Add Wireless CarPlay to Your Vehicle With Alpine's New 11-Inch Screen That Hovers Over the Dashboard

[SidewaysTakumi]

I have no idea about USA but it's the Law in Canada since May 2018.

Interesting interesting, yeah I tried googling to see if it was a recent US law but couldn't find anything. Thanks for the info.

Same in the US.

Yup...here's an article about it. Mandated in the US since 2018.

 

[dead flag blues]

Looks great! I just pop a new head unit in my WRX every few years.

I feel bad for my friends with recent vintage BMWs who are unable to do so.

 

[bpeeps]

Yup...here's an article about it. Mandated in the US since 2018.

Thanks! You da MVP!

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

It blows my mind that I can buy a 4K 50” TV for 300 bucks but an 11” 720p screen for a car is $1200…

They are touch screens though. Your 4k tv isn't. But yeah, they are basically incredibly overpriced iPads.

 

[devochka1975]

Interesting interesting, yeah I tried googling to see if it was a recent US law but couldn't find anything. Thanks for the info.

Federal law in the US requires backup cameras on 2018 and newer models:

Backup cameras now required in new cars in the US

Backover crashes kill nearly 200 people annually. So now, all new cars will be required to have a backup camera, USA Today reports.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Adarna]

It blows my mind that I can buy a 4K 50” TV for 300 bucks but an 11” 720p screen for a car is $1200…

The difference between your 4K TV and that 720p car screen is that your TV isnt subjected to the same extreme temperatures, mechanical oscillations & varying humidity levels present in stationary & traveling vehicles.

4K TVs are not designed to minimize personal injuries & human fatalities when it breaks apart upon impact in a vehicular accident.

The volume & economies of scale of 4K TVs vs 3rd party car stereos are staggeringly different. More volume = more cost savings

To be honest I'd want my iPad/iPhone to be able to mount itself on a car's dash that has an iOS-compatible amp.

 

[3xBoom]

And someone should invent a way to use an iPad for CarPlay. For $1200 you could have a freaking 12” M1 iPad in your car.

you'll find several iPad-based solutions on the web... such as https://thecarplayer.com/blogs/news/will-carplay-work-with-ipad there are many more. But you are right fundamentally - and it should be a no-brainer from Apple (aside from the $$$).

 

[Kar98]

Looks great! I just pop a new head unit in my WRX every few years.

I feel bad for my friends with recent vintage BMWs who are unable to do so.

I had a pretty new rental BMW the other day, which had a damn good CarPlay setup from factory. Ditto a 2020 VW Touareg.

 

[demodave]

And someone should invent a way to use an iPad for CarPlay. For $1200 you could have a freaking 12” M1 iPad in your car.

I completely 100% agree. I’ve even suggested it to Apple, I think, but it does not appear to have happened. The mind boggles.

 

[thefourthpope]

That’s because there really isn’t a ‘target demographic’ for $1200 units. I’m not chastising the functionality of what Alpine is offering, but are average consumers really spending this type of money on a 2014 Subaru for example? I doubt it. They probably would rather just trade in/upgrade to a vehicle that actually offers built-in CarPlay when that time happens. If you think about the cost of this unit and what it cost to have installed, that’s a pretty hefty investment, which if I were to buy something like this, I would be thinking logically, how long does one plan on keeping their vehicle?

This is too on point, I’m totally this target demographic.

We just replaced our 2011 Highlander with a 2022 Ascent. We the intend to replace the 2014 Outback with a truck, but not for a few years. Meanwhile this little upgrade could improve my wife’s attitude about that mid-trim 2014 Subaru.

It’s not like I’ve just ordered one of these, but I am certainly intrigued and I definitely got a chuckle out of your example.

 

[LonestarOne]

Average consumers have never been the target customers for aftermarket electronics. Car electronics have always been pricey upscale items. When I looked at adding CarPlay a few years ago, all the solutions were $$$$. But there’s a small group of people (mostly men, I think) who love their cars and want to buy them expensive presents.

I take back my statements. I just did a search for CarPlay radios and found the price has come down considerably since the last time I looked. This Alpine radio is still definitely for the high-end market, however.

 

[Yammabot]

$1200 that’s just way too much for CarPlay does it come with a rebuilt engine?

 

[Carlanga]

I have a much older car than the person you were responding to - an '08 Civic. However, it still runs perfectly fine with low maintenance costs, and thus I have no plans to replace it anytime soon. Why not put an extra few hundred into the car to maximize my enjoyment of the car for the rest of the time I'm going to have the car?

Yeah, because THAT'S a good idea... messing around with an iPad while you're driving.

You said it yourself. A few hundred…this is 10x a hundred. There are always going to be people that buy overpriced items, but doesn’t mean that it’s most people.

 

[Carlanga]

Depends on where you go I guess. Best Buy does installs for free if you buy the deck from them. I was going to do this with the Pioneer I put in my Jeep last month, but it was going to be 6 weeks so I did it myself.

Woah Best Buy still installs car stuff. Nice. That is something I haven’t seen in a while. The car section in mine is super small nowadays.

 

[Carlanga]

People spending more than their cars value on stereo equipment have existed since time immemorial, and I don't think they've disappeared yet. People lose more than $1000 driving their new car off the dealer's lot before depreciation is even considered (destination charge). Who's to say what's actually a better use of that cash? Built in stereos have improved and aftermarket stereos have gotten harder to install, so the market has certainly shrunk, but unless you know Alpine's sales targets for this model (or the sales figures for their current high end models), it's really hard to call it DOA.

Yes, but that $1000 can get you better sound in many other parts of your sound system than a CarPlay receiver. I can tell you the aftermarket car sound system has shrunk a lot vs 20 years ago. If you haven’t noticed it then you have not bought car sound stuff in the last 20 years. There are always going to be people that buy stuff, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful. This is a niche product in 2022 at this price point.

 

[HangmanSwingset]

Added wireless CarPlay with a chincy USB adapter from Amazon. Actually works great 99% of the time. ??‍♂️

It’s 2022. I don’t understand the target market of aftermarket entertainment units especially with manufacturers being required to include screens and backup cameras due to new regulations from 2018.

I want the new style entertainment systems, but do not want the newer cars.

I drive a 1996 Mustang and a 1999 Blazer. If I get a newer car at all it’ll be a 2005-2009 Mustang. Don’t like the look of the late s197 models or any of the s550. For me I’m sticking with a non-New Edge SN95 or a fox body. I’m also eyeing an older 80’s or 90’s retired farm truck.

 

[dvanwinkle]

They should have said economies of scale. It costs more per unit to produce 1 of something as opposed to 100 of something.

This is why I failed economics I’m sure.

 

[Lancer]

Probably like $2k by the time it lands here in Australia for the 11" model.

 

[svish]

Seems good. Very interesting product

 

[deeddawg]

It’s 2022. I don’t understand the target market of aftermarket entertainment units especially with manufacturers being required to include screens and backup cameras due to new regulations from 2018.

Not everyone leases/buys new vehicles every three years.

My six year old truck has 60,000 miles on it and is in great shape; I fully expect to get many more years out of it.

It'd be a lot cheaper to replace the headunit with something like this than it would be to replace the truck.

 

[deeddawg]

As for wireless, cool, but I hear that it's a big power draw. Since my car doesn't have a Qi charger, I might as well hook it up via USB to get power & CarPlay.

That's great for a long drive where you need be concerned about the phone battery level, but when you're running some errands it's a PITA to keep unplugging/plugging the phone at every new stop.

 

[Kar98]

That's great for a long drive where you need be concerned about the phone battery level, but when you're running some errands it's a PITA to keep unplugging/plugging the phone at every new stop.

For short drives to run errands I usually know where to go without needing directions. The Bluetooth function is sufficient for that.

 

[deeddawg]

For short drives to run errands I usually know where to go without needing directions. The Bluetooth function is sufficient for that.

I wasn't referring to navigation functions.

My car with wired carplay doesn't allow controlling Pandora or SiriusXM (streaming) over bluetooth.

 

[Roadster Lewis]

These pop-up screens look tacky, imo.

They also offer the 9” in dash version. Same platform, just a smaller screen.

I take back my statements. I just did a search for CarPlay radios and found the price has come down considerably since the last time I looked. This Alpine radio is still definitely for the high-end market, however.

Alpine have never been the cheapest on the market. But you get what you pay for.

 

[jlc1978]

You made quite the definitive statement in your original post. The weak qualifier of "really no" doesn't change the statement much.

As someone who has recently moved CarPlay units between vehicles, it's obvious that you hadn't considered that possibility in your original post. Nor had you considered your new position that it would help with resale. Both concepts undermine your original assumption honestly. The market for a $1200 head unit may be relatively small, but it's also obviously there if Alpine continues to make products for it...

Alpine has a number of expensive head units/receivers - $900 for one of their units is not unusual, so `200 doesn’t surprise me.

I drive an 2019 BMW X1 without Apple Car because BMW used to charge an arm and leg for it. They asked for additional 4,000$ package which includes CarPlay and I didn’t need any of the other additional features. For 1,200$, this is not cheap, but cheaper than what luxury brands are charging for functionality that should be included for free.

And I will not buy a new car for the infotainment system, not even a nerd like me can do that.

I added CarPlay to a Mercedes’ using an aftermarket RoadTop unit that uses the built in screen and controls for display; it also added a backup camera. For $300 it was. A great upgrade.

Classic cars I have a 1965 Ford Mustang I added CarPlay to I know people who still daily drive classics that still want some modern touches.

Exactly. if this fits it would be a great way to add CarPlay to my 85 BMW.