Sony Intro’s First MirrorLink Aftermarket Car Radios in U.S.

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Sony announced 4 new car radios on Monday including 2 models with MirrorLink (formerly known as Terminal Mode).  It lets the car radio screen literally mirror the display on your smartphone screen, and controls many of the phone’s apps from the radio.

CES logoSony said its new XAV-701HD and XAV-601BT car AV radios will undergo MirrorLink testing and certification and it expects to receive formal certification in the next 4 weeks.

MirrorLink works with Android and Nokia Symbian phones but not the iPhone or BlackBerry.  For the iPhone, however, the new radios have a “Passenger App Control” feature that allows “mirroring” of video from the iPhone and some app control.  For example, users can control a GPS app from Telenav from the radios.

“Android has the largest market share by now in smartphones so we are focusing on Android connectivity, but we also offer for the iPhone, where you can project the image onto the head unit,” said Sony Business Manager for Mobile, Taka Noguchi. “Our engineers have closely worked with TeleNav to not only project the screen image from the phone but to control it from the head unit.”

Both car radios also will work with an optional TomTom module to add navigation, as well.

The radios use WVGA screens with full touch screen capability.

Sony also has a new user interface with 3D visuals and quick response times.

The radios work with Pandora for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry phones, and are SiriusXM satellite radio ready.

The XAV-701HD has built-in HD radio with iTunes Tagging, and the XAV-601BT has a fully detachable faceplate.

They are joined by two entry level AV receivers—the XAV-63 and XAV-64BT, also with app control for iPhone and iPod, and the new user interface.  The 64BT also gives you Bluetooth and can control Pandora music streaming from an Android or BlackBerry phone.

Models  XAV-701HD, XAV-601BT, XAV-64BT and XAV-63 AV receivers will be available this spring and summer for about $700, $550, $400 and $350, respectively.

Two other Sony car radios have Bluetooth with Pandora streaming including the MEX-BT4000P and MEX-BT3000P.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Sony is also showing a line of GS amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers and new marine audio units including a marine audio receiver for about $140.

 

Source: Sony 

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