Pioneer , demo cars included the high-end $1400 Pioneer AVH-8000NEX system, which contains an in-dash capacitive touchscreen that allows the driver to tap on the infotainment screen to interact with the CarPlay system. CarPlay also supports hands-free operation using Siri to control many of the available functions.
Macworld did note some issues with Siri’s ability to handle background noise in the car, but Pioneer’s Ted Cardenas pointed out that with Siri’s ability to learn and improve over time, those background noises will become less of a distraction as Siri learns to pick out the driver’s voice.
The current version of Apple’s Carplay technology requires a Lightning cable connection between the iPhone and the receiver, limiting its usage to the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Rumored wireless support over Wi-Fi connection has not been confirmed by Apple, but even then the feature would require updated hardware for Pioneer, as the current NEX systems do not support Wi-Fi connectivity.
Pioneer is one of the first automobile electronics companies to offer an aftermarket CarPlay system to customers who don’t want to purchase a new car in order to experience the feature. Alpine also announced its own series of aftermarket CarPlay receivers, but they are expected to arrive later this year.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Carl Icahn Buys Additional 2.8M Apple Shares Raising Stake to Nearly $4.5B
• Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on iMac, MacBook Air, and Apple Accessories
• Bentley Ad Shot Using iPhone 5s, Assembled on iPad Air
• iTunes Connect for iOS Updated With iOS 7 Redesign
• Podcasts for iOS Updated With Siri Integration, CarPlay Support and Improved Browsing
• iTunes 11.2 Released With Podcast Improvements, Bug Fixes
• Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Begin Improving to 1-2 Weeks
• Apple Awarded Patent for Contact Aware User Interface in Messaging Applications
