Harman announced it has successfully delivered wireless CarPlay to a German luxury car maker, and is the first to do so.
In a frustratingly vague press release, Harman said it completed “the successful commercial implementation of Apple CarPlay integration through a wireless connection, a first for the connected car industry.”
Harman told MacRumors that it is a German car maker who is offering Harman’s wireless CarPlay, concluding it must be BMW as that is the only car maker to supply wireless CarPlay. The company’s 2017 BMW 5 Series with the feature is just hitting US shores.
Since Harman also supplies car audio to Audi/VW, Mercedes and Chrysler brands, those car makes could be next in line for wireless CarPlay, speculates MacRumors.
On the aftermarket side, Harman is still waiting to bring its wired CarPlay deck, the JBL Legend CP-100 to market. Held up in Apple certification for a year, the CarPlay/Android Auto deck is expected to carry a record low $399 price tag and to ship imminently.
As for wireless CarPlay in the aftermarket, Alpine is due to be first out of the gate with the iLX-107 mechless model (without CD or DVD) announced in January.
With wireless CarPlay you can keep your phone in your pocket or purse but the radio will recognize it and launch CarPlay automatically via WiFi.
Alpine’s iLX-107 uses WiFi 5.4 GHz to minimize interference with other WiFi devices. It has a 7-inch screen and AM/FM radio and a price tag of about $900.
