30 Percent of Aftermarket Radios Have This Feature

Close to a third of aftermarket car radios this year include Internet radio capability, such as control over Pandora on an iPhone, said the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) in its July report on car audio aftermarket sales.

Total aftermarket autosound sales (excluding portable navigation devices, PNDs) for this year, will drop almost 4 percent in dollars to about $1.4 billion wholesale, according to the revised 2015 CEA report.

PNDs themselves should drop by 19 percent in units and dollars this year with 11-13 percent declines each year through 2019.

In car radios, stereo Bluetooth  for audio streaming and handsfree calling is now in 47 percent of head units, expected to climb to 63 percent by 2019.

Mechless car radios are expected to see a 20 percent climb in unit sales this year reaching 8 percent of aftermarket head unit sales.  By 2019, CD-less car radios should account for 12 percent of car radio shipments to retailers.

HD Radio is found in about 7 percent of head units, expected to hit 9 percent in 2019.

CEA data shows that OE integration device sales are falling this year by 5 percent in units and 7 percent in dollars to $111 million (down from $119 million in 2014), as sales of iPod adapters decline.

Total aftermarket head unit sales will fall by 6 percent in dollars this year to $419 million. But unit sales will remain almost flat, falling only 1 percent to 5.1 million shipments to retailers.

The CEA expects flat speaker sale shipments and a 2 percent speaker decline in dollars to $313 million.   But speakers should hold steady or slightly up in sales through 2019.

Amplifier sale sales should rise 2 percent this year in units and 6 percent in dollars to $162 million.  Amp sales should also gain slightly by 2019.

Again, it should be noted that the CEA does not track many categories carried by car audio retailers such as remote start, sound dampening material and window tint.