For The First Time, Pioneer Announces Wireless Apple CarPlay Receivers

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There are now five new Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers that add the much desired functionality to compatible vehicles.

Apple iPhones command a significant portion of the market – especially considering that they are just one company that is outselling multiple Android manufacturers combined by a large margin. Accompanying these iPhones are ways to listen to your music on the go: and one of those options is Apple CarPlay.

While some cars come equipped with Apple CarPlay by default, these Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers (Reported on by CarPlayLife) offer the option to put the functionality into your vehicle if you don’t currently have the option to use the feature – or to upgrade to a higher-quality device if you’re not happy with your current receiver.

These Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers are the first of their kind to arrive from Pioneer, and join Alpine’s iLX-107 receiver that has already launched and has been available in limited areas since late 2017.

The lineup of the models are included below.

AVIC-Z610BT – 6.2-inch WVGA Resistive screen, CD/DVD, navigation

AVIC-Z710DAB – 6.2-inch WVGA Resistive screen, CD/DVD, navigation, DAB+, no Android Auto

AVIC-Z810DAB – 7-inch WVGA Resistive screen, CD/DVD, navigation, DAB+

AVIC-Z910DAB – 7-inch WVGA Capacitive screen, CD/DVD, navigation, DAB+

AVH-Z9100BT – 7-inch WVGA Capacitive screen, CD/DVD, navigation

The Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers feature a new and cleaner looking interface that has been updated for the modern aesthetic. It pairs well with the sleek design of the iPhone and its interface, and should help bring the sophistication and intuitiveness of the mobile device directly into your car.

However, despite the update it still looks a little less impressive than the iPhone screen itself. For example, the selection of icons looks dated and appears out of place with the modern look of the rest of the Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers.

The Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers feature a mix of both resistive and capacitive display technology. Unfortunately, we’re still dealing with a WVGA resolution display with a quite low resolution of 800×480. This definitely detracts from the more modern and streamlined aesthetic we’ve seen with the device overall, but it’s still one of the best CarPlay options on the market.

Highlighted in the bullet points of the wireless receivers release was interfacing with Waze – although it seems as if only Android users will be able to receive Wave support from their Android Auto compatible smartphone. This is bad news for iOS users, but the Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers will likely remain some of the best receivers on the market for quite some time.

Although a release date for the Pioneer wireless Apple CarPlay receivers hasn’t been announced, some retail stores are already listing prices for the devices – suggesting that we’ll see a full release sooner rather than later.

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