Clarion Offers Two New Apple CarPlay Aftermarket Head Units - NX807 & VX807

When Apple CarPlay first launched, aftermarket options were limited to select Pioneer head units. This year, however, the CarPlay lineup has expanded to a total of five aftermarket manufacturers - Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, Sony and Clarion.

Clarion brings CarPlay to your existing vehicle via two double-DIN head units: NX807 & VX807.

Additional details, pictures and the latest pricing information is below...

Where Is All The Wireless CarPlay Hardware At CES 2016?

I'll be honest. I was hoping for a bevy of wireless CarPlay hardware at CES 2016. But so far, all aftermarket manufacturers have disappointed.

Pioneer Electronics announced third-generation NEX head units at the event but none of the five devices offer wireless CarPlay connectivity. There is no news coming from automakers either regarding this feature.

So, is there still hope we will see anything in this regard at CES 2016?

What To Expect From The Next Generation AppRadio [CES 2016]

In a little over a month from now, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2016) will kick off in Las Vegas, Nevada. The annually held event will bring leading tech companies together to showcase upcoming products.

CES has also hosted car tech companies and aftermarket product manufacturers like Pioneer, Alpine and Kenwood. In fact, devices like the AppRadios, NEX head units etc. were announced at CES. The event in past years has brought CarPlay and Android Auto head to head too.

Pioneer's last installment of the AppRadio was the SPH-DA120 or AppRadio 4 which was announced and launched in October 2014. Which means, if there is another iteration of the device, it is already overdue. It could also mean, CES 2016 may be the appropriate stage to make the announcement.

So what should we expect from the next generation AppRadio or AppRadio 5 or maybe the third-generation NEX head units? Let me speculate...

iOS 9 Is Now Available; Wireless CarPlay And Other Improvements Included!

Apple released the much anticipated iOS 9 today and there are a lot of new features included. More interestingly, for us anyhow, CarPlay has also received a few performance tweaks. The highly anticipated wireless CarPlay feature is here too!

Full details on iOS 9 and CarPlay are below the page break.

How To Quickly Reconnect To CarPlay On Pioneer NEX To Fix Audio Issue

Apple CarPlay users have faced this annoying issue since the very beginning. Sometimes audio playback in CarPlay gets interrupted and fails to come through. There are quite a few possible triggers for this issue but Apple has either failed or ignored to fix the problem so far.

The only solution right now to get the audio working again is to disconnect the iPhone cable from the head unit or dashboard and reconnect it. This action restarts CarPlay and everything works fine thereafter.

However, it is never safe to be meddling around with your smartphone or its cables while driving. If you're using a Pioneer head unit for CarPlay though, there is a quicker, much safer fix for the issue that only requires tapping a few buttons.

Finding An Android Auto Compatible Phone Can Be A Nightmare [Smartphone List]

Personally speaking, I live on the iOS side of things. But keeping up with this website demands an Android perspective too. So, I've owned my fair share of Android smartphones in recent times. In testing Pioneer's AppRadio Mode on Android, I have gone through a few devices in the past ranging from the Samsung Galaxy lineup to Motorola and LG.

And now Android Auto, as you may know, is one of the two big players in the car infotainment playing field; Apple CarPlay being the other one. But unlike CarPlay which works on any lightning iPhone running iOS 7.1 or later, finding an Android Auto compatible smartphone is not as straightforward.

Apple Adds Kenwood To Its CarPlay Site As The Latest Aftermarket Provider

If you haven't visited Apple's CarPlay page recently, you may not know that Apple has officially included Kenwood as an aftermarket provider of its in-car infotainment technology, CarPlay. The addition comes right after Kenwood's introduction of two head units that offer CarPlay in the aftermarket.

Apple CarPlay In iOS 9 - All The Juicy Details From WWDC 2015

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference keynote happened earlier today and there was plenty of new information for car enthusiasts to chew on. Apple announced improvements to CarPlay in its upcoming iOS 9, the biggest of all being wireless connectivity.

Other information from the event regarding CarPlay is after the page break. I have also included some of my thoughts on today's events below.

HTC Working On An In-Car Infotainment System To Rival Android Auto, CarPlay [Rumor]

Smartphone manufacturer HTC is rumored to be working on a brand new in-car infotainment system to rival Google's Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The project is being codenamed "Cello" and will bring things like navigation, media, and even night vision to your car's dashboard.

Here are some extra details...

Watch This Android Auto Demo On The New Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX [Video]

Pioneer introduced their second generation NEX head units at CES 2015 last month. Three of the five devices will be Android Auto-capable along with Apple CarPlay.

The AVIC-8100NEX will be Pioneer's new flagship head unit with a robust set of features. At CES 2015, Pioneer demoed those head units for the media. Check out this YouTube video by 'Presenterbloke' showing how Google's Android Auto will work on the aftermarket receiver.

Apple Introduces CarPlay Guidelines For Its 'Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod' (MFi) Program

Apple recently introduced official guidelines for companies intending to integrate CarPlay in their hardware through its 'Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod' (MFi) licensing program. The program is the same one that enables third-party manufacturers to make Apple accessories like chargers, cables, docks etc.

CarPlay has been available for a few weeks now and has been received with primarily positive responses. Currently, two aftermarket head unit manufacturers (Pioneer and Alpine) have CarPlay-enabled head units for sale. With the guidelines being officially released now, more companies may follow.

Someone Needs To Fix 'Hey Siri' In Apple CarPlay

Apple has a very useful feature in iOS 8 called 'Hey Siri.' When the iDevice is plugged in to a power source, saying the phrase 'Hey Siri' activates the voice assistant. This is particularly useful while driving.

The feature works great most of the time. It's worked fine in AppRadio Mode on Pioneer's compatible head units and continues to do so. The only problem it seems to have is in CarPlay.

Watch This Unboxing & Demo Video Of The New CarPlay-enabled Alpine iLX-007 [Video]

When it comes to packaging, Alpine Electronics may win over Pioneer. Their latest CarPlay-enabled head unit, the iLX-007, comes packaged in a fancy looking box that could easily pass for an Apple product.

The device is competition for Pioneer's AppRadio 4 (SPH-DA120) and AVH-4000NEX, both of which offer more features at a lower price. But the iLX-007 has a few nice features of it's own too.

Above all, it features a very small form factor for a double-din head unit, which will be useful for certain car owners that don't have a lot of depth in their dashboards. What else should you expect from the iLX-007? Watch this awesome unboxing and demo video from the YouTube channel "Five Star Car Stereo Inc."

How To Take A Screenshot Of Your CarPlay Interface [How-To]

For those of you wondering how to take perfect CarPlay screenshots on your car's head unit, it is simpler than you think. You may have seen screenshots I've posted in previous posts or in CarPlay posts on other sites. This is how it's done...

Special '4-Pole Mini AV Plug To 3-RCA Cable' Needed To Play Videos On The Alpine iLX-007

Alpine has left out quite a few "standard" features in its first Apple CarPlay-enabled head unit, the iLX-007. There is no Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI port or additional USB ports for hooking up external media. There is, however, an Auxiliary In connection which is capable of audio and video input.

The AUX In port will accept a mini AV plug pin, but if you want to play videos, you will need a cable that supports it.

According to the owner's manual of the iLX-007, the AUX In port (which is a part of the AUX/Camera/Remote Out connector), requires an AV/RCA interface cable. The cable has to be a 4-pole mini AV plug to 3-RCA. Take a look at this graphic...

Minimalism - Check Out These Connection Ports On The Alpine iLX-007

The Alpine iLX-007 is a gorgeous looking double-DIN head unit that is Apple CarPlay-capable. The device has a chassis depth that measures half the size of conventional double-DIN head units. It is, of course, mechless, meaning it doesn't feature a DVD/CD drive but is optimized for smartphone connectivity.

Alpine's minimalistic approach extends to the connection ports on the back of the unit too. Take a look at this image showing the ports available for connection...

CES 2015 May Provide A Taste Of The Apple CarPlay Vs. Android Auto Battle [Opinion]

Along with cooler temperatures, every January brings the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to Las Vegas, Nevada. CES 2015 is scheduled for January 6 - 9 next year and is expected to draw a lot of interest as usual.

On the car entertainment front, there will be quite a few things to look forward to. Top of the list will be car companies showing off Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

What else can one expect? Let's speculate.

Dear Apple, Please Allow Me To Rearrange App Icons In CarPlay!

Apple CarPlay has been a nice addition to a lot of people's existing cars via aftermarket head units. The technology allows users to have smartphone app functionality in their vehicles, in a safe manner.

When it was first announced back in March this year, CarPlay had support for only four third-party apps - Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Stitcher. But that list has grown to nine as of today (including Apple's Podcasts app).

So what happens when you have more apps than what CarPlay can display on the screen? You end up with more than one page of apps which you need to swipe through. Just like on an iPhone or iPad. And because Apple has strict rules on how icons are arranged, there are some inconveniences that crop up.

Retailer Pricing Puts The Alpine iLX-007 Squarely Against The Pioneer AppRadio 4

It was bound to happen! When Alpine announced its own Apple CarPlay head unit, the iLX-007, the device was believed to have a suggested retail price of $800. Suggested retail prices should be taken with a grain of salt because products end up being priced below that mark.

At $800 and lacking a few key features, the Alpine iLX-007 seemed like being overpriced compared to the Pioneer AppRadio 4 (SPH-DA120) and the lower end NEX head units. But authorized Alpine dealers have begun listing the Alpine head unit at around $600 which puts it on par with the retail price of the AppRadio 4.

Alpine iLX-007 Availability Update; Priced Well Below Suggested Retail Price

If you're looking to upgrade your car's sound system with a CarPlay-capable head unit, you have a few options. You could choose from one of Pioneer's six head units (5 NEX and AppRadio 4) or get the newly announced Alpine iLX-007.

Alpine's receiver has a few good features like a larger 7-inch capacitive touchscreen compared to the Pioneer AppRadio 4 (6.2-inch) and smaller chassis (3-inches in depth). Alpine also boasts their own MediaXpander (MX) technology in the head unit which reproduces and restores sound quality lost during media compression.

The device has a suggested retail price of $800 and Alpine says it's already shipping to authorized dealers. Most retailers that list the item have it priced at $600. We looked for the head unit for purchase from various online retailers, and in trying to find the lowest price this is what we've found so far...