Today, most car radios are equipped with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. If you are looking for a solution, find our guide to find the best Android Auto and Apple CarPlay car radios.
Day by day, technology continues to improve to make our comfort while driving a vehicle more pleasant. To do this, these “connected” car radios allow you to always keep your eyes on the road, while taking advantage of the functions of your smartphone. This is no longer the case with electric cars now.
In today’s market, there are two widely used solutions: android auto et Apple Car Play. These two systems offer an almost similar user experience that allows you to connect your smartphone via USB or Bluetooth to take advantage of all the content on your phone: GPS functions (with Google Maps or Planes), receive/transmit calls and SMS, listen to music on transmission through Spotify, Apple Music or others with good sound quality, and many more. Everything is managed thanks to voice commands that offer drivers a certain freedom behind the wheel.
Above all, these car radios improve driving. Without disturbing concentration on the road, they provide us with tons of information in real time (weather, road conditions, alternative routes…). This is clearly a much improved headset.
Sony and Pioneer are two major players in this market and offer many models, all different. We have selected the best references to help you in your choice. Follow the guide!
Alpine iLX-W650BT: The best model available
In the high-end market, several competitors are trying to find a place in the sun with quality car radios. If you want to get away from the Sony/Pioneer prism, the Alpine Europe brand is an alternative. Before you continue, know that it has nothing to do with its Renault namesake.
The Alpine iLX-W650BT is a product primarily intended for cars with standard 2-DIN space. It has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Bluetooth connection in its version 4.2 allows it to be adapted to smartphones or even iPhones. The sound power is provided by 4 16 Watt speakers.
If the implementation is straightforward, the Alpine iLX-W650BT is still quite expensive. In fact, the car radio is available at the recommended price of 549 euros.
Why choose the Alpine iLX-W650BT?
- easy to install
- Your ability to connect
- CarPlay compatible and Android Auto
Sony XAV-AX8000: the safe bet
This is the best of the car radios in our selection. In this case, the Sony XAV-AX8000 is the product of excess with a superb 9-inch touch screen. Thanks to this, it can act as both a connected dashboard and a stereo system. It is the ideal accessory to install in slightly older cars.
The connection component is guaranteed by the presence of a USB port that allows you to connect your smartphone. The alternative is to use a Bluetooth connection. Sound quality is further enhanced by the built-in sound amplifier offering 4 x 55W of power and an Extra Bass mode for more punchy sound.
Installation means that the screen can be tilted in three different ways depending on your driving position. Installation is simple and, above all, the Sony car radio is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sony even implements the Weblink system to display the smartphone screen on the screen.
Why choose the Sony XAV-AX8000?
- Its large touch screen
- sound quality
- CarPlay compatible and Android Auto
Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB: the best alternative
The Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB car radio is a true multimedia player to put inside your vehicle. With its 7-inch touch screen, it offers intuitive connectivity with most smartphones. Its amplification offers a power of 4 x 50 W, which offers good sound quality.
Compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it’s very easy to connect your smartphone (or tablet) via USB or Bluetooth so that the smartphone’s menu can be accessed on the touchscreen. The USB port also allows you to connect other peripherals, such as a USB key containing your favorite content. It is also compatible with DAB+ for radio.
Why choose the Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB?
- A true car multimedia player.
- Great compatibility with different audio and video formats.
- A good price-performance ratio
The Pioneer SPH-DA230DAB car radio is usually displayed at 550 euros including import costs.
Sony XAV-AX100: the best possible sound
The Sony XAV-AX100 is a double DIN car radio model. It offers a 6.4-inch touch screen (that is, a diagonal of 16.3 cm) that is quite responsive and of good quality. From the interface, you can easily access most of the features of your smartphone. Thanks to the 4 x 55 W amplification it offers a very satisfactory audio quality.
Compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, navigation is greatly facilitated through the Google Maps and Plans applications. By integrating voice commands, you just have to talk to him to choose a route, change the music.
This model is also available with the option of a DVD player, but it is also possible to connect other peripherals such as a reversing camera (which requires specific knowledge to install).
Why choose the Sony XAV-AX100?
- Sound quality
- Possibility to add a DVD player and a reversing camera
- A good price-performance ratio
Like the Pioneer reference above, the Sony XAV-AX100 can easily be found for less than $400.
Junsun: the Chinese manufacturer for specific models
The other alternative to the ubiquitous brands in the connected car radio sector is to turn to Chinese companies. On the Aliexpress site, you can, for example, discover car radios of the Junsun brand. The operation of the products is a bit special since they are usually oriented for a certain model of vehicle. For example, the product will not be identical if you have a Clio 4 or a BMW. For the installation, it will be necessary to show a little ingenuity, but the installation is as simple as for the models mentioned above. Most of the car radios on offer are compatible with Apple CarPlay and for Android Auto, you will have to go through an APK to take advantage of it.
How to choose the right car radio?
Now that you have seen different compatible car radio models android auto et Apple Car Play, now you need to know which one is compatible with your vehicle. To do this, there are several things to consider.
The size: 1 DIN or 2 DIN?
The term “DIN” refers to the size of the space provided for the car radio in the car. There are only two formats on the market: 1 DIN either 2 DIN (double DIN).
1 DIN car radios have a height of approximately 5cm, this is the standard location found on most car models. They offer the advantage of practicality due to their reduced format compared to double DIN, generally with a removable part to store your car radio in the glove compartment.
2-DIN car radios are twice as high, or about 10 cm. Therefore, it is necessary for the car to have two compartments to accommodate a car radio of this size. If this is not the case, the storage compartment under your radio compartment can be used (in some cases) as a secondary compartment to install a double DIN car radio. Very often, they have the advantage of offering a screen that can go up to 7 inches with many options.
Feel free to check your vehicle’s manual for its specifications before purchasing a new car radio.
What car radio connected for my car?
Most cars have a basic car stereo. As mentioned above, the sizes referred to as “DIN” indicate the space provided to receive your car radio. However, please note that some models on the market are designed exclusively for certain car models. If you are a bit of a handyman and your car is a bit modern, it is even possible to install a reversing camera.
Do I need to make additional purchases?
If the car radio complies with the ISO standard (followed by the vast majority of car manufacturers), it is easy to install, since it is compatible with your vehicle. However, this is not always the case depending on the different models. Brands may offer adapters to make connections in:
- food : If it is not ISO compatible, you will need to provide an ISO compatible harness depending on the brand of your car radio.
- the antenna: Similarly, an antenna adapter will correct the problem if the car radio is not ISO compliant.
- The speakers : most vehicles are equipped with 4 speakers and car stereos are usually suitable for this configuration. However, some older vehicles may have fewer speakers in the cabin. Therefore, new speakers will need to be purchased if you want to get the most out of the sound from your new car radio.
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