Alpine today announced its first aftermarket in-dash receiver with support for Apple’s CarPlay feature for iPhone users. The new Alpine iLX-007 will be the company’s first display to support CarPlay following Pioneer’s rollout of the feature to its latest NEX displays earlier this month. Alpine’s new in-dash receiver features a 7-inch capacitive touch screen comparable to Pioneer’s high end NEX8000 CarPlay compatible model ($1,400), but at a much lower price point of $800 as it lacks other hardware features.

Alpine’s CarPlay offering is still one of the first on the market yet and joins Pioneer in allowing drivers to have CarPlay without buying a new car. Several automakers have already announced CarPlay availability on certain models of new cars, some of which are already on the road, but will require firmware updates in the future before CarPlay is present.

While Pioneer’s CarPlay-compatible aftermarket receivers received firmware updates to certain existing units already on the market, Alpine’s approach is closer to a dedicated display intended for use with the iPhone and CarPlay with a button on the unit dedicated to Siri.

The Alpine iLX-007 lacks many of the features and hardware found on the Pioneer NEX models like a CD/DVD drive and microSD card slot that customers only looking to add CarPlay to their vehicles may not really want or need. Because CarPlay is centered around the content on your iPhone from apps like Phone, Music, Maps, and Messages, Alpine’s display is streamlined for that experience.

This means the Alpine display has a more minimalistic look and offers the better display quality at a lower price point. Below you can see the Alpine iLX-007 as well as its offered features.

Alpine iLX-007 In-Dash Receiver with Apple CarPlay

Audio/video receiver with 7-inch capacitive touch screen

For use with Apple CarPlay to provide a seamless iPhone experience in-vehicle

7-inch WVGA touch screen

Voice-activated controls through Siri

Three 2V preouts included

One aux input

Alpine’s MediaXpander™ technology for improved playback of compressed media

Input for a rear view camera system

Audio, driving directions and phone calls are played through the vehicle’s speakers

Uses Lightning connector

Compatible with iPhone 5 or later including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the latest version of iOs

Compatible with the Alpine TuneIt® App (version 2.0) for customized sound tuning

Both Apple and Alpine announced earlier this year that CarPlay would be coming to the aftermarket displays this fall. For an in-depth look at Apple’s CarPlay with aftermarket displays, check out our hands-on review of CarPlay using Pioneer’s NEX5000.

CarPlay is available for iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 7.1 or higher. CarPlay currently supports iPhone apps including Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and Podcasts as well as iHeartRadio, Rdio, and Spotify. Additional apps are promised including Beats Music, MLB At Bat, CBS News Radio, and Stitcher.

Alpine says its new iLX-007 in-dash receiver is now available through select authorized Alpine retailers with a suggested price of $800.

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