JVC Announces Its First Apple CarPlay Receiver At CES 2016

Although JVC and Kenwood merged to form a single subsidiary in the United States back in 2014, the companies have continued to manufacture products with individual branding. The same goes for aftermarket head units.

JVC Mobile made a splash at CES 2016 by announcing a new Apple CarPlay head unit, a first for the brand.

The newly announced KW-V820BT is CarPlay capable and instantly becomes the company's flagship receiver. It includes a host of other features in addition to CarPlay. Additional details are after the page break.

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?

Kenwood Prices Its Apple CarPlay And Android Auto Head Units Very Competitively

We are almost getting to the point of being spoiled for choices when it comes to having Apple CarPlay and/or Google Android Auto in the aftermarket. After Pioneer Electronics, Kenwood has become the latest aftermarket manufacturer to offer both the latest technologies.

The aftermarket option gives users a much affordable choice than having to buy a brand new car. Pioneer offers three options if you need both, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: AVIC-8100NEX, AVIC-7100NEX and AVH-4100NEX (Read our full review). And now Kenwood offers two options: DDX9902S and DDX9702S.

Kenwood has priced its double-DIN head units very competitively. Check out the latest prices on Amazon below including a comparison to Pioneer's devices...

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.

JVC Kenwood's Android Auto + Apple CarPlay Head Units Are Still MIA

Back at CES 2015, aftermarket head unit manufacturer JVC Kenwood announced two new head units that would rival Pioneer's NEX receivers. Both the head units, the DDX9902S and DDX9702S, will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, thereby pitting them against Pioneer's AVH-4100NEX, AVIC-7100NEX and AVIC-8100NEX.

Although no release date was mentioned back in January, a recent Facebook post offered a hint on a possible end of May release for the receivers. But the end of May has come and gone and there still isn't any news on a possible availability date.

If you are curious about these head units and especially how they might be priced, keep reading.

JVC Kenwood Drops Hint On Possible CarPlay + Android Auto Head Unit Release Date

Back at CES 2015 earlier this year, JVC Kenwood unveiled plans on entering the Apple CarPlay + Android Auto playing field with a couple of double-DIN head units. At the time, the two head units announced were the DDX9902S & DDX9702S.

The announcement included a possible release date of "mid-2015" but no pricing information was mentioned. However, in a recent Facebook post this week, the aftermarket head unit manufacturer has offered a more specific release date.

Slow Rollout Of Android 5.0 Lollipop Causing Delays In Android Auto Adoption

Android Auto was delivered to customers over the last few weeks via Pioneer NEX head units. But the in-car software from Google requires a smartphone running Android 5.0 Lollipop. With the 'fragmented' nature of Google's mobile operating system, not all Android users have been able to avail of Android Auto yet.

Although quite a few of the latest Android smartphones have received the Lollipop update, there are many users still waiting for their smartphone manufacturers or carriers to rollout the update for their phones.

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.

JVC Kenwood To Join The Apple CarPlay + Android Auto Playing Field

At CES 2015, JVC Kenwood announced its next generation head units which will feature both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This makes the aftermarket manufacturer the third company to offer both platforms in one device. Pioneer Electronics and Parrot are the other two.

JVC Kenwood's DDX9902S and DDX9702S will offer a whole range of other options in addition to CarPlay and Android Auto. Additional details are below.

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.

Will Android Auto Enter The Aftermarket Like CarPlay? [Opinion]

Apple recently announced that its latest technology, CarPlay, would be going into aftermarket car head units via Pioneer Electronics and Alpine Electronics. Pioneer already has five NEX receivers available which will get CarPlay updates soon. Alpine is believed to be working on a standalone CarPlay receiver themselves.

Google officially entered the car entertainment field with Android Auto earlier today. They are at the center of the Open Automotive Alliance with 40 other companies that will integrate the technology into our vehicles. So will Google follow Apple and make Android Auto available to consumers via aftermarket receivers?

This may answer that question...

Kenwood Advanced Smartphone Integration Supports iOS And Android [Video]

Kenwood has posted a couple of promo videos showing how their 2014 line of head units handle smartphone integration. Using screen mirroring and app modes, users will be able to enjoy smartphone functionality, for both iOS and Android, on their car receivers.

At CES 2014 earlier this year, Kenwood had announced its connected entertainment systems. There are a few head units to choose from. Watch these videos first to see what Kenwood has to offer...

AppRadio Is The Best Navigation Option While Driving [Poll Results]

Our last poll asked which method of navigation is the best to use while driving. There were five choices: Standalone GPS, AppRadio + Smartphone, Built-In Car Nav, Smartphone and Printed Maps. Our readers voted and the results are in!

App Update Roundup: Waze, iHeartAuto, CarMediaPlayer, EC Touch

Here is a list and description of some of the recent AppRadio compatible App updates. Waze, iHeartAuto, CarMediaPlayer and EC Touch are the apps that received updates in the past few weeks. These updates are for iOS versions of the apps. Links to download these updates are also included.

New Enhancements Added to MotionX GPS Drive In Version 13.0

MotionX GPS Drive v13.0 now available

MotionX GPS Drive is an inexpensive GPS app for your iPhone that happens to be AppRadio compatible. It's simple and does what it's supposed to do without much of a fuss. If you're familiar with this app you know what I'm talking about.

Well, the app got updated yesterday to version 13.0. The new version has the following enhancements: