Car electronics maker Alpine will begin offering an aftermarket console that will support Apple’s CarPlay vehicle integration features. Japanese newspaper Nikkei says Alpine’s console, likely the first independent CarPlay device, will land in the U.S. and Europe later this year at a cost of between $500 – $700.
While CarPlay will be found in a number of announced and upcoming vehicles from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, GM, and Honda, the integration of the system into older vehicles has been a topic of much discussion in recent months.
Pioneer Electronics and Kenwood have both expressed interest in integrating CarPlay compatibility in future products, however nothing has as yet come to fruition.
Automotive accessories company Clarion has also hinted at the possibility of including CarPlay in its aftermarket systems, stating that they will eventually support CarPlay in both their OEM and aftermarket systems at some point in the future.
Apple’s CarPlay iOS vehicle integration system allows an iPhone to take over the display in a car’s console, allowing Siri voice controlled access to such features as navigation, phone functions, messaging, and music control. The feature requires an iPhone 5/5c/5s running iOS 7.1.
