooth support. 

    also, the low end models go for $4-500 online. I'm fine paying that. I'm sure they'll get cheaper down the road. 
    cornchip
  • Reply 10 of 16
    tommy0gunstommy0guns Posts: 119member
    Here's the problem: Carplay is not really anything. It's a weird attempt to overlay iOS onto a car info-system. This is opposite from what Apple has always done(until Apple TV). Apple has traditionally incorporated the hardware with the software. It should always work as intended. What Carplay attempts is what Windows has done. Take a ton of random peripherals and try to sort them via an OS, while generating the least amount conflicts and errors possible. Where this product needs to be is a whole new segment all together. Apple should be able to create a self-contained unit that takes over all of the functions of the car's radio, communications, nav, climate, etc. It should be plug and go for the automakers. What's the purpose of Carplay, when I can literally glue an iPhone to the dash and get greater functionality. The auto industry has been waiting for some sort of standardization on the dashboard. Build an all in one unit with a bunch of standard ports and jacks in back. When I say "raise the temp", Siri can raise the damp temp. "Turn on wipers", done. "Call mom", you got it. Siri should be the brain and the interface. Every other device gets connected to her.
    mcarling
  • Reply 11 of 16
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    tommy0guns said:
    Here's the problem: Carplay is not really anything. It's a weird attempt to overlay iOS onto a car info-system. This is opposite from what Apple has always done(until Apple TV). Apple has traditionally incorporated the hardware with the software. It should always work as intended. What Carplay attempts is what Windows has done. Take a ton of random peripherals and try to sort them via an OS, while generating the least amount conflicts and errors possible. Where this product needs to be is a whole new segment all together. Apple should be able to create a self-contained unit that takes over all of the functions of the car's radio, communications, nav, climate, etc. It should be plug and go for the automakers. What's the purpose of Carplay, when I can literally glue an iPhone to the dash and get greater functionality. The auto industry has been waiting for some sort of standardization on the dashboard. Build an all in one unit with a bunch of standard ports and jacks in back. When I say "raise the temp", Siri can raise the damp temp. "Turn on wipers", done. "Call mom", you got it. Siri should be the brain and the interface. Every other device gets connected to her.
    no. CarPlay is in fact exactly like what apple has done in the past -- w/ the iPod-out interface, which allows iPod-compatible devices to display and serve a UI for navigating your ipod. old school now, but the idea is the same. CarPlay isnt trying to control your heating. instead it solves a simpler but classic problem -- easily controlling my music, and navigation, in my car. we've all used car stereo systems that try to offer music browser but sucked, and try to offer nav but suck. 

    and no, putting your iphone or ipad on the dash doesnt solve that problem and isnt as good as CarPlay. straight-iOS isnt optimized for dashboard operation. CarPlay is.
    siretmanredgeminipa
  • Reply 12 of 16
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    nolamacguy said:

    and no, putting your iphone or ipad on the dash doesnt solve that problem and isnt as good as CarPlay. straight-iOS isnt optimized for dashboard operation. CarPlay is.
    Since I've been planning to buy a CarPlay device, you've peaked my curiosity.  What can CarPlay do that mounting an iPad mini to my dash wouldn't do?
  • Reply 13 of 16
    tommy0gunstommy0guns Posts: 119member
    nolamacguy said:
    tommy0guns said:
    Here's the problem: Carplay is not really anything. It's a weird attempt to overlay iOS onto a car info-system. This is opposite from what Apple has always done(until Apple TV). Apple has traditionally incorporated the hardware with the software. It should always work as intended. What Carplay attempts is what Windows has done. Take a ton of random peripherals and try to sort them via an OS, while generating the least amount conflicts and errors possible. Where this product needs to be is a whole new segment all together. Apple should be able to create a self-contained unit that takes over all of the functions of the car's radio, communications, nav, climate, etc. It should be plug and go for the automakers. What's the purpose of Carplay, when I can literally glue an iPhone to the dash and get greater functionality. The auto industry has been waiting for some sort of standardization on the dashboard. Build an all in one unit with a bunch of standard ports and jacks in back. When I say "raise the temp", Siri can raise the damp temp. "Turn on wipers", done. "Call mom", you got it. Siri should be the brain and the interface. Every other device gets connected to her.
    no. CarPlay is in fact exactly like what apple has done in the past -- w/ the iPod-out interface, which allows iPod-compatible devices to display and serve a UI for navigating your ipod. old school now, but the idea is the same. CarPlay isnt trying to control your heating. instead it solves a simpler but classic problem -- easily controlling my music, and navigation, in my car. we've all used car stereo systems that try to offer music browser but sucked, and try to offer nav but suck. 

    and no, putting your iphone or ipad on the dash doesnt solve that problem and isnt as good as CarPlay. straight-iOS isnt optimized for dashboard operation. CarPlay is.
    You're right, putting your iPhone on the dash isn't as good as CarPlay...it's way better than CarPlay. In fact, CarPlay requires you to have a phone connected in order to make calls or to play your music. So CarPlay doesn't actually resolve anything. Why isn't CarPlay a whole stand alone device? With built in memory. With built in cellular. Where's iCloud? Is the touch screen up to Apple standard? How do I use Waze? Why can't an Uber driver integrate his driver app? My iPhone and a simple dashboard clip does ALL of this and much more. CarPlay is a slave to my iPhone.

    If you've ever used Tesla's control panel, you would understand what true integration and native functionality is. Guess what? You don't need a phone to use any of it.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    redgeminiparedgeminipa Posts: 555member
    No announcement of Wireless CarPlay... I won't dive in until that happens. 
  • Reply 15 of 16
    redgeminiparedgeminipa Posts: 555member
    tommy0guns said:

    If you've ever used Tesla's control panel, you would understand what true integration and native functionality is. Guess what? You don't need a phone to use any of it.
    Because it's powered by Android... you can have it. 
Sign In or Register to comment.