Sony's Latest CarPlay Receiver Features a Large 8.9-Inch Touchscreen That Hovers Over the Dashboard

Sony today unveiled its latest CarPlay and Android Auto receiver with a large 8.95-inch touchscreen that hovers over the dashboard, allowing it to fit into a smaller single-DIN space. Equipped with a three-way mount, the receiver's height, depth, and tilt can be adjusted during installation in most vehicles.

sony carplay xav ax8000

XAV-AX8000

Sony says the XAV-AX8000 will be available in December 2019 for a suggested retail price of $599.99 in the United States.

Aftermarket receivers like this one allow for CarPlay and Android Auto to be installed in older vehicles. This particular Sony model is a wired ‌CarPlay‌ receiver, so an iPhone must be connected with a Lightning to USB cable. Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ receivers are available from brands like Alpine, Kenwood, and JVC.

‌CarPlay‌ is Apple's in-car platform that enables ‌iPhone‌ users to access a range of apps from the dashboard, such as Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, WhatsApp, Downcast, Slacker Radio, Stitcher, and as of iOS 12, third-party navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Sony

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Visa and American Express Vying to Win Apple Card Deal in 'Fierce' Fight

Tuesday April 1, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Visa wants to pay Apple approximately $100 million to be the new payment network for the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. As of right now, the Apple Card is on the Mastercard payment network, but that is set to change because Apple is ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs. Both American Express and Visa are vying to replace Mastercard as Apple's card services provider, while...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 18.5 to Developers

Wednesday April 2, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming just two days after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. We don't yet know what Apple is introducing in the iOS 18.5...

Top Rated Comments

konqerror Avatar
74 months ago
I don’t get the point of these CarPlay units. Literally just buy an iPad with Cellular capabilities and call it a day. There are plenty of iPad compatible mounts for cars.

That’s literally what Tesla cars have. No need to spend that much money for this.
1. The UI is built specifically for cars and it blocks apps like video. This is necessary in some states by law.
2. It automatically plays on your car speakers/microphone
3. It integrates to steering wheel controls and dashboard displays (on some models)
4. You don't have to manually synchronize state (i.e. what music you're listening to) between the two when getting in and out
5. The displays are much brighter for sunlight visibility instead of high resolution
6. The low end models cost less than an iPad mini ($220)
7. Some models integrate with backup cameras (Backup aids are required by law in new US cars)
8. You save $10-15 a month over a separate iPad cellular connection
9. You're less liable to get a built in unit stolen in a smash and grab theft.
10. You don't have to remember to unplug and switch it off when leaving for long periods.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
74 months ago
I don’t get the point of these CarPlay units. Literally just buy an iPad with Cellular capabilities and call it a day. There are plenty of iPad compatible mounts for cars.

That’s literally what Tesla cars have. No need to spend that much money for this.
iPad’s UI isn’t designed to be used while driving. If there were a CarPlay mode for iPhones and iPads, that’d be great.

Also, would you leave an iPad in your car? Having to remove it every time you park and hide it or carry it around would be inconvenient.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
74 months ago
I dont drive enough to own a car but these CarPlay units make me have tech lust for something I absolutely don’t need. This Sony unit is beautiful.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
74 months ago
I don’t get the point of these CarPlay units. Literally just buy an iPad with Cellular capabilities and call it a day. There are plenty of iPad compatible mounts for cars.

That’s literally what Tesla cars have. No need to spend that much money for this.
Does the iPad also control your car's climate and audio systems and show your rear camera as you back up? If not, your post makes NO sense.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
konqerror Avatar
74 months ago
Again, Siri is always available for that.
Siri is purely voice. CarPlay gives a touch/switch/cursor interface. One critical part is foreign-derived people and place names that Siri never gets.

You also get information in a glance. You see how many minutes to destination, in a fraction of a second instead of repeatedly asking.

CarPlay works well. Go try one in a rental. Voice UIs consistently suck at providing long-form information. You tune out.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12vElectronics Avatar
74 months ago
Cool I guess, but literally no cars from the last 10 years use a DIN slot anymore.
True, but there are 'dash kits' made by Metra/Scosche/PAC etc that allow the install of an aftermarket single din or double din stereo in cars up to 2019!

These are great and all but most new cars that have been manufactured in the past few years now have non-replaceable stereos or infotainment systems that would render a replacement unable to communicate with the other screens/functions of the car.
Yes & no. Are there cars where radio replacement is not an option? Yes. But there are still a ton of new cars where radio replacement is still doable. Heck, we had a 2019 Nissan in the shop the other day for a radio replacement.

I think these are largely aimed at consumers in cars without infotainment systems. You can also get iData Maestro compatible head units and maintain some degree of integration. Exactly how much I'm not sure though.
You're exactly right. There are a TON of older cars out on the road that don't have this tech. In fact, even lots 'newer' cars still don't come with CarPlay/Android Auto.

Between the car models that don't even allow to swap the infotainment unit and the lack of very savvy and dedicate drivers to pursue those cases where there are DIN slots to use I do wonder how this stuff still gets designed and shipped.
Although the golden days of radio replacements are behind us, there are still people buying din and double din radios daily! We literally have two cars in the shop right now getting single din radios installed as of this post (8/10/2019).
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)