Pioneer Electronics has released a firmware update making Apple’s CarPlay technology live on five 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers. In doing so it becomes the first company to officially support CarPlay’s vehicle integration feature — and means you won’t need a new Ferrari or Benz to use iOS in your vehicle.
Users with an iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, 6 or 6 Plus can utilize Siri to both makes and receive calls, compose and read text messages, access Apple Maps, and listen to music libraries, podcasts, and iTunes Radio.
“CarPlay enriches the iPhone experience in the vehicle by providing a safer way to access the iPhone features they want to use most while driving,” said Ted Cardenas, vice president of marketing for the company’s Car Electronics Division. “With Pioneer’s implementation, CarPlay can now be integrated into millions of vehicles already on the road.”
Also announced was Pioneer’s CarPlay-compatible AppRadio 4.
The firmware can be updated for no additional charge at this link. Existing NEX owners can upgrade by loading the firmware onto a USB memory stick and connecting it to the receiver’s USB cable input. If you’re not comfortable doing that, the update can also be done through authorized retailers.
Compatible NEX in-dash multimedia receivers start at $700 and go up to $1400 SRP.
A demo of the technology can be seen below:
Apple hopes that within five years CarPlay will be the most popular car platform in the world, with over 24 million cars boasting Cupertino’s dashboard system.
Via: iClarified
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
One response to “Use iOS in your car with Pioneer’s in-dash CarPlay systems”
4:20, lol.