If you don't have a vehicle with CarPlay installed natively, there are a number of third-party aftermarket CarPlay receivers from companies like Alpine and Pioneer, which can be an affordable way to get CarPlay integration in your car.
Boss Audio, known for its range of car speakers and accessories, recently launched a new CarPlay receiver, the BVCP9685A, and its $250 price tag makes it one of the cheaper CarPlay options on the market. For a limited time, there's a $40 coupon available on Amazon, dropping the price even further to $210.
The BVCP9685A from Boss Audio features a 6.75-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD, and the company says that this new version has a number of upgrades over the prior BVCP9675A option. The unit depth is now 5.3 inches instead of 6.7-inches, with the shallower body allowing for an easier installation process.
With proper car wiring, steering wheel controls and backup camera are supported, and an external mic improves voice pick up when giving voice commands to Siri.
Other BVCP9685A features include Android Auto support, AM/FM radio receiver, RDS and RBDS tuner, Aux and AV input, subwoofer pre-amp outputs, USB charging, multi-color illumination, and true double din.
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Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
What are you talking about???? I fitted an aftermarket head unit like this and it involved none of the steps you described... there are companies that sell specific wiring loom converters so it’s litterally plug and play.. getting the dash open to see what you’re doing takes way longer than the wiring side, but anyone with some practical skills and YouTube can carry out the fitting.
Yea sure if the seller wires the car harnesses to the receivers' wiring for you. But if you don't opt for that route, you have to splice wires and you do that by reading the wiring diagrams. Not every car is the same my friend. [doublepost=1553040209][/doublepost]
I would want wire not wireless and lose audio quality
That makes no sense. The wireless is over WiFi, which by today's standards are at least 300 Mbps. Nothing is lost. Not to mention if it was bad enough to cause audio loss, then it's way too bad to project an interface onto the display.
Having wireless CarPlay would be cool but is it really worth spending an extra $400+ just for that feature? No..
Most of us like to have our phones charging while we drive, so that means we're going to have to plug in a cable anyways. Yes i know there's wireless Qi charging but its slow compared to USB.
That being said, for those interested in a budget CarPlay headunit should really check out the Soundstream VRCP-65. Its currently $199 on Amazon right now and supports CarPlay, Android PhoneLink, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, DVD, etc.
[doublepost=1553026633][/doublepost]So... what's yours? Model and price?
Well, there is a major price difference. Mine's a bit more expensive Mine's an Alpine, and doesn't support Android Auto. Specifically built for Apple Wireless CarPlay. [doublepost=1553026996][/doublepost]
