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Former Apple Employees' 'RearVision' Vehicle Camera Launches for $500

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Vehicle accessory start-up Pearl, which was founded by three former Apple engineers, has begun shipping its "RearVision" car camera system to the first round of pre-order customers, while also making the $500 device available to purchase for everyone else on its website. The company announced RearVision back in June, focusing "on the existing install base" of people with older cars by introducing a high tech, attachable license plate accessory that connects via Bluetooth to an iOS or Android smartphone, displaying a 180-degree rear-view field of vision when backing up a car.

pearl-1-800x382.jpeg

Pearl claims that RearVision "installs in minutes," thanks to a "theft resistant" camera frame for a license plate, and a simple dongle that's plugged into a vehicle's diagnostic port. The system also comes with a vent mount for the smartphone, so users can get a hands-free view each time they begin backing up their car. A few other features of RearVision include:
Automatic Updates -- Pearl RearVision is the one backup camera and alert system that will never be outdated. The Pearl App updates just like other apps on your phone, with new features and enhancement delivered automatically.
Dual HD Cameras - Advanced dual HD cameras deliver super-wide views of what's behind your car, and Night Mode provides stunning clarity in low-light situations.
Intelligent Alerts - Audible and visual alerts warn you when objects, cars and people are in your path. It includes a range of alerts, from simple ripple at further distances to a firmer warning when an obstacle is close by.
Hands-Free - Dock your phone in portrait or landscape on the versatile Pearl Phone Mount. Included as part of the RearVision platform, the Phone Mount will also be sold separately at pearlauto.com.
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One of the biggest features pushed by the company is RearVision's ability to "never be outdated," thanks to persistent updates to its smartphone app. Specifically, Pearl stated that by the end of the year the app will gain the addition of back-up path lines, rich notifications on iOS, and app auto launch on Android. With today's shipment announcement, the company said that because "response has been so great" to RearVision, "it could take several weeks to fulfill every order" originally placed over the summer.

In addition to the announcement that RearVision is heading out to pre-order customers, Pearl confirmed that it has partnered with Amazon and Crutchfield so that anyone interested will be able to purchase the RearVision system on either website "this holiday season." Those who would prefer not to wait can purchase RearVision for $499.99 from Pearl's website today, which currently has a 2-3 week shipping estimate for new orders at the time of writing.

Article Link: Former Apple Employees' 'RearVision' Vehicle Camera Launches for $500
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/27/rearvision-camera-launches-500/
Alternatively, you can get an AVIC NEX system with car play enabled and a rear view camera installed for probably $700. If you ask me, I'd rather upgrade my entire system and get a GPS than buy this.
 
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thisisnotmyname said:
"Pearl claims that RearView "installs in minutes," thanks to a "theft resistant" camera frame for a license plate"

third sentence of the article.
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Yeah, that's pretty much useless. You could say that it's theft resistant because it uses screws.
 
MacRumors said:
One of the biggest features pushed by the company is RearView's ability to "never be outdated," thanks to persistent updates to its smartphone app.
Click to expand...
If you buy this, your product may indeed "never be outdated".

However, I hope the company has more products in its pipeline. Starting in 2018, all new cars sold in the US must have standard backup cameras. Their potential market will begin to shrink almost immediately.
 
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Nramos33 said:
I'm sure their theft resistance is basically proprietary screws.
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which is absolutely fine. thieves don't go
around casing license plates for removable cameras. you're average crackhead or punk kid is an opportunist -- they don't carry special wrenches.

this is how we keep our mailboxes, shutters, etc etc attached to our homes in the urban city where i leave.
[doublepost=1474984003][/doublepost]500 bucks....but hey -- free vent mount.
 
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doelcm82 said:
If you buy this, your product may indeed "never be outdated".

However, I hope the company has more products in its pipeline. Starting in 2018, all new cars sold in the US must have standard backup cameras. Their potential market will begin to shrink almost immediately.
Click to expand...

Not sure how a backup camera would work on something like a Jeep Wrangler with a large rear mounted tire, soft top and a license plate mounted on the side...
 
doelcm82 said:
If you buy this, your product may indeed "never be outdated".

However, I hope the company has more products in its pipeline. Starting in 2018, all new cars sold in the US must have standard backup cameras. Their potential market will begin to shrink almost immediately.
Click to expand...


so...number of cars that will be sold in 2018 versus number of exisiting cars without back-up cameras???

There is a HUGE market for these...and yes, that market will shrink, but I wouldn't care since this is a first product that has a guarranteed customer base now. Gives them time to develop something else or just make this better.
 
$500 is remarkable in how expensive that is.

I'd say if you have a car w/o a back-up camera and need one, you should just buy a car that has one. If you're unable to, spending half a grand on a backup camera that could get stolen is irresponsible.

I never use mine because I have full rotation of my body and neck and can check mirrors. I only ever saw needs for these on RVs and huge SUVs. Unfortunately, in USA, new vehicles after 2017 (I think) require them from the manufacturer so anyone buying a new car will have one. Volkswagen moved all of their cars over to these in 2016.
 
If the car manufacturers stopped shrinking and shrinking and shrinking the size of the back windows with every new iteration of vehicle for no good reason but "style", we wouldn't need these GD backup cameras. Oh the madness of it all.
 
MozMan68 said:
so...number of cars that will be sold in 2018 versus number of exisiting cars without back-up cameras???

There is a HUGE market for these...and yes, that market will shrink, but I wouldn't care since this is a first product that has a guarranteed customer base now. Gives them time to develop something else or just make this better.
Click to expand...

Yes, but owners of older cars will not be spending so much money on this and there is always a delay in technological adoption by which many of the cars without a factory camera will be discarded. Plus, many people without a factory camera have already installed one of the cheaper alternative if they had the desire to do so. This product will not be very successful.
 
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