Pioneer adds Apple CarPlay to five existing in-car multimedia systems
Apple's Siri-controlled app system for cars is getting added to five existing Pioneer systems
Pioneer is updating five of its in-car multimedia systems to support Apple CarPlay, making it the first company to retrospectively support the technology.
The company said it would be issuing a firmware update for its AVIC-F60DAB, AVIC-F960DAB, AVIC-F960BT, AVIC-F860BT and the AVH-X8600BT in-car systems. The update will be available in early summer 2014.
CarPlay works with iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 and uses Siri voice commands to control iOS without a driver having to take their eyes off the road. Siri in CarPlay can be used to make a receive calls, send text messages, use Apple Maps for navigations and listen to music, podcasts and (in the US) iTunes Radio.
Announced by Apple in March, CarPlay is an extension of iOS 7 designed to integrate Apple features into people’s dashboards. It is already being implemented into new vehicles from the likes of Volvo, Mercedes, Honda, Jaguar and Ferrari.
Pioneer product executive Mike Haseler said the update would allow people who recently purchased “in-dash multimedia systems” from the company to upgrade and start using CarPlay.
“Pioneer’s years of expertise integrating smartphone connectivity into the automotive environment has provided us the opportunity to be among the first to offer CarPlay to drivers.”
Pioneer’s dashboard multimedia systems have large touchscreen displays, Bluetooth, MirrorLink and ports for USB, HDMI, SD cards, Aux-in and CDs/DVDs.
The company didn’t give a specific date for when it will be issuing the firmware upgrade, but said it would be available by “early summer 2014”.
