The O’Car, one of the first “next gen” car radios that center around the smartphone, is finding some success at specialists, according to Aamp of America which distributes the O’Car by Oxygen.
And new O’Car models are already slated for introduction in January, said Aamp CEO Ron Freeman.
“It’s one of the most successful products [for Aamp],” he said.
The company sold out of the first two shipments of the radio, which lets you snap your iPhone onto the face of the unit and then your iPhone becomes the radio controller.
Aamp has since received more supplies of the O’Car, but here’s the intriguing part.
Freeman says Aamp is helping train its retailers to go to local AT&T, Verizon and Apple stores and explain the O’Car product and then ask for customer referrals. In other words, an AT&T iPhone customer may want to use the phone in the car. So AT&T could send him to your shop. We thought of it as expediting for the phone shops rather than car dealerships.
“It’s one of the first products that really opens the door to new potential business for the average specialty retailer because the people it appeals to are Apple lovers that would do almost anything to have a device that really simplifies connectivity,” said Freeman.
He believes retailers who market the O’Car and work with local smartphone shops will reap the benefits this Christmas. “We’re looking for a huge season during Christmas because there’s a demand from people looking for a gift to buy their son or husband.”
Aamp expects to introduce new versions of the O’Car at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, including a double DIN version and a radio “offering more connectivity for more devices.”
The O ‘Car faceplate has a ball-mounted tilting system so you can snap in the iPhone and tilt it towards you for easy viewing or swivel it from landscape to portrait. Then you get access to apps and music from the phone. You can also access Internet Radio and video. And the O Car also charges the phone.
The $299 single DIN unit includes an RDS AM/FM tuner, Bluetooth and 55 watt, 4-channel amp. The volume up/down is controlled by the iPhone as is channel tuning and band selection. It may also work with certain iPod touch models.
Source: CEoutlook