Alpine Carplay ilx-007 is available

[7racer]

quick update...almost done with the install and putting it all back together. Reason it's taking me so long is that I wanted to do it cleanly. I did buy an iPhone mount and trying to decide if I should just run a long cable to the stock location and throw the phone in the passenger seat or next to my leg or use the mount some where to the left of the dashboard....suggestions welcomed.

What I did was to get the proper mounting sleeve that fits in the place of the stock sleeve so you can properly secure the ILX. But to do this, you have to take apart the dash to remove this piece. I wanted to do it anyways to more easily run the wires and mount the camera adapter part (which is the last piece I am waiting on arriving).

here is a quick pic of the stock sleeve and the new mounting sleeve in the stock plastic surround with the ILX mounted on the new sliders to fit in the sleeve.

 

[7racer]

almost done!!!

Finally got the wires run where I wanted and the car almost all buttoned up! Just waiting for that damn Alpine back up camera adapter and will be all done.

More formal post and write up in a bit.

 

[7racer]

just a quick update. The car is all button up except for the front fiber cover piece that doesn't quite fit. Have to modify it a bit....but almost almost there!

 

[smorgasbord]

I'm curious about what it's like living with this unit, as it appears to be an almost exclusive CarPlay host.

It does have its own AM/FM tuner and provides for connecting a rear camera.
But, it doesn't have built-in Navigation, Voice recognition, Music Player, etc. It relies on CarPlay to supply those things from the iPhone.

So, you get to use Apple Maps. But, you can't use Google Maps, nor Waze.
You get only those Apps Apple has approved for CarPlay, and they're only approving audio apps right now.
You get to use Siri, but only to control the phone. You can't control the AM/FM radio with Siri, nor choose the camera by voice.

Obviously, Apple will approve more apps as time goes on. But right now, is CarPlay plus camera plus AM/FM enough? What do you think your data expense will be? Sounds intriguing, but I'd like to hear from people with experience using something like this long term.

 

[7racer]

I'm curious about what it's like living with this unit, as it appears to be an almost exclusive CarPlay host.

It does have its own AM/FM tuner and provides for connecting a rear camera.
But, it doesn't have built-in Navigation, Voice recognition, Music Player, etc. It relies on CarPlay to supply those things from the iPhone.

So, you get to use Apple Maps. But, you can't use Google Maps, nor Waze.
You get only those Apps Apple has approved for CarPlay, and they're only approving audio apps right now.
You get to use Siri, but only to control the phone. You can't control the AM/FM radio with Siri, nor choose the camera by voice.

Obviously, Apple will approve more apps as time goes on. But right now, is CarPlay plus camera plus AM/FM enough? What do you think your data expense will be? Sounds intriguing, but I'd like to hear from people with experience using something like this long term.

I used it all day yesterday.

I was already using my iPhone for everything in the Roadster. I only used the stock headunit to stream music via bluetooth.

So the use of Carplay is great for me. Even though it's limited, it's already everything I use. You can use Waze as others have reported, you just launch it on the iphone and it will stream the sound just like the current head unit. You just can't control it from the screen.

The biggest benefit IS Siri. Sure you can't control the functions (I tried to tell Siri to increase the volume)...but you can Ask Siri what the weather is, the next movie time, read your text or emails etc...

Controlling the AM/FM and camera is no different than on the stock unit. Just tap the function.

The only big draw back is the Roadster. At speed, the noise is so loud even with the Carplay unit set for noise cancelling, that it's hard for Siri to recognize what you say.

I can easily do it if below 30-40mph or at a stop. But at highway cruising speeds its tough.

 

[Gary1M]

Last month I had the folks at Al & Eds Autosound West Hollywood do the installation of the Alpine CarPlay ilx-007 along with adding a rear camera and speaker upgrade. The improvement over the stock single-din JVC is off the charts in terms of functionality and ease of use. To me it feels like a new car.

I have to agree that Siri is the key add. It didn't bother me the unit doesn't come with its own navigation or voice recognition as I feel the CarPlay functionality suits my needs. The touchscreen is very responsive and intuitive. The only app I've installed and use frequently is iHeartRadio but hopefully more apps come online in the near future.

I've only made a few calls since installation but Siri does a pretty good job of accurately communicating verbal text messages given the noise levels in the Roadster though all my testing has been done at surface street speeds (< 50 mph) with the glass top attached. Placement of the microphone matters as mine is mounted on the steering column which in itself is a big improvement over the tray mount on the stock system.

 

[Fabrizio]

Gooseneck Mount

I used an old gooseneck mount from a GPS unit to mount a remote for my Alpine radio. I attached the holder for the remote to the gooseneck mount with the screws that came with the holder. You could do something similar with a holder for your iPhone. The center console has a flat surface under the buttons for the transmission. I applied a round mounting disk that came with the gooseneck mount and the suction cup attached to that surface very nicely. Here are the pictures:

Question for Gary1M and 7racer: I use the Escort Live app on my iPhone with my radar detector. In order to have audio warnings I connect my iPhone through the 30-pin connector and stream audio through the head unit. Would the Escort Live app work in the same way as Waze?

One thing I have noted is that if you go into a zone with no cellular service, you will not receive any streaming service.

 

[7racer]

it should...so far if the another app is running but puts notifications via audio, it seems to play thru carplay