Following reports yesterday that car electronics manufacturer Alpine was planning to launch aftermarket CarPlay units in the fall, Pioneer issued a press release today confirming a firmware update for existing in-dash systems. Pioneer will be bringing Apple’s new CarPlay system to existing vehicles using the company’s five 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers this summer through a firmware update.
As for what vehicles and in-dash systems it will support, it sounds like it will be limited to 2014 editions of the in-dash receivers mentioned above. For the US, those include the following:
Utilizing large, in-dash Pioneer LCD displays, CarPlay featuring Siri® voice control, gives iPhone users the features while allowing them to stay focused on the road. With CarPlay, consumers with iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 can use Siri to make and receive calls, compose and respond to text messages, use Apple Maps for navigation and listen to their music, podcasts and iTunes RadioSM. For more information about CarPlay, visit www.apple.com/ios/carplay.
That’s in-line with the Alpine product said to cost $500-$700. Pioneer also has a webpage up about CarPlay with more info on the feature and a list of compatible in-dash models for all countries.
While Apple has never officially confirmed that aftermarket CarPlay possibilities were on the way, earlier this year Mercedes-Benz told us it had plans to offer aftermarket CarPlay units by the end of 2014. Other CarPlay partners, like Volvo and Ferrari, said they didn’t have immediate plans to introduce aftermarket solutions.
