Alpine today announced its first aftermarket in-dash receiver with support for Apple’s CarPlay feature for iPhone users. The new Alpine iLX-007 will be the company’s first display to support CarPlay following Pioneer’s rollout of the feature to its latest NEX displays earlier this month. Alpine’s new in-dash receiver features a 7-inch capacitive touch screen comparable to Pioneer’s high end NEX8000 CarPlay compatible model ($1,400), but at a much lower price point of $800 as it lacks other hardware features.
Alpine’s CarPlay offering is still one of the first on the market yet and joins Pioneer in allowing drivers to have CarPlay without buying a new car. Several automakers have already announced CarPlay availability on certain models of new cars, some of which are already on the road, but will require firmware updates in the future before CarPlay is present.
While Pioneer’s CarPlay-compatible aftermarket receivers received firmware updates to certain existing units already on the market, Alpine’s approach is closer to a dedicated display intended for use with the iPhone and CarPlay with a button on the unit dedicated to Siri.
The Alpine iLX-007 lacks many of the features and hardware found on the Pioneer NEX models like a CD/DVD drive and microSD card slot that customers only looking to add CarPlay to their vehicles may not really want or need. Because CarPlay is centered around the content on your iPhone from apps like Phone, Music, Maps, and Messages, Alpine’s display is streamlined for that experience.
This means the Alpine display has a more minimalistic look and offers the better display quality at a lower price point. Below you can see the Alpine iLX-007 as well as its offered features.
Alpine iLX-007 In-Dash Receiver with Apple CarPlay
- Audio/video receiver with 7-inch capacitive touch screen
- For use with Apple CarPlay to provide a seamless iPhone experience in-vehicle
- 7-inch WVGA touch screen
- Voice-activated controls through Siri
- Three 2V preouts included
- One aux input
- Alpine’s MediaXpander™ technology for improved playback of compressed media
- Input for a rear view camera system
- Audio, driving directions and phone calls are played through the vehicle’s speakers
- Uses Lightning connector
- Compatible with iPhone 5 or later including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the latest version of iOs
- Compatible with the Alpine TuneIt® App (version 2.0) for customized sound tuning
Both Apple and Alpine announced earlier this year that CarPlay would be coming to the aftermarket displays this fall. For an in-depth look at Apple’s CarPlay with aftermarket displays, check out our hands-on review of CarPlay using Pioneer’s NEX5000.
CarPlay is available for iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 7.1 or higher. CarPlay currently supports iPhone apps including Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and Podcasts as well as iHeartRadio, Rdio, and Spotify. Additional apps are promised including Beats Music, MLB At Bat, CBS News Radio, and Stitcher.
Alpine says its new iLX-007 in-dash receiver is now available through select authorized Alpine retailers with a suggested price of $800.
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Thanks, fixed
What I don’t like about it is you must ALWAYS have your phone plugged in to use anything. Just seems cumbersome and un-Apple like.
I’m sure I would use it if my car had it but for $800 you can get a lot more features in the after-market space.
I have yet to see what one of these functions as without an iPhone.
No idea how you expect Bluetooth to handle all of CarPlay, and not also kill your battery entirely. Over USB is the sensible way. Charging + CarPlay’ing.
Obviously. But if CarPlay was built into the Stereo, syncing over Bluetooth would be pretty dang power efficient. No different than syncing with a SmartWatch and getting notifications. Car GPS maps are more accurate than Apple’s at this point.
My point is – Apple should build software that’s installed into the car’s OS.
Correct. I have the Pioneer 4000 NEX and love it. When I’m using GPS before this unit I would always plug it in so that’s not an issue. Hell, even when I used to stream music over BT, I would plug in to charge. When I leave my car and go mobile, I want to be at max battery. It’s sensible.
Also, I think the main point of CarPlay is that you plug in your phone and forget about it which is the safest option. It’s not meant to really be a mirrored iPhone screen where you work functions using your phone…you use the CarPlay interface. The CarPlay interface is great. The large icons are easy to see, Siri works well with the Pioneer mic, the interface is quick and responsive, and it’s nice to see the large info on the screen for music, maps, etc. Looking forward to more apps coming on board.
I loooove Alpine gear (used to install it professionally in the 90s…I know…I’m old. LOL!) but I can’t see getting a unit pretty much JUST for CarPlay. The 4000 NEX has lots of bang for the buck.
$800 for something the iPhone and a good mount already do? No, thanks.
actually no, your completely wrong. a mount for your phone doesn’t even compare to a nex unit with carplay. tons of options. go try it before you knock it.
I agree. I have the 4000 NEX from Pioneer and iPhone 6 Plus. The NEX display is far superior in terms of in-vehicle usability compared to the 6 Plus. With a viewing distance of about 18″, I’d rather look at the NEX CarPlay display than the tiny icons and fonts on the 6 Plus display.
Forgive me for ignorance….but there is no way I could replace the unit in my 2015 Jeep Cherokee with a unit like this since many of the car’s features are controlled by the in-dash unit, right?
I’m still absolutely incensed that Jeep promised CarPlay compatibility on 2015 models, then after I bought mine, reneged on that promise.
I’m in the same boat with the Alpine head unit that I bought – with the promise of ApplePlay support. I have yet to see that materialize . . . . yet.
And Alpine is very mum on the subject when I question their support folks.
Ugly UX, and pointless. Way better to embed the OS into the vehicle, with a ROM and managed OTA so the whole experience is always current and blends in with the aesthetic of the vehicle. Car 2.0.
yeah… having different UX experience in every model and having to upgrade the OS with an SD card is definitely the future. /s
Uhm, did you read my comment? OTA updates (Over The Air) to a robust secure OS embedded in a ROM, or should I say, Flash memory. QNX and Android are way better for this sort of thing. Apple are doing what they are doing with the otherwise excellent Watch, tying people into a hardware ecosystem. I would prefer to get into my car and not have to plug my gadget into the dash. Next up, you’ll need an iPhone to operate your (i)dishwasher. Today, I Bluetooth my Android or iOS device to my stereo (Pioneer in this case) and mount the device on the windshield and use Google maps to navigate, and Spotify, Amazon music or Google Play for my tunes. (Or iTunes if using an iPhone.)
yes i read your comment. OTA updates aren’t going to happen with magic. Where is that connection going to come from? Another subscription?
And about Apple tying people into a hardware ecosystem — isn’t that exactly what you’re suggesting here? CarPlay is EXACTLY the opposite of tying people into an ecosystem.
Completely agree.
Can anyone tell me why I would choose this over AppRadio 4 from Pioneer? Larger display i guess?
AppRadio 4 from Pioneer and CarPlay doesn’t work with the new iPhone iOS 8. They offer their own apps to make it work.
800 bucks for a screen. Nay nay. Cheaper carplay options are out there, even from Alpine themselves. This hype will be reduced as more vendors enter the market.
Why so expensive? Isn’t this just a phablet for input & display while your phone provides the software and apps?
it’s easier/cheaper to buy an ipad and an amplifier and attach it to the car. Have you guys EVER thought of that?
You have no clue what you’re talking about. Because iPads fit into vehicle dashboards SOOOO well. The average user is not going to modify their dash to SAFELY hold an iPad in place nor will they pay the insane amount of money for a stereo shop to do the customization for them. Unless that thing is securely mounted INSIDE of the dash, it’s a perfect way to decapitate yourself in an accident. Have you EVER thought of that??? If so, please attach photos of your installation so we can all laugh our asses off at you.
Some questions remain, yet to be answered:
– A few Alpine head units are compatible with a dedicated Alpine steering wheel control interface that not only gives control over the steering wheel buttons (hence the name of the interface), but also retain information transmitted to the second drivers’s multi-function display (called DIS or MFD) that some cars have on their dashboard. This is exclusive to Alpine and does not work for any Pioneer HU. For some Audi models, the Alpine interface ref is APF-D101AU. It displays info like speed, the name of the song, and so on. Alpine doesn’t answer if the ILX-007 is compatible with this kind of SW interface.
– According to the owner’s manual, there is no dedicated GPS antenna with the ILX-007, so the navigation relies only on the GPS chip of the iPhone, unlike the Pioneer AppRadio 4/SPH-DA120. It seems impossible to buy a GPS antenna since there is no way to connect it to the HU.
– There is no reference to any ambient noise-reduction technology in the Alpine unit, although the community managers of Alpine Facebook page claim this tech is built into the mic and the ILX-007.
– There is no Bluetooth in the Alpine ILX-007, meaning you can’t take a call if you didn’t plug your iPhone to the Lighting cable. But some people state the ILX-007 is already “Wi-Fi ready” for CarPlay and the reason it has not been announced yet is Apple would still be working on it. Is there a Wi-Fi chip into the Alpine unit that could be activated with a future firmware update, bringing wireless support to CarPlay and phone calls-over-wifi ? We do not know.
I went to a local shop and they said it would cost me $1000 to upgrade just to add carpal to my car! It is $600 for the cheapest carpal only base unit, plus $400 for additional parts and labor including making the steering wheel buttons work.