One rule of the valley is if you find out a start-up is made of mostly ex-Apple people, run away in a screaming panic. They have the Steve Jobs Distortion Field but not the capital to back it up.
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Dozens of Former Apple Employees Team Up to Launch ‘RearVision' Vehicle Camera
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I thought about that but without the dongle which I'm sure is serialized to work only with that camera unit, it wont work. So its useless to seal. Also if someone really wanted to steal it, they can run to their local hardware store and get a screw driver, its not like its an iPhone screw (thats a joke because even that can be unscrewed, albeit a harder task since its one of those annoying screws)
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Even if it doesn't use a proprietary screw, it relies on that dongle which I'm sure is serialized to work with that camera unit. Thiefs will not be able to plug and play if they steal it, they will likely need to find another dongle and setup with the camera unit.
Oh absolutely, a backup cam is a highly useful safety feature. But why pair it to one's cell phone? A dedicated display is the way to go because it just works, no pairing or switching apps, and if you forget your phone you still have a backup cam.
If it worked with my old iPod Touch that I could permanently mount in my 2001 Corvette, I would probably give it a try for maybe $250.
I have never owned a Smart Phone and have no plans to ever own one. I realize I am the only person that applies to, but even if I did have an iPhone, I would not want to use it that way. I would much rather have a dedicated screen. At $500, that is a thieft magnet as well - not to mention them breaking the window to steal the companion dongle!
They have identified a big market, but missed on price and implementation.
I have never owned a Smart Phone and have no plans to ever own one. I realize I am the only person that applies to, but even if I did have an iPhone, I would not want to use it that way. I would much rather have a dedicated screen. At $500, that is a thieft magnet as well - not to mention them breaking the window to steal the companion dongle!
They have identified a big market, but missed on price and implementation.
Hello people are going to steal this thing! People that made this must live in very nice neighborhoods. Its like taping an iphone to the outside of your car and saying "come and get it!"
So they released a $500 product that you can buy from any asian tech website for $50?
[doublepost=1466573843][/doublepost]So they've invented this? $149
https://www.amazon.com/4UCAM-Backup-Camera-iPhone-Android/dp/B00HWB91VY
Or you can buy any of the dozens of ones that come with a built in Android display in your mirror for $50
[doublepost=1466573843][/doublepost]So they've invented this? $149
https://www.amazon.com/4UCAM-Backup-Camera-iPhone-Android/dp/B00HWB91VY
Or you can buy any of the dozens of ones that come with a built in Android display in your mirror for $50
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Neat idea but I'm guessing cost prohibitive. I just bought a kit off of amazon that out annlcd in the rear view and mounted to the rear plate frame similar to this, though somewhat less elegant looking. Cost me $35 and about two hours of time, though that was because we basically "winged" the install; had we been prepared in sure itncoukdnhave been done under an hour.
Long story short I just don't see this as being a product too many will want. Sure, it's better then the competition, but in unsure if it's better enough to demand the inevitable huge price leap.
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Never had to worry about a hitch but I have friends who deliver trailers across the country and agree with your assessment.
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Long story short I just don't see this as being a product too many will want. Sure, it's better then the competition, but in unsure if it's better enough to demand the inevitable huge price leap.
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I've found that it gives great peace of mind knowing whether there is a little person (child) scurrying behind your car. There are often half a dozen kids playing ball outside, especially now that school is out.
Never had to worry about a hitch but I have friends who deliver trailers across the country and agree with your assessment.
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I feel like most CarPlay units are going to be those already sold with the vehicle. I don't see a lot of people installing third party CarPlay units, though I could be wrong here.
I have $500 to spend on something like this and own a 1999 Jeep. I'm not going to spend $500 because Jeeps are just not that big.
Google "surround view". It uses multiple cameras (usually one front, one rear, and one under each side mirror) to digitally stitch together an "overhead" view of your surroundings.
That's a BMW version above, but other luxury cars also have it as a factory option.
Aftermarket kits run anywhere from $250 on eBay from China, to thousands of dollars installed locally.
I think that, just as with backup cameras, one day this tech will also be common on every car.
By then, of course, luxury cars will also be using more cameras and flexible OLED display panels wrapped around the inside pillars to make the pillars appear to be "invisible", something which is already being shown in concept cars.
(The same see-through technique has been proposed for the headliner, which along with the pillars, would make the roof appear to be a virtual "convertible", but without the wind. Hey, as long as they don't do the floor. That could freak out passengers!)
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This thing is ridiculously over priced and the use case seems a bit awkward. As others have said, the automatic nature of a backup camera is what makes it so useful. I just installed a new Pioneer CarPlay enabled head unit that cost a little more than this thing, and bought a backup camera for $30 - https://www.amazon.com/Esky-EC180-1...qid=1466595874&sr=8-12&keywords=backup+camera that works extremely well. I am not that worried if someone steels a $30 backup camera, but a $500 one I'd definitely think it would be gone in a few days. Mine draws power from the backup light bulb, so no batteries to wear out and solar panels, etc..
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I agree, but...
Its appeal will be to car owners who are either unable or unwilling to crimp some wires to make the far less expensive units work. As usual, such people will be financially taken advantage of, but at least they can add the unit themselves (assuming the ability to use a screwdriver!).
So I think we have to admit that it fills a market niche, especially in this day and age.
As a side note, this feels like something that will be sold in Brookstone stores or in Hammacher catalogs, and will make a popular gift. I'm beginning to think they actually have something here.
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Then you would also have about 2 minutes worth of time to google search a device like this and realize you can get the same exact device for $50-$150.
You make a great point, if Brookstone can sell 90% of the junk they stock and survive then it's a much smaller stretch to see consumers paying $500 for this.
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Fascinating. When I leased my vehicle I looked at BMW and Lexus first and did not see any mention of this as an upgrade for 2016, but possibly it was hidden inside a package. Google search doesn't reveal much other than a patent, and the Cadillac CT6 being one of the first to have it. I'd be curious on the addon packages, I could see adding something like this on my vehicle. It should be mandatory in NJ.
I still have trouble trusting my blind spot detectors in my vehicle. They seem to lack a human element to them. Often you have to slide into a small opening, but if you listen to the detector you would never be able to get over. Other times you may not be going substantially faster than the other vehicle, yet you are already past them and can safely switch lanes, but the detector disagrees. It's these times of uncertainty which add a second of decision making where a second matters a lot.
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In my home province of BC (canada), it's a $500 ticket for anyone caught looking at their phone while driving- including maps. And if you do end up in an accident and you were using this device at the time, the insurance company wouldn't cover you.
Define "modern" I'd say the market was more for newer than 10 year old cars that don't have that feature since it often was an expensive option. Many used late model BMWs I've seen on a dealer's lot don't have that option, or often not even the premium luxury package, for example. My guess it simply was too expensive when the car was bought new so the original purchaser did not add it to the order.
Yes, there are adaptors, but many I've seen only provide power and speaker connections, not one to the fiber optic bus such as BMW's MOST; resulting in the loss of features such as steering wheel controls, SOS, factory amp, etc. I've seen people relocate the BMW factory head unit to the trunk to keep the features it runs separate from the radio. It's not that it can't be done or there are adaptors, it's just that even many 10 year old cars have computer systems that make the job much more challenging.
For example, when I did a factory bluetooth retrofit to my e90 I had to reroute MOST cables in the junction box, move cabling pins to the overhead console, and reprogram the vehicle order. I'm not sure what impact disconnecting the MOST connections would have on the system, in terms of trouble codes, with a non-factory radio.
Sure you can tap into a tail light bulb for power, until the car's computer senses a change in resistance and throws a bulb out error, or has issues with the increased current draw. Not all cars do that; but my broader point is that for many cars the integration of a fiber optic bus with the traditional radio wiring make putting an aftermarket radio a lot more complicated if you want to retain the functionality built into the factory head unit. That doesn't even get into the need to relocate switches separate from the radio that are built into the trim piece that holds the head unit. YMMV
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So I can look at a paper map but not an electronic one? We have similar laws where I am but they are really enforced.
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I think they have a niche as well. As for crimping wires, some car's computer systems will cause problems if that is done. For example, I can add a trailer hitch to an e90 but need to use BMW's (expensive) wiring harness to avoid potential problems with trouble codes. There are after market ones but they aren't cheap either since you can't just splice into your brake lights for the trailer's system; like you can with many other cars.
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For a little over $300 you can pick up one of these https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Univ...1466618049&sr=8-3&keywords=pumpkin+car+stereo
WiFi hotspot, Navi, DVD, BT and includes a backup camera. Bought one for my son and put it in his 2006 Mustang GT, works great and has more tech than any factory installed unit.
$500 is way over-priced!
Now the factory surround view is awesome, my 2016 Equus has it and I love it, I can choose from a variety of views including front camera at slow speeds.
WiFi hotspot, Navi, DVD, BT and includes a backup camera. Bought one for my son and put it in his 2006 Mustang GT, works great and has more tech than any factory installed unit.
$500 is way over-priced!
Now the factory surround view is awesome, my 2016 Equus has it and I love it, I can choose from a variety of views including front camera at slow speeds.
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