iPhone Car Stereo Integration – How?

iPhone integrated with BMW Factory Radio using Dice Electronics and Dice G2 Cradle mount.

Having your iPhone hooked up to your car radio is awesome & Driven Audio is Abbotsford’s expert for iPod & iPhone Car Stereo Integration. Simply put iPhone integration is all about getting your favorite music and streaming radio stations into your car stereo system – with great sound quality, ease of use and making sure your iPhone stays charged. It really is simple, but all to often people come to us with bad sounding “fm-modulator solutions” or a mess of cables and adapters stuck to their dash! Who wants to hook their iPod up like that?

Turn your Factory Car Radio into an iPhone Car Stereo

There are two popular methods to turn your factory car stereo into an iPhone Car Stereo. The first option is to use a good quality RDS based iPhone Car Stereo Adapter like those from Dice Electronics. These “black boxes” hook up to the back of your car stereo and stay hidden behind the dash for a clean installation and appearance. They also let you see the song name on your car stereo. You can control your iPhone or iPod using a remote control, or via the iPhone directly (where legal to do so). The Dice RDS solutions also keep your phone’s battery charged while you listen to your music. Ease of use and sound quality wise we give this solution a 3 out of 5 star rating. The big advantage is price, as they are pretty economical.

iPhone in Car adapters turn your stereo into an iPhone Car Stereo with control from your stereo and iPhone Charging.

The second option is to use a data based iPhone Car Integration interface like a DICE Silverline or an iSimple unit. This solution not only gives you great sounding audio, but also lets you control your iPhone from your car stereo or steering wheel controls. All while keeping your iPhone charged in your car. Some units even let you add Bluetooth Handsfree and Bluetooth streaming to your factory car stereo.  We give these solutions a 4 out 5 star rating for ease of use and sound quality. These are the most popular option we have for turning your factory radio in an iPhone Car Stereo.

New iPhones deserve new iPhone Car Stereos

The best way to integrate your iPhone with your car is to put in the latest iPhone headunit technology. This year we have the most amazing solutions shown at CES 2012 by Kenwood, JVC and Pioneer – all with dedicated iPhone Car Stereo Connection capabilities. The new in-dash double-din stereos give you direct control of your iPhone and it’s iTunes library as well as run your favorite apps like Tune-In Radio, Aha, Pandora and more. You can also stream and control Sirius and XM radio without the need for a dedicate tuner. Many offer Advanced App Mode to let you use apps like Motion-X GPS Navigation as your guide while navigating the streets of Vancouver – showing your iPhones display on the radio screen and announcing turns over your car stereo. You control things using your car stereo head unit, keeping you legal while driving.

The Pioneer SPH-DA100 App-Radio - a true iPhone Car Stereo displays apps and phone information on it's screen.

If your looking for the most advanced iPhone Car Stereo’s you need to come check out Pioneer’s App Radio and App Radio 2. These have been designed from the ground up to be an extension of your iPhone in your car’s dash. The list of apps in the App Store designed to work with the App Radios grows with each new release of Apple’s iOS and the new models even work with Android phones.

There is so much you can do with these new units you really need to come in and try one out for yourself. Driven Audio has the best models from each and can help show you how they work and which would be best for your car. So before your next trip out to Chilliwack or into Surrey, come check out our iPhone Car Stereo receiver selection and our store, we would love to give you a tour.