Pioneer Announces Five New NEX In-Dash Multimedia Receivers With Apple CarPlay Support

Pioneer has announced five new NEX in-dash multimedia receivers for 2017 with Apple CarPlay support. The units feature a redesigned interface, Bluetooth music streaming and hands-free calling, Spotify and Pandora, and compatibility with with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Waze.

The double-DIN 7” LCD AVH-2330NEX and AVH-2300NEX and double-DIN 6.2”LCD AVH-1330NEX and AVH-1300NEX models are designed to complement the smartphone lifestyle of today’s consumer with continuous connectivity and access to a variety of entertainment options. The AVH-3300NEX expands the NEX line-up into the smaller, more universal single-DIN in-dash receiver size, providing for the first time, a smartphone connectivity solution that easily fits into many older and collectible cars coveted by automotive enthusiasts.

“With Pioneer’s new line of 2017 NEX receivers, we’re making in-vehicle connectivity and great entertainment even more accessible by continuing to offer popular smartphone and music services, but at a more consumer-friendly price point,” said Ted Cardenas, vice president of marketing at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Plus, the introduction of the AVH-3300NEX single-DIN option significantly increases the number of compatible vehicles, specifically meeting the demand for the latest smartphone connectivity in a form factor that can be installed into many of the unique, exotic, or simply older vehicles that car lovers drive.”


Smartphone Connectivity:
● Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity – All models feature built-in Bluetooth2 wireless connectivity for convenient hands-free calling and music streaming with compatible Bluetooth enabled devices. Users are able to pre-register up to five smartphones with the receivers, enabling hands-free calling and/or music to be streamed from any of the five previously paired phones, eliminating the need to pair and unpair devices. Additionally, the response time between switching pre-registered devices is faster, as is access to music and contacts stored on the connected device.
● To maximize the connectivity options and call quality for hands-free communication and wireless audio streaming, each NEX receiver features Bluetooth AVRCP 1.6 to provide browsing capability of a user’s media library, and HFP 1.6 with wideband speech for clearer overall sound quality, making it easier to recognize and understand voices during calls.
● Android Auto (AVH-3300NEX, AVH-2330NEX, AVH-2300NEX): Three of the five models feature Android Auto integration, allowing consumers to quickly connect their compatible smartphones to extend the Android platform into the car in a way that is purpose-built for driving. Designed with safety in mind, Android Auto utilizes a simple and intuitive interface to provide navigation, communication, music and more, combined with powerful new voice actions for minimized distraction, so users stay focused on the road. Smartphones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer operating systems offer Android Auto and will work with the three Pioneer models.
● Apple CarPlay (all models): Pioneer’s CarPlay-compatible NEX in-dash receivers offer consumers the ability to upgrade the vehicles they already own with the latest iPhone technology specifically designed for the car. Consumers with the latest version of iOS on their iPhone 5 or newer, including iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6s, can use Siri voice control to make and receive calls, compose and respond to text messages, access Apple Maps for navigation, and listen to their music, podcasts, or iTunes Radio.

Entertainment:
● Spotify – Control content from the Spotify app for iPhone and Android devices as a dedicated source on the receivers. Listeners can now play, pause and skip tracks using the Pioneer controls, and with a few taps, it is just as easy to browse playlists, albums and radio stations on the go. Premium3 users enjoy ad-free, high quality music and can download music and listen offline with no internet connection.
● Pandora Station Creation and Station Presets – The Pandora station creation4 feature enables users to create new Pandora stations while the app is in use with an iPhone device or compatible Android smartphone. Users can simply press and hold a button on the new receivers to create a new Pandora station dynamically from the currently playing song or artist. Pandora enables listeners to store their personalized stations on six presets for easy access on the receiver.
● USB Connectivity – When connected to an iPhone, iPod, portable USB drive or compatible Android device via the USB port, users can use basic controls (Play/Pause/FF/Rev/Random/Repeat) and display track, artist and album information. Android devices must run OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or newer with Android Media Transfer Protocol.
● SiriusXM Radio Connectivity – The 2017 NEX models are SiriusXM compatible with the addition of a SXV300 SiriusXM Vehicle Connect Tuner (sold separately, SiriusXM subscription required). The receivers are also compatible with the Tune Start™, Tune Scan™, Tune Mix and Sports Flash features of SiriusXM.
● HD Radio Technology – For high quality audio broadcasts, the AVH-2330NEX and AVH-1330NEX feature a built-in HD Radio tuner, providing clear digital reception of HD Radio and additional multi-casting programming on HD1, HD2 and HD3 broadcasts from participating radio stations across the country.

Look and Functionality:
● Sleek Visual User Interface – Each display in the NEX receiver lineup is built with a clear resistive touchscreen and 24-bit true color LCD panel, making it more responsive than traditional resistive touchscreens, with increased color depth for brighter colors and more vibrant images. The five models also feature a redesigned UI with large source and system settings icons for easy accessibility and operation.
● Simple Smartphone Connection – When a driver plugs in his or her smartphone to the receiver, the unit is able to detect whether the connected phone is an iPhone or Android device, and automatically brings up the corresponding service on the screen, CarPlay or Android Auto respectively.5
● Waze Accessibility – Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation application. The new NEX units bring the highly popular Waze functionality into the dash of the vehicle on a larger touchscreen display, making it easier to view maps and directions.6 To use the Waze app on one of the five new NEX models, the driver connects a smartphone to the receiver via the smartphone’s corresponding interface cable (sold separately) and opens the application using Pioneer’s AppRadio Mode+, a feature that gives users access and control of popular in-vehicle apps directly from the receiver’s screen.7

Audio Performance:
● Optimized PCB layout for superior audio signal integrity and audiophile-grade capacitors and other components tuned to produce truly premium audio
● 13 band Graphic Equalizer with touch panel swipe setting and built-in high/low pass crossover with expanded adjustable crossover points and slopes
● Built-in Auto EQ and Auto Time Alignment provide customized audio adjustments for the driver8
● Advanced Sound Retriever
● Ability for users to play back full HD videos stored on a USB and NTFS files stored on a compatible external HDD9
● Receivers offer playback of files encoded as high-res FLAC up to 192kHz/24 bit and provide playback output at CD-quality (44kHz/16bit)


Additional Features:
● The AVH-3300NEX single-DIN model features a motorized 7-inch touchscreen display and detachable face for security
● All models are backup camera ready – compatible with many original equipment (OE) and most universal rear-view cameras, including Pioneer’s ND-BC8 rear-view camera (sold separately)
● Width and distance parking reference lines are displayed on the NEX touchscreen to further assist the driver
● The AVH-3300NEX, AVH-2330NEX and AVH-1330NEX also come with:
○ A remote control to conveniently adjust volume, audio source and more
○ Dual camera inputs to help consumers enhance the rear visibility of their existing vehicles, beyond what can be seen in the rearview mirror
● iDatalink Maestro™ support available on the AVH-2330NEX, AVH-2300NEX, AVH-1330NEX and AVH-1300NEX
● Compatibility with Pioneer’s AVIC-U280 outboard navigation system (sold separately)
● USB Quick Charge (all models) – charges 1.5 amp Android devices
● High power MOSFET 50W x 4

Pricing and Availability:
Pioneer’s NEX receivers will be available in July with suggested retail prices of: $600 (AVH-3300NEX), $500 (AVH-2330NEX and AVH-2300NEX), and $400 (AVH-1330NEX and AVH-1300NEX).

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