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Monday, June 10, 2013

Things Pioneer Needs To Work On...

With the announcement of Apple's latest iOS installment, iOS 7, the bar has been raised for Pioneer to make it's current and upcoming head units work efficiently. iOS 7 is completely revamped, some might even say unrecognizable from its predecessor. There are a ton of new features that will make every iOS device running it feel completely new. So what does Pioneer have to do to make the transition a smooth one. Here's my take on it.

No more leaving existing customers high and dry! When AppRadio 2, and subsequently iPhone 5, came out last year first generation AppRadio users were left wondering whether their existing hardware would feel outdated. And getting outdated is exactly what happened to the first generation AppRadio. The iPhone 5 is not compatible with the original AppRadio. Pioneer will tell you Apple is to be blamed for this because it did away with the 30-pin connector and introduced Lightning. Currently there is no converter/adapter/workaround to get the iPhone 5 or other Lightning device to work with the original AppRadio.

While it is safe to assume Apple will stick with their Lightning port for a few more years, iOS 7 is going to be a big difference software-wise. Pioneer will need to adapt to the new operating system. Hopefully there won't be much to be changed. Newer features like 'Siri Eyes Free' or 'iOS in the Car' look desirable and one can only hope Pioneer will somehow be able to provide compatibility in existing hardware (AppRadio 2 or other AppRadio Mode enabled head units).

Here's a list of things I hope Pioneer will consider…

  1. Somehow have AppRadio 3 make our cars 'iOS in the Car' equipped as required by Apple.
  2. Get Siri Eyes Free mode for iPhone available in existing AppRadio 2 and other head units.
  3. Simplify how iOS integrates with the head unit (hopefully as shown by Apple at WWDC 2013).
  4. Reduce cabling. By this I mean have one cable running from the head unit to connect to the smartphone instead of the existing setup (HDMI + USB cable for AppRadio 2/iPhone 5 connection).
  5. Support Bluetooth 4.0 which might at some point help run apps wirelessly.
  6. Reduce warning screens and having to click through approval buttons.
I'm sure this list is incomplete and there are many more requests users have with Pioneer (feel free to comment below). Apple has actively entered the car entertainment arena with 'iOS in the Car'. Although this is a software feature so far and there's no Apple hardware yet, it should make third party manufacturers like Pioneer aware of the threat. However, not many people will want to spend upwards of $25,000 on a new car just to get 'iOS in the Car' features to play with. After-market head units will still be in-demand for some more time, but the question is, will these devices keep pace with where the smartphone industry is headed?

Screenshot source: Apple


  1. I totally agree with you.

  2. I agree that that would be nice however i do not think apple will led us run all the apps we can run now.

    How ever i can confirm that IOS 7 Beta one runs fine with the Appradio app and works without any problem for me. i just tested it with my appradio 2 and iPhone 5

    If you want more info on ios7 beta with appradio let me know.

    1. And i can confirm that IOS 7 Beta one doesn't run on the origianl Appradio, the App does run fine, how ever the Appradio doesn't doe anything and i even got a Windows like error.

      Tested with a iPhone 4S with iOS 7 Beta 1

  3. In my opinion, everything can be solved if appradio would just allow mirroring of the device.

    Why try to build a software to interact with the iphone, when the iphone itself is already running superior software and also more powerfull hardware?

    1. This is the key and it is in the hands of apple.

  4. I have an appradio 1 and I updated my iPhone 4S to iOS 7 and now when I plug my phone into the head unit it either freezes on the home screen or if it allows me to when I tap the apps icon on the head unit it freezes on a black screen and I have to hold the reset button to get it to do anything. Is pioneer working on a firmware upgrade for the head unit or an update to the app? I love my appradio but if it won't work on iOS 7 it time to put it on Craigslist.

    1. I couldn't agree with you more. If I had not paid so much to have it installed or knew how to remove it, I wouldn't even bother to wait for an update. But as of right now, by first generation app radio works fine, just because I have not done the update to iOS7, but I am dying to update it!

