Skip to main content

CES Roundup: Upcoming Apple accessories including HomeKit, CarPlay, iPhone, iPad, Mac

Sponsored by Hyper: If you’re at CES 2020, stop by the Hyper booth to check out their latest USB-C hubs. You can also get an exclusive sneak peek at the new heavy duty Hyper USB-C hubs here. And check out Hypershop.com for more great Apple accessories.

9to5Mac is on the ground in Las Vegas at CES 2020 checking out all the new and interesting tech products that companies are launching this year. Follow along for a look at some of the most compelling new Apple accessories we’ve spotted.

Alpine iPad Pro-sized CarPlay Receiver

Two exciting CarPlay announcements at CES include Alpine’s newest receivers. First is the company’s new Halo 11 iLX-F411 that has a massive iPad Pro-sized 11-inch screen.

While we don’t get wireless CarPlay here, it does offer the largest aftermarket CarPlay receiver available with a host of features like AUX, HDMI, and USB inputs, a universal rear camera input, and much more. It will be available later this summer.

Alpine has also introduced the first weather-resistant 9-inch CarPlay receivers for recent Jeep Wranglers and the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. With a rugged design that’s made just for Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, Alpine’s X409-WRA-JL offers a great upgrade and is available now.

First and second images of Alpine Halo 11 iLX-F411, 9-inch X409-WRA-JL last two photos

We checked out the new receivers in person at CES and they offer a wonderfully large CarPlay experience with lots of other useful controls like being able to integrate with custom vehicle lighting, rear cameras, and more. The one downside we noticed was the large bezels (at least compared to something like the iPad Pro).

Learn more in our coverage here.

Pioneer 10-inch Wireless CarPlay Receiver

Pioneer has also announced new CarPlay receivers at CES this year. While the overall size comes in just below Alpine’s new 11-inch Halo receiver, Pioneer’s flagship DMH-WT8600NEX features slimmer top and bottom bezels around the capacitive touch display.

Another advantage is Pioneer’s WT8600NEX features Wireless CarPlay. Other specs include 1-DIN chassis, HDMI, USB-C, two-camera inputs, 1 backup camera input, and more. It has an MSRP of $1,200.

Read more about Pioneer’s new 10-inch Wireless CarPlay receiver and the other four launches in our coverage here.

Brydge Pro+ iPad Pro keyboard with trackpad

Brydge makes some of the best keyboards on the market for iPad and iPad Pro and the company is taking things up a notch for productivity by including a trackpad into its Pro+ keyboard.

We checked it out on the floor at CES and are sure it’s going to be popular for users whether you’ll use it occasionally or day-in-day-out. We found it responsive and the compact trackpad has multitouch support.

Pre-orders for the Brydge Pro+ for the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro are open, with the former priced at $199 and the latter going for $229.

Brydge also showed off the iPadOS Trackpad that’s coming soon. It’s like a mini version of Apple’s Magic Trackpad for great portability but with the convenience of USB-C.

HyperJuice 100W GaN USB-C Charger

We went hands-on early with Hyper’s new 100W GaN USB-C Charger and the company brought it to CES this week ahead of the official launch. It remains up to 30% off through the Indiegogo campaign that has raised over $2.4 million for the sleek, compact, and powerful USB-C wall charger.

It’s the first 100W charger that uses GaN technology to offer a form-factor about the size of a deck of cards and provides 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports for a super-efficient charging experience.

This USB-C charger has a foldable integrated plug so you don’t have to remember another cable as well as including international adapters. The HyperJuice 100W GaN USB-C Charger is a handy way to charge all your Apple devices whether at home, office, or on the road.

We also got our first look at Hyper’s upcoming robust lineup of HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C Hubs that will be launching at the end of the month.

There will be three HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C Hubs including the 18-in-1 model that features UHS-II micro and SD card slots, optical audio, 100W USB-C PD charging, HDMI @ 4K60Hz, DisplayPort @ 4K60Hz, Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C and USB-A at 10Gbps, VGA, and more. And they feature a solid and clean aluminum build.

You can sign up to hear about the HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C Hubs as soon as they’re available. Head over to Hypershop.com to check out the company’s existing lineup of solid Apple accessories.

Eve Cam with HomeKit Secure Video

Apple announced HomeKit Secure Video and we’re starting to see more companies bring support for it to market after Logitech was first to do so back in November.

The Eve Cam is coming this April and will be priced at $150.

  • The 150° camera and high-def 1080p resolution give you an unmistakably clear view
  • Thanks to infrared night vision, you’ll be able to tell whether you have an intruder in the house, or your kids are raiding the refrigerator
  • Using the integrated microphone and speaker, you can talk to whoever is in your home at any time
  • With the 360° x 180° adjustable, magnetic camera base, you can easily install Eve Cam just about anywhere

Read more in our announcement coverage here.

Aira Free Power Wireless Charging Tech

A promising new technology coming from Aira is FreePower. The company won’t be making wireless chargers itself but is partnering with well-known brands like Nomad to allow users to place their devices anywhere on the charging mat to juice up.

FreePower brings freedom to the wireless charging experience. A device placed anywhere on the surface will receive intuitive wireless power. Traditional wireless chargers have a small Sweet Spot in the center of the pad. If a device isn’t perfectly aligned, it won’t charge. FreePower solves this with its foundationally different wireless power coil matrix, making the wireless charging experience what it was always meant to be – completely effortless and truly convenient.

While we likely won’t see Aira be able to offer the full vision of Apple’s abandoned AirPower with Apple Watch charging (unless Apple decides to adopt the technology), it’s still exciting to see innovation in the wireless charging space for iPhone, AirPods, wireless charging power banks, and other devices. According to the company, the FreePower tech also allows for charging surfaces to be just about any size without overheating issues that are currently a problem for existing Qi chargers that try to do more than just 2 or 3 devices. It can also pass through much thicker surfaces than existing Qi charging coils, allowing for more design opportunities in addition to larger surfaces that can charge many devices simultaneously.

A prototype showing off the FreePower tech from Aira at CES 2020

We will see Aira’s FreePower smarts debut in Nomad’s Base Station Pro when it launches in the near future, and we expect to see many other companies adopt the tech for their upcoming Qi chargers.

Philips Hue Outdoor Lighting

Signify’s Philips Hue announced several new HomeKit outdoor smart lighting products with the new wall-mounted Appear fixture with bi-directional lighting being the headliner.

We got to see these new products in person and they have a great build quality and sharp design.

Other releases include new low-voltage options with the Lily XL and Econic lights. All the new Hue products are slated for a mid-March release.

Nanoleaf Learning Series with HomeKit

It looks like Nanoleaf’s upcoming Hexagon smart light panels and Learning Series accessories are going to be the most compelling products from the company yet.

the first ever modular smart lights with shape interconnectivity. The first of this line will feature touch-reactive Unified Hexagons with interconnectivity capabilities that enable users the freedom to create all new configurations…

In addition to the new Unified Hexagon lights, Nanoleaf will be releasing a smart dimmer switch with scroll wheel, smart gateway with a nightlight, smart bulb, and more to complete the Smart Learning experience.

The new offering intuitively learns, senses, and reacts to users needs in a way that eliminates the often complicated and counterintuitive requirements of today’s smart home.

Affordable Linksys Wi-Fi 6 mesh router

Another great product heading for market later this year is an affordable Wi-Fi 6 mesh router from Linksys that is aiming for a $150 price point. That’s less than half what most Wi-Fi 6 routers go for.

Linksys previously released a WiFi 6 version of its popular Velopmesh router system in October. It’s a robust option for both connection speeds (up to 5.3 Gbps) and home coverage and comes with a price of $400 for a single unit or $600 for a two-pack.

There will be a trade-off for a little slower speeds compared to the Wi-Fi 6 routers that cost $400 and up. But it’s great to see options!

More

We covered two more products that earned our Best of CES Awards, Linedock, and Abode’s Iota HomeKit Security System. Read more about those great products below:

Have you seen other exciting Apple accessories or products that we didn’t mention? Share them in the comments below!

Sponsored by Hyper: If you’re at CES 2020, stop by the Hyper booth to check out their latest USB-C hubs. You can also get an exclusive sneak peek at the new heavy duty Hyper USB-C hubs here. And check out Hypershop.com for more great Apple accessories.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Hyper Drive GEN2
You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.