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Pioneer Bringing Apple CarPlay to In-Dash Systems

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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If you're interested in Apple's CarPlay technology but don't have the funds to buy a brand new vehicle, we have some good news.

Pioneer on Tuesday announced plans to add CarPlay compatibility to five of its 2014 NEX in-dash systems, ranging in price from $700 to $1,400, through a firmware update early this summer. The update will let drivers sync their iPhone 5s, 5c, or 5 to the NEX in-car display, and use Siri to get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to their music.

The news follows reports that car electronics manufacturers Alpine and Clarion are working on new aftermarket consoles to support the in-car iOS platform. But Pioneer is the first company to announce it is adding CarPlay support to its existing aftermarket radios.

"Pioneer's years of expertise integrating smartphone connectivity into the automotive environment has provided us the opportunity to be among the first to offer CarPlay to drivers," Ted Cardenas, vice president of marketing for the car electronics division of Pioneer USA, said in a statement. "By providing an aftermarket option, Pioneer's 2014 in-dash multimedia systems give many iPhone owners the ability to add CarPlay to their current vehicles."

The update will be available on Pioneer's AVIC-8000NEX ($1,400), AVIC-7000NEX ($1,200), AVIC-6000NEX ($900), AVIC-5000NEX ($750), and AVH-4000NEX ($700) systems, all of which are currently available at Pioneer dealers like Best Buy, Crutchfield, and Car Toys. For more on the new integration, check out Pioneer's website.

Meanwhile, if you're in the market for a new vehicle, CarPlay will arrive this year in select cars from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Other car makers said to be embracing the technology include: BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota.

For more, see 5 Things to Know About Apple CarPlay.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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