CES 2018: Alpine Electronics Reveals 9-Inch Aftermarket CarPlay System That 'Hovers' in Front of Dash

[MacRumors]

Alpine Electronics at CES today unveiled a new aftermarket CarPlay system with a "hover" design that floats in front of the vehicle's dashboard instead of being embedded directly into it. The company said that the iLX-F309 "doesn't require custom installation," but professional help will still likely be needed to remove existing infotainment systems before installing the iLX-F309.

Alpine's receiver includes a 9-inch touch screen and will fit in "a variety of vehicles." The 9-inch screen is slightly larger than the average 6-to-7-inch screen size of many other aftermarket CarPlay systems, and Alpine pointed out that the hover design will bring the larger display into vehicles that were previously restricted to dashboards with smaller form factors.

The system uses a 1-DIN chassis and an adjustable mount to give the hover effect after installation. In its announcement, Alpine Electronics described some of the installation mechanics of the iLX-F309 and how users will be able to adjust its angle:

The 9-inch screen is attached to an adjustable mount connected to a 1-DIN chassis. Once installed, the screen and mount are fixed to the chassis for a sturdy installation. The screen hovers over or in front of the dash while its rear housing tapers off cleanly at the edges for a thin and modern silhouette. At its default position, the screen's sliding mount is pushed out, sitting at a 90 degree angle and the bottom of the screen is centered with the 1-DIN chassis.

At this point, the screen can be angled at select positions to assist during installation, help with visibility, or move it away from other items on the dashboard. The screen can be positioned 20 millimeters (mm) back from its default position, to move it closer to the dashboard. It can be moved up or down 30mm from its default position and can be tilted up or down at a maximum of 45 degrees, depending on the position of the up/down location.

In addition to CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, the new system is also an AM/FM receiver with video support. The system doesn't include a CD or DVD slot, but there is a USB port, AUX input, and an HDMI input. The company mentioned that it has Bluetooth technology for audio streaming, but it doesn't appear to include Wi-Fi or support for wireless CarPlay connectivity, like the company's iLX-107.

Multiple add-ons are available for the iLX-F309, including a CD/DVD player, a second HDMI input, and rear/side cameras to see behind the vehicle as it's backing up. Alpine Electronics authorized retailers will begin selling the new system in February for $1,100.

Article Link: CES 2018: Alpine Electronics Reveals 9-Inch Aftermarket CarPlay System That 'Hovers' in Front of Dash

 

[ijeffgarden]

Alpine Electronics at CES today unveiled a new aftermarket CarPlay system with a "hover" design that floats in front of the vehicle's dashboard instead of being embedded directly into it. The company said that the iLX-F309 "doesn't require custom installation," but professional help will still likely be needed to remove existing infotainment systems before installing the iLX-F309.

Alpine's receiver includes a 9-inch touch screen and will fit in "a variety of vehicles." The 9-inch screen is slightly larger than the average 6-to-7-inch screen size of many other aftermarket CarPlay infotainment systems. Alpine pointed out that the hover design will bring the larger display into vehicles that were previously restricted to dashboards with smaller form factors.

The system uses a 1-DIN chassis and an adjustable mount to give the "hover" effect after installation. In its announcement, Alpine Electronics described some of the installation mechanics of the iLX-F309 and how users will be able to adjust its angle:
In addition to CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, the new system is also an AM/FM receiver with video support. The system doesn't include a CD or DVD slot, but there is a USB port, AUX input, and an HDMI input. The company mentioned that it has Bluetooth technology for audio streaming, but it doesn't appear to include Wi-Fi or support for wireless CarPlay connectivity, like the company's iLX-107.

Multiple add-ons are available for the iLX-F309, including a CD/DVD player, a second HDMI input, and rear/side cameras to see behind the vehicle as it's backing up. Alpine Electronics authorized retailers will begin selling the new system in February for $1,100.

Article Link: CES 2018: Alpine Electronics Reveals 9-Inch Aftermarket CarPlay System That 'Hovers' in Front of Dash

[doublepost=1515508059][/doublepost]What's the reasoning behind this pricing ? Wouldn't it make more sense to get a mount and use an iPad mini ?

 

[Dr.MacGuyver]

YES!!!

 

[kyjaotkb]

[doublepost=1515508059][/doublepost]What's the reasoning behind this pricing ? Wouldn't it make more sense to get a mount and use an iPad mini ?

Car accessories in general are pricey - some people must be happy to pay that kind of price. And this one won't benefit from the economies of scale an iPad mini can achieve given its volume. Also - touch targets on an iPad mini are the same size as on an iPhone. That's a life-threatening way of picking up your music when driving.

 

[mdelvecchio]

[doublepost=1515508059][/doublepost]What's the reasoning behind this pricing ? Wouldn't it make more sense to get a mount and use an iPad mini ?

No, because the ipad UX isn’t tailored for driving like carplay is.

 

[ehrens]

Single DIN? Sign me up!

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

With most modern cars, this design may cover buttons and other switching.

Looks pretty silly too. Not clean and factory.

 

[617660]

Very interesting. Think Pioneer 3300 is a single-din unit that does pretty much the same thing too, albeit with smaller screen.

Wonder what the differences are.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

[doublepost=1515508059][/doublepost]What's the reasoning behind this pricing ? Wouldn't it make more sense to get a mount and use an iPad mini ?

Have fun taking down the iPad mini and storing it away, then taking it back out, plugging it in, and launching the music app every single time you get in and out of the car.

Most people are willing to pay a bit more for convenience and a nice look. They pay more for something that works with less effort, such as a built-in stereo system.

If an iPad mini works for you and you're willing to put in the additional effort, have at it. But there's nothing wrong with those who will pay a bit more for a system that meets their own needs better.

 

[ehrens]

With most modern cars, this design may cover buttons and other switching.

Looks pretty silly too. Not clean and factory.

The head-unit portion of 12 volt electronics has for the past few years been focused on later-model vehicles where these features wouldn't be available in a factory finish. My car for example is a 7th generation Honda Accord with a dash that is unbelievably hard to modify with an aftermarket head unit:

Commercially available dash kits from Metra, Scoshe and the like that can put a stereo in the factory unit location are upwards of $200, limited to a single DIN and replace the factory climate controls as well. There are less expensive double DIN kits that will go into the pocket below the radio/climate cluster, but these are usually impeded by the console shifter or stick shift, and this is a far from desireable location for a 2-DIN screen. This Alpine unit would be a much better option for both of these locations, either giving you a 9 inch display where no display could be had before or giving you more flexibility for the screen if it was mounted lower.

Also, when it comes to "factory" looks, most OEMs that do bigger screens are also now opting for the floating screen look and they still don't look as good as this Alpine does:

 

[one more]

For a $1100 we might as well stick a few iPads there!

 

[jermy4]

The head-unit portion of 12 volt electronics has for the past few years been focused on later-model vehicles where these features wouldn't be available in a factory finish. My car for example is a 7th generation Honda Accord with a dash that is unbelievably hard to modify with an aftermarket head unit:



Commercially available dash kits from Metra, Scoshe and the like that can put a stereo in the factory unit location are upwards of $200, limited to a single DIN and replace the factory climate controls as well. There are less expensive double DIN kits that will go into the pocket below the radio/climate cluster, but these are usually impeded by the console shifter or stick shift, and this is a far from desireable location for a 2-DIN screen. This Alpine unit would be a much better option for both of these locations, either giving you a 9 inch display where no display could be had before or giving you more flexibility for the screen if it was mounted lower.

Also, when it comes to "factory" looks, most OEMs that do bigger screens are also now opting for the floating screen look and they still don't look as good as this Alpine does:

I too have a 7th gen accord and late last year decided to do a tech upgrade on it. I initially bought the pac audio climate control kit with the sony xav-ax100 but had a lot of problems with the climate controls and the auto mode. I ended up returning both the radio and the climate control kit and went with the scosche climate control kit with a sony xav-ax200 and I'm much happier now. This was still less than this new radio and everything works great now including my factory steering wheel controls and the auto climate control is very similar in its operation to the factory one.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

no wireless CarPlay? how many years has it been and still only one OEM and one aftermarket wireless CarPlay receiver?

 

[44267547]

With the floating head unit, it looks similar to what higher end Mercedes use in their vehicles as well. For the price point of what Alpine is charging, somebody would want to invest a lot into their vehicle knowingly they plan on keeping it for while, which doesn't even include the install for this. But then again, I would say the majority are likely content with their head units that come stock inside their vehicles today. I feel like this would be for somebody that would have a stock car with a basic head unit to appreciate a new set up like this.

 

[Dr.MacGuyver]

no wireless CarPlay? how many years has it been and still only one OEM and one aftermarket wireless CarPlay receiver?

Dangit, just realized that it's not wireless. That seems like a massive oversight. Does anyone know if it's particularly hard to get wireless into a unit or are they just waiting to charge more for it after establishing a price floor for the "basic" model?

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Dangit, just realized that it's not wireless. That seems like a massive oversight. Does anyone know if it's particularly hard to get wireless into a unit or are they just waiting to charge more for it after establishing a price floor for the "basic" model?

I heard they had technical challenges with it. At this point the standard has existed for several years (2015 I think?) so I wouldn't expect it to be a marketing move.

edit: to their credit, Alpine is the one aftermarket manufacturer that DOES have a wireless CarPlay option but that receiver does NOTHING other than CarPlay. I'd like to see a full featured receiver out there with wireless CarPlay as well.

 

[entropys]

Looks like Kenwood have released a whole line of aftermarket head units with wireless android auto connectivity (none previously) but still requires USB for CarPlay. What on earth were they thinking?

 

[ErikGrim]

480px resolution in a 9” screen for $1100. Bargain.

 

[Lancer]

Sorry Alpine but this is still too expensive! Last year I got an Android based system, its designed to fit my dash and is a 10" screen. Unlike this you have many more options when it comes to apps and you're not stuck using the Apple Maps and needing an internet connection for it to work, plus a good data plan. It do come with wifi and BT so you can connect your phone (my iPhone 8 works with it) and you can get real time traffic updates for the iGO navigation. Best part is it cost less than half than this unit.