Apple Carplay

[Tonyrodz]

I've been looking for a double din radio for my gf's car. I see Apple Carplay advertised alot. Can someone explain to me exactly what it is and why everyone likes it so much? Could you also get this with dvd/mp3? She also has an Android phone, so no IPhone for her. TIA.

 

[tagexpcom]

Apple CarPlay came with my 2021 Yukon Denali. It connects your iPhone (only 1 phone at a time) to the vehicle dash screen and gives you access to a few apps - navigation, music, call info, .... Here's what my phone looks like on the vehicle display. So far we've used it for Google navigations (as apposed to GMC Nav app) and I've experimented making phone calls from my iPhone call list - the phone call voice is hands-free 'car wide' like OnStar. You can see the music icon.

For android there's an "Android Auto" app that I presume does something similar.

 

[Trey Hardy]

I've been looking for a double din radio for my gf's car. I see Apple Carplay advertised alot. Can someone explain to me exactly what it is and why everyone likes it so much? Could you also get this with dvd/mp3? She also has an Android phone, so no IPhone for her. TIA.

I’ve always ran kenwood double dins
You got to pay more for the additional features like map’s internet series xm…
The car play is like when you get in your phone automatically connects and your messages and phone calls will appear on your radio so it’s “hands free” same goes for the music and what not pandora etc.
My old kenwood don’t have it but even on the new one in my Silverado I hardly ever use the “car play” I just connect to the Bluetooth and use my phone for everything instead of the radio but a lot of people like the “hands free” stuff now a days.
Both can read dvds and also they got adapters out to hook to your rear entertainment so when you watch a dvd up front it’ll play in the rear also.
There’s a certain “parking wire” you can cut to allow it to play movies while your driving if that’s what you want… lol overall my kenwoods have been excellent I’ve had friends with JVC and PIONEERS that were both good as well but I personally diddnt like them as much as the kenwood also the kenwood you could fine tune your speakers to more detail then what they were able to on their radios.

the only pic I got of my radio I’ll get a model # when I get home if you want it. You can upload photos off your phone or usb along with playing a old school ipod I keep one in my glove box hooked up all the time

 

[Tonyrodz]

Thanks for the info @Trey Hardy. So it really isn't all that fantastic then.

 

[Trey Hardy]

Thanks for the info @Trey Hardy. So it really isn't all that fantastic then.

To some yes to me no I’m more old school though I guess I like my old kenwood I got in 2012 better then the 2020 model in the Silverado if you ain’t all about the “hands free” shit I wouldn’t stress it.
However most double dins come with the car play now a days I just found it more aggravating then anything but to each his own

 

[Trey Hardy]

@Tonyrodz this is about the same model in my Silverado if it helps any
Kenwood DMX7706S 6.95" Digital Media Receiver w/Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto https://a.co/d/8wCJzX2

 

[Tonyrodz]

@Tonyrodz this is about the same model in my Silverado if it helps any
Kenwood DMX7706S 6.95" Digital Media Receiver w/Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto https://a.co/d/8wCJzX2

Thx. I've been looking on Amazon for different double din. So many options and features it's making my head spin. Every dd I've had I've bought them used, so whatever options they had--they had. I'm not looking to go all out, but I do want to get something decent that can play dvds. So I'm just browsing for something decent. I've heard all the dds out there use basically the same internal boards--all the same guts.

 

[iamdub]

I've been looking for a double din radio for my gf's car. I see Apple Carplay advertised alot. Can someone explain to me exactly what it is and why everyone likes it so much? Could you also get this with dvd/mp3? She also has an Android phone, so no IPhone for her. TIA.

As the others have said, it basically mirrors the phone so you have a much larger screen to work with and don't have to hold the phone. Also supports talk-to-text. Most, and I mean by a vast majority, aftermarket HUs require the phone to be plugged in to the USB. The high-end units connect wirelessly, and I think it's by WiFi and not Bluetooth. This feature is reserved for the expensive units for obvious reasons. I want a wireless CarPlay HU for the WiFi streaming because Bluetooth is compressed. I can hear the difference when streaming using BT versus plugged into the USB. USB sounds better but the cable is always too short. Even if I had a 20' cable, it just means I'd have 19' snagged somewhere and less than 1' to work with.

I recall a few months ago of someone posting about a Boss HU they put in their NBS and were really happy with it. One or two others had the same one and were happy with it as well.

 

[Trey Hardy]

As the others have said, it basically mirrors the phone so you have a much larger screen to work with and don't have to hold the phone. Also supports talk-to-text. Most, and I mean by a vast majority, aftermarket HUs require the phone to be plugged in to the USB. The high-end units connect wirelessly, and I think it's by WiFi and not Bluetooth. This feature is reserved for the expensive units for obvious reasons. I want a wireless CarPlay HU for the WiFi streaming because Bluetooth is compressed. I can hear the difference when streaming using BT versus plugged into the USB. USB sounds better but the cable is always too short. Even if I had a 20' cable, it just means I'd have 19' snagged somewhere and less than 1' to work with.

I recall a few months ago of someone posting about a Boss HU they put in their NBS and were really happy with it. One or two others had the same one and were happy with it as well.

I never used boss before but I had a Fahrenheit slide out double din back in the day in my 93 that worked pretty good and was only 150-175$ vs 300$ for a name brand one.
@Tonyrodz like I said the kenwoods I got are pretty basic you can get add ons to hook up if wanted for more features but I just use the basic stuff. The EQ has factory settings or you could tune it yourself along with other features to fine tune your speakers that come in handy if your a audiophile at all.

 

[Tonyrodz]

As the others have said, it basically mirrors the phone so you have a much larger screen to work with and don't have to hold the phone. Also supports talk-to-text. Most, and I mean by a vast majority, aftermarket HUs require the phone to be plugged in to the USB. The high-end units connect wirelessly, and I think it's by WiFi and not Bluetooth. This feature is reserved for the expensive units for obvious reasons. I want a wireless CarPlay HU for the WiFi streaming because Bluetooth is compressed. I can hear the difference when streaming using BT versus plugged into the USB. USB sounds better but the cable is always too short. Even if I had a 20' cable, it just means I'd have 19' snagged somewhere and less than 1' to work with.

I recall a few months ago of someone posting about a Boss HU they put in their NBS and were really happy with it. One or two others had the same one and were happy with it as well.

I had an older Boss unit before in my work van. Never gave me an issue.

 

[Jimmyy]

How much of a audiophile is she? If you mess up the balance, fade and what not does she fix it? I know for me it will stay that way until I drive it. Wally world has some cheap units.

 

[Tonyrodz]

How much of a audiophile is she? If you mess up the balance, fade and what not does she fix it? I know for me it will stay that way until I drive it. Wally world has some cheap units.

Not really an audiophile. As long as it sounds clear it's fine for her.

 

[K2 Kaiju]

With an Android phone, she will be using Android Auto, not Carplay, but they are similar. AA allows her (likely much more expensive and advanced) phone to do all the processing work so you wont have to update the HU. Several apps work well with AA: Spotify, Maps, Waze, YouTube Music, WeatherRadar and Audible are some useful ones. You can also do voice commands for phone calls or google searches. Most aftermarket HU have a really ****** NAV that you need to install an antenna for - AA uses the phone's Maps or Waze which blow away my factory NAV.

I really dig AA and I am not happy they are dropping it for their own fee based system (even though its google based as well). I'm paying enough already for my phone - it updates fine on its own, and GM will no doubt fuggit up for sure like the updates they have squanched for the Colorado and T1s. I would say it is a must have feature on any aftermarket HU I would put in...

 

[Scott in AZ]

Apple CarPlay is awesome. Everything already said but also the voice interface is intuitive and reliable. If your GF is on the Apple infrastructure then it’s the way to go. But I think you say she’s on Android. In that case Sony is still a good option but it’s wired not wireless. Also, my recommendation is stay away from CD Player. Nobody wants to carry them around in a car. It makes the head unit a lot bigger with lot of moving parts. You won’t miss the CD player. At home - the sound is better than most streaming. But in a car the audio juice is not worth the squeeze.

I’m running wireless CarPlay thru Bluetooth (not Wi-Fi) in my 2001 Yukon on a $600 Sony head unit, but there are less expensive Sony options. I paid up for capacitive touchscreen. I’m running door speakers thru the OEM amp (which I find to be pretty good…) but I powered a new 8” sub thru a 1-Channel amp under the center console cup holder.

The user interface and features like PodCast, Waze Navigation, back-up camera and Messaging over audio are superb. The GUI in my 2001 Yukon is better than on our 2016 Acura. (Much better, but it’s not a high bar).

Nobody regrets CarPlay. I understand GM’s decision to move away from it on their future models but I think it’s a mistake. There’s Apple and then there’s Android and everybody else, right. Proprietary OEM phone integration software is going to be a challenge.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Tony, if your GF has an android phone, then Android Auto is the app that she'd use with the new head unit. Android Auto is installed (or nowadays, comes pre-installed) on the phone, and no other app installations are needed. As stated above, I'm a Kenwood person, as well, and that brand has always treated me well.

Go to Crutchfield.com to search for your new head unit. Even if you don't purchase from them, their technical assistance team is very knowledgeable and more than willing to assist.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Tony, if your GF has an android phone, then Android Auto is the app that she'd use with the new head unit. Android Auto is installed (or nowadays, come pre-installed) on the phone, and no other app installations are needed. As stated above, I'm a Kenwood person, as well, and that brand has always treated me well.

Go to Crutchfield.com to search for your new head unit. Even if you don't purchase from them, their technical assistance team is very knowledgeable and more than willing to assist.

Good call about Crutchfield. I forgot about them. Thanks.

 

[ccole]

I see that this post is a couple weeks old but these Joying Radios are very impressive and Integrate very well with our trucks.

They are also built to fit our dash perfectly. I have chatted with numerous guys that run the Joying in their SQ competition vehicles with great results.