The CarPlay situation has been murky. Since being announced in the spring, most manufacturers have been quiet on when CarPlay equipment will actually be available to purchase. Pioneer is the first company to deliver on its promise, adding CarPlay as an update to its aftermarket dashboard panels (unless you count Ferrari’s integration into its high-end Ferrari California T).
Existing Pioneer device owners may not need to purchase any extras, as the CarPlay update is free for supported devices. Aforementioned units include the AVIC-8000NEX, AVIC-7000NEX, AVIC-6000NEX, AVIC-5000NEX and the AVH-4000NEX with prices ranging from $700 to $1400.
Like all CarPlay support, users simply plug in their iPhone (it requires Lightning port) and an iOS-esque user interface appears on the car’s screen, which is actually sent from the phone. Theoretically, this means that future updates to iOS will enhance the CarPlay features of your car for free.
French Blog Mac4Ever got a test run at the Paris Auto Show
At the same time as Pioneer’s announcement, Spotify has released its update for CarPlay in the App Store as promised on Apple’s site since CarPlay was first unveiled. As it stands, Apple must partner with specific developers to add CarPlay integration to apps. Currently, CarPlay is integrated with Apple’s Podcasts app, Beats Music, iHeartRadio, MLB AT Bat 2014, notify, Stitcher and CBS Radio (added most recently).
[tweet https://twitter.com/PioneerUSA/status/517758592330780672]
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I have an Alpine unit that is listed on the Alpine site as being CarPlay compatible – I hope they roll this feature out quickly. It would be great to be able to use the power of the phone easily in my car.
Where is the list for Alpine’s CarPlay compatibility? I have been looking for it for a while and haven’t been able to find it.
Alpine had been very quiet about it – you have to look at the individual units on the Alpine site to find units that are compatible.
Anyone have a download mirror for the 5000nex model? Getting 15-30 Kb/s download is awful.
Amazon has a good deal on this head unit!
http://www.amazon.com/PIONEER-AppRadio-SPHDA210-Capacitative-Touchscreen/dp/B00D6ZETV2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412266017&sr=8-1&keywords=appradio+4
I don’t believe the SPHDA210 is Carplay compliant.
http://www.cnet.com/news/pioneer-nex-receivers-make-any-car-ios-carplay-compatible/
The article states, “Pioneer’s representative stated that the app-centric AppRadio 3 SPH-DA210 and SPH-DA110 will not be updated to support iOS CarPlay, which is a shame because the lower $400-to-$500 price point of these models makes them even more appealing for users who are all about the apps. Pioneer declined to comment on whether we’ll ever see an AppRadio 4 with the new functionality.”
My mistake – upon looking a little further, http://www.appradioworld.com/2014/10/breaking-pioneer-releases-carplay.html says, “AppRadio 4 (SPH-DA120): The fourth generation AppRadio will be CarPlay capable out of the box making it the sixth head unit with CarPlay. The device will be priced at $600. Its a double-DIN head unit with a 6.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with NEX functionalities.”
Love my AVH-4000NEX http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IXPM03Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p422_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0T50WS8R1RBBBRGR4DD1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
I guess we’ll just have to see what’s supported when Pioneer’s site isn’t getting bombarded. ;)
That is not a CarPlay compatible unit. It’s AppRadio, which features control of media playback in some ways, but it’s not the same as what’s being discussed here.
I did the update today on my AVH-X8600BT, working great.
My review: http://youtu.be/zMsaTSTPeFc
My 2013 Prius will already receive audio through bluetooth for music and phone calls. I’ve been considering upgrading from iOS in the cupholder to iOS in a dashmount. Forr the life of me I’m not seeing how CarPlay is an improvement over just having the phone mounted on the dash. I think that would make a great comparison article.
larger screen, interface designed for use in the car.