Pioneer Talks CarPlay: Working with Apple, Pricing, and the Future

carplay_iconFollowing last month's formal introduction of Apple's CarPlay system for integrating iPhones with in-dash vehicle systems, there were some questions about whether the feature would be able to make its way to aftermarket products or if it would be limited to auto manufacturers putting it into brand-new vehicles. That question was answered earlier this month, with both Alpine and Pioneer announcing their plans to launch CarPlay-compatible systems.

Pioneer appears to be in the best position to move quickly with CarPlay, as its latest NEX systems already include CarPlay-compatible hardware, which will be enabled with a firmware update expected in early summer. In contrast, Alpine will not be launching its CarPlay support until the fall as part of new product debuts.

MacRumors recently spoke with Ted Cardenas, marketing vice president in Pioneer's car electronics division, and he shared a bit of perspective about CarPlay and its development. Far from being taken by surprise by Apple's CarPlay announcement last month, Cardenas notes that Apple signaled to Pioneer that there would be coming changes to in-car connectivity even prior to last year's Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple first showed what was then known as iOS in the Car as part of its iOS 7 preview.

pioneer_carplay
According to Cardenas, development picked up in earnest in July of last year, with Apple putting together a dedicated team to help car manufacturers and aftermarket electronics companies build out their CarPlay support. Unsurprisingly, Apple took a fairly hands-on role in the process, sharing specifications and other information to assist Pioneer with its work.

Cardenas notes that Pioneer is "very excited" to be at the forefront of CarPlay, working with Apple to deliver solutions to consumers so that they don't need to wait to purchase a new car in order to experience the feature. He also points out that Pioneer has a particularly vested interest in getting CarPlay implementation right, as it may be one of the major factors influencing what brand and model of in-dash system to purchase, whereas CarPlay performance will undoubtedly be a much lower priority for customers looking to purchase an entirely new vehicle.

In addressing the entry cost for aftermarket CarPlay support, Cardenas acknowledges that the current $700-$1400 range for Pioneer's NEX series is higher than many consumers would like to see. But CarPlay requires robust technology, and the multi-core processors, significant RAM and onboard storage, and touchscreens needed in NEX systems for the feature all contribute to driving costs up. Pioneer is certainly looking to bring down that entry price for CarPlay-compatible systems and drive further expansion of the technology, but the company understandably won't have anything to announce on that front until after the CarPlay firmware update is delivered to the first wave of Pioneer products.

pioneer_us_nex_carplay_lineup

Pioneer's initial U.S. lineup of CarPlay-compatible NEX systems

Pioneer has a long history in consumer electronics and vehicle electronics in particular, and the company has long sought to embrace new technologies to enhance the customer experience. To that end, Pioneer was one of the first companies to make a significant effort into smartphone-car integration with its AppRadio system launched in 2011.

The firm is also supporting the MirrorLink consortium that is offering similar integration as CarPlay for non-Apple smartphones. Even with that support, Cardenas believes that CarPlay support will be very popular with consumers, given Apple's place in the market and users' desire for simplicity and seamless integration.

MacRumors also asked Cardenas about any potential plans to bring Wi-Fi support for CarPlay to Pioneer's products, but he had nothing further to share on the topic given than none of Pioneer's current NEX models offer Wi-Fi support. Volvo had initially reported that Wi-Fi support for CarPlay would be "coming in the near future", but the company quickly removed that statement from its press release and Apple has been silent about any plans to augment CarPlay with wireless connectivity to eliminate the need to directly connect the user's iPhone to the car via a cable.

On its CarPlay page, Apple notes that the feature is coming to specific models from Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo this year, although Honda has yet to make any announcement about its plans. Apple also lists Alpine and Pioneer as on board for aftermarket support, and there may yet be more announcements coming.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Pioneer

Top Rated Comments

afro-ninja Avatar
116 months ago
I get that it can't be the cheapest, but how is what's basically a glorified iPhone mirror more expensive than the top-end iPhone?? :confused:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b-dogg Avatar
116 months ago
Why not just put a retina iPad mini in the centre console, and use Siri for voice commands. An iPhone could also be used as a wireless hotspot while driving for the iPad.
Getting this job done on my car next week! This is one they did last week on the same car as my one.
You need a cellular capable ipad mini though as there is no gps chip on the non-cellular model and hence no ability to use google maps or apple maps. You can put a separate SIM into the ipad or use your phone as a hotspot if you don't want to fork out on another data plan.



Carplay has the slight advantage over this as it has phone integration. I'll sit Carplay aftermarket out for 12-24 months and see how the bugs play out (if any) with pioneer and alpine. I'd imagine it may take a while for the 3rd party equipment people to get the units up to spec / firmware bugs squashed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brendu Avatar
116 months ago
Okay I love apple but this interface looks ugly as sin

Car companies should be allowed to skin the icons or do something

Ugh so ugly

I completely disagree. These things need to be extremely simple and clean and most of all consistent across devices and car models. When driving, the last thing you should be doing is fumbling around looking at a screen. By making is so simple and forcing all manufacturers to adopt the same deisgn it means whatever car I get into that has CarPlay, I get the same experience and can focus on driving rather than searching on a screen. Imagine renting a car and being told it has CarPlay which you may have in your car and then you go to use it and it looks completely different. That would suck and push people away from using it IMO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poppe Avatar
116 months ago
I get that it can't be the cheapest, but how is what's basically a glorified iPhone mirror more expensive than the top-end iPhone?? :confused:

You mean $649, 749, and 849 for an unlocked iPhone and the NEX systems start at 700 and range to 1400 and include a whole lot more hardware.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MartinAppleGuy Avatar
116 months ago
Why not just put a retina iPad mini in the centre console, and use Siri for voice commands. An iPhone could also be used as a wireless hotspot while driving for the iPad.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
116 months ago
I get that it can't be the cheapest, but how is what's basically a glorified iPhone mirror more expensive than the top-end iPhone?? :confused:

If they sold 9 million of these in three days the price would come down.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...