Carmakers are starting to include CarPlay and
Android Auto options in their newer vehicles. However given that changing cars
isn’t exactly the same as changing a phone or a tablet, safe to say that it
might take a while before CarPlay and Android Auto systems make its way into
the market.
However this is where aftermarket solutions come in,
where drivers with older cars can get a similar experience. If you would like
to see your car equipped with Apple’s CarPlay system, you’ll be pleased to
learn that JVC, Pioneer, Clarion, Kenwood, and Alpine have taken the wraps off
new aftermarket CarPlay systems at CES 2017.
Given that they are based on CarPlay, in terms of
functionality they are all share pretty similar traits. Some might have support
for better quality audio, support for rear-view cameras, and so on, but the
core functionalities are still there. Alpine’s offering is probably the most
interesting as it is the first unit that is officially available with wireless CarPlay
support.
This means that users will not need to plug their
phones into a cable anymore. Granted you probably shouldn’t be holding your
phone while you drive anyway, we guess it’s a matter of convenience. The
iLX-107 will also come with a WVGA touchscreen display with LED backlighting,
3x 2V outputs, one aux input, and support for rear-view cameras. It is
available this coming February for US$ 900.
In the meantime if you are interested in the other
CarPlay units, JVC’s offering will be the
KW-M730BT; Kenwood’s latest CarPlay unit is the DMX7704S; and Clarion’s
new NX807 will sport a 7-inch display.
