The 7 Best Car Stereos With Apple Carplay
Special Honors
Apple Carplay Features and Benefits Keep abreast of the latest developments on the Apple CarPlay platform via their website. Recent improvements include the ability to lock and unlock your car with your iPhone, and share keys with family and friends. Since the introduction of iOS14, you can also access a number of new app categories and add custom wallpapers to your car's head unit, and all features have the same familiar iOS interface that you have come to know and love. apple.com
Editor's Notes
April 02, 2021:
Car stereos have so much more to offer in the digital age, as they have become extensions of our mobile devices, mirroring most of their functions on vibrant LCD displays, with the benefit of safer hands-free control and calling, thanks in part, to Apple CarPlay and its equivalent counterpart, Android Auto. This ranking focuses on the former, and as Apple's iPhone continues to dominate the mobile market, third-party electronic companies are stepping up in their masses to provide useful accessories and compatible solutions, such as the car stereos listed here.
We particularly liked the Sony XAV-AX8000, which revolutionizes older vehicle consoles with single-DIN radio apertures by providing a large floating touchscreen that measures almost nine inches from corner to corner. It has minimal physical buttons, leaving its interface uncluttered, and can be mounted in a choice of three positions, to help ensure it doesn't get in the way of other controls.
We felt the Alpine iLX-W650 was also worthy of inclusion, being an affordable solution from a well-respected brand. While it does lack some features that adorned its predecessors, such as an integral DVD and CD drive, it does come with a Sirius XM satellite radio receiver kit and has a highly responsive touchscreen, in addition to its wireless capabilities.
Finally, we added the Kenwood DDX5707S to our ranking, as this manufacturer has long been one of the industry's leading brands, and this recent addition to their product line is in keeping with their focus on high-quality sound reproduction. It has an adjustable soundstage that can be tweaked to suit the shape and size of your vehicle, and works with a number of different speaker configurations, to ensure you achieve the best possible results from this affordable unit.
January 20, 2020:
Apple Car Play has been a major advancement in car stereos, and every major player in the market has multiple models that are Car Play compatible; many options are also Android Auto compatible .
We took many details into account when making this list, including the stereo's display size and quality, whether it connected to Car Play wirelessly or wired, audio capabilities, any advanced technology (like iDatalink), other features like Sirius XM or built-in navigation, and more. It is also important to note, Bluetooth connectivity for voice-calling is not the same as wireless phone mirroring,
We favored Double-DIN stereos as they are more prevalent in modern vehicles, however, we made sure to include two Single-DIN models, the Pioneer AVH-3500NEX and the Alpine iLX-F309 HALO9. The Alpine iLX-F309 HALO9 is the higher-end option of the two.
The Sony XAVAX1000 performs the key Car Play functions without breaking the bank. The only drawback here is your phone must be wired by USB to access Car Play. That said, its audio capabilities are excellent.
If you live in an area where cellular service could be unreliable or you just don't like draining your battery for navigation, the Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX has most anything you could want in an aftermarket stereo.
It's important to note that despite our rankings, not all car stereos fit all car models. Please compare the specifications of the stereo you are looking to purchase against your vehicle's audio-technical requirements.