Pioneer Introduces iPhone App Control Hub

With an in-vehicle infotainment market flooded with apps designed by various developers for various phone manufacturers, there's no wonder the modern-day driver has a hard time making sense of it all. What’s more important, none of the smartphones currently on the market is safe (and at times not even legal) to operate while behind the wheel.

Hoping to steal a fair share of the app loving drivers, Pioneer announced the introduction of an app platform that has it all: size, ease of operation, compatibility with the fourth-generation iPhone and iPod touch.

The platform, called AppRadio, features a 6.1-inch screen designed specifically for safer in-vehicle operation, a built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and an input for an optional vehicle mounted rear facing back-up camera.

That means that starting in late June, when the system becomes available, and for a price of $500, you'll get a dedicated screen on which to run all your in-vehicle apps, or services like Google Maps. The touchscreen of the AppRadio can be used to control some of the features of the iPhone or iPods as well.

“Pioneer is rethinking connectivity by tapping into the power of the smartphone, while simultaneously providing a solution that safely merges the consumer’s connected lifestyle into the vehicle,” said Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for the car electronics division of Pioneer. “AppRadio fully embraces the iPhone, which has become the window to our mobile connectivity and provides a comprehensive and safer way to use apps in the car.”