Expect Larger 12V Aftermarket Radio Screens

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As pointed out in USA Today, screens are getting bigger on the dashboard, just as they’ve upsized in our livingrooms.

Lexus wide screen
Lexus GS screen

The trend is apparent in new vehicles and is working its way into the aftermarket.

The Lexus GS now has a 12.3-inch display so it can show a split-screen image with a map on one side and radio/HVAC controls on the other. The Tesla Model S due this summer will have a 17-inch screen.

In several Ford models, the screen is (or will soon be) 8-inches, up from 6.5 inches.  The same is true in Hyundai’s 2013 Santa Fe crossover with an 8-inch screen.  And the BMW 7 series display is now up to 10.2 inches.

The aftermarket is also starting to see a migration to larger screens.  Alpine will ship in June, the first aftermarket head unit with an 8-inch screen—the INE-Z928 at $1,499.95.  The company is also looking at other screen sizes, said VP and GM Aftermarket Business Unit, Steve Crawford.

Sony is also examining the trend and watching to see if the industry coalesces around a single larger screen size.

Of course, departing from the traditional single or double DIN opening poses several problems, said Sony Business Manager for Mobile Taka Noguchi. “We want to look at a [larger] screen size that would fit in most OEM cars, but we don’t have that info yet.  So, at this moment, we should wait and see how the trend develops.”

Simply making a DIN sized radio with a large overhanging screen could pose problems as it might interfere with climate control knobs and other dash buttons.   “So we have to research well,” Noguchi added.

Earlier this year Power Acoustik introduced a single DIN car radio with an overhanging 9.3 inch tablet for a screen at $399.

Source: CEoutlook via USA Today

Photo via USA Today

 

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