Regardless of what Common Motors needs you to imagine, folks actually need Apple CarPlay of their autos. A major majority of latest vehicles help the know-how, however it wasn’t so frequent just a few years again. Persons are maintaining their autos for longer than ever, and Honda needs to assist maintain some older fashions related by providing a wi-fi Apple CarPlay retrofit for the Accord.
Autoblog discovered in regards to the improve at a media briefing that additionally lined new fashions being launched. The corporate stated that it might supply a retrofit for 2018 by way of 2022 Accord fashions, and Honda homeowners will be capable of go to an online portal by the tip of January the place they’ll schedule the service at a supplier.
Honda began providing CarPlay within the Accord again in 2016, however wi-fi connectivity is a comparatively new characteristic. Regardless of having older {hardware}, the automobile solely wants a software program replace to allow the characteristic, although their lack of a cell information connection means it needs to be completed by a Honda tech.
This is not the primary time an automaker has made newer infotainment options out there to older autos. Mazda made Apple CarPlay and Android Auto out there again in 2018 for previous model-year vehicles with suitable infotainment programs. Although that improve was only for wired connections, not wi-fi just like the Honda improve.
There are tons of DIY CarPlay merchandise out there, together with many with wi-fi performance, however third-party tech merchandise don’t all the time reduce the mustard with regards to refinement and value. They are often clunky and arduous to put in and use. Moreover, altering the prevailing infotainment system isn’t all the time attainable due to its tight integrations with local weather controls and car settings. You might also void your guarantee by fiddling round behind the sprint.
There’s no phrase on plans to supply the replace for different Honda or Acura fashions, and we don’t but understand how a lot the service will price. The aforementioned Mazda improve price $199 when it was launched. That stated, the chance to have a factory-backed wi-fi Apple CarPlay improve is probably going value the associated fee for a lot of, because the not-so-great DIY head items and upgrades could be lots of of {dollars}. And it’s arduous to think about a software program replace being that costly.
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