Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
If you are a tech lover, the new Mercedes A-Class Sedan makes a strong case to be your next vehicle purchase. That’s especially true if you have some disposable income but are working within a reasonable budget. The Tesla Model 3 would be its closest competitor when it comes to in-vehicle technology, but not everyone wants to go all-electric. Range anxiety is a real thing. Read more
As the Head Writer at 1sixty8 media and the Editor-in-Chief here at BestCarAudio.com, I manage to write between 20,000 and 25,000 words a week on various aspects of the mobile electronics industry and aftermarket accessories. You’d think that given that level of immersion in the industry, it would be hard for me to think about anything other than aftermarket accessories and Read more
Years ago, upgrading your car stereo meant buying a new radio that would play MP3 files or that included Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming. As automobile manufacturers have increased their interest in providing advanced infotainment features, the aftermarket head unit industry has evolved away from conventional single- and double-DIN radios with segmented Read more
When you go shopping for an item, how do you know if the product is worth the price listed? Have you ever heard the term “price marketing”? It’s a term that I started using a few years back, and the concept isn’t new. Here’s what price marketing means: Two companies have similar products and intend to sell them through the same retailers. Even with similar manufacturing and Read more
Nobody will deny that the Apple iPod is single-handedly responsible for a massive shift in the portability of music. Sure, the Walkman and Discman were important components in the history of portable media players, but those technologies supported existing music formats in the form of cassettes and compact discs. The iPod embraced digital media file formats, and though Apple Read more
In 1982, Michael Knight was able to talk to his 1982 Pontiac Firebird and ask it for navigation directions. Of course, watching “Knight Rider” meant that we understood that KITT was make-believe. Fast-forward 35 years, and talking to our vehicles is now a reality, thanks to our smartphone.The modern smartphone, be it an iPhone or a device running the Android operating Read more
On Sept. 17, 2018, Apple launched iOS12 – its latest update to the operating system behind its venerable iPhone and iPad devices. Aside from security updates, performance enhancements and battery life improvements, Apple has added support for third-party applications to CarPlay. Users of factory-installed and aftermarket multimedia receivers that support CarPlay will now be Read more
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration systems are extremely popular features found in aftermarket source units from all the key brands. The technology behind CarPlay and Android Auto continue to evolve, and in the summer of 2017, the aftermarket industry saw the introduction of wireless CarPlay connectivity. Android followed suit in 2018 with a comparable Read more
Sony has been steadily increasing its share of the head unit market with the introduction of feature-packed solutions that continue to give consumers the connectivity and source options they want. The latest addition to Sony’s source unit offerings is the XAV-AX5000, a 6.95-inch multimedia receiver with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth. The XAV-AX5000 is the first Read more
