KEY ADVANTAGES of ANP® CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO RETROFIT:
- Full wireless/wired CarPlay functionality for iPhone 5 or later.
- Full wireless/wired Android Auto functionality for compatible Android phone models.
- Screen mirroring function for iPhone and Android phones.
- Use your favourite phone apps for GPS navigation including Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps and be notified of the live traffic information
- Allows handsfree calling and messaging
- Voice control via Siri
- Play music from your favourite phone apps – audio plays from factory stereo system.
- Can be connected via both Bluetooth or USB port (included in the kit) to keep your phone charged at the same time
- The USB port included can also accept USB flash drive to play music and video
- Full central button control.
- Built-in aftermarket camera interface to allow adding aftermarket cameras.
- Fully plug and play wiring.
- We provide detailed installation instructions.
- One year warranty and lifetime email support.
1. WHAT IS APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO?
Apple CarPlay is a user interface designed by Apple Inc specifically for vehicles. It is designed to display applications from your phone onto the built-in display of your vehicle dash. Android Auto is designed by Android Inc/Google Inc and provides similar features to Apple CarPlay.
Here are some screenshots of Apple CarPlay
Use the Radio App
Use Waze Navigation
Make a call
2. WHAT APPS ARE AVAILABLE WHEN USING CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO?
Messages: iMessage, WhatsApp and various other messaging applications are available when using CarPlay/Android Auto. The driver (or passenger) can write, send and read messages using Siri/voice activation.
Music: iTunes(CarPlay only), Amazon Music, Spotify, Radio Apps such as Radio.net, BBC iRadio and many more can be used with the CarPlay/Android Auto application. Music is streamed from your phone to the CarPlay/Android Auto interface and then through your stereo system into the cabin using the existing stereo system in the car. The IMI-1000 interface will seamlesslessly integrate with your existing stereo system, delivering crisp audio via the auxiliary input on the built-in head unit.
Navigation: Apply Maps, Google Maps and Waze can be used for satellite navigation. The maps are always up to date, will react “real-time” to traffic jams and do not require a subcription unlike the the OEM maps offered by the vehicle manufacturers.
Audio Books and Podcasts: Why not listen to a book or podcast while you drive to work?
3. HOW MUCH DATA IS USED WHEN LISTENING TO THE RADIO OR SPOTIFY ETC VIA CARPLAY?
CarPlay radio/music apps will use around 50mb/hour when streaming music. If you were to drive for 1hr per day for 1 month while constantly listening to music via one of the CarPlay music straming apps, you would require around 1.5GB of data.
4. DO I NEED FACTORY NAVIGATION TO USE WAZE, GOOGLE MAPS AND APPLE MAPS?
No, this is one of the key benefits of our retrofit CarPlay/Android Auto upgrade – our system will effecitly upgrade “non-navigation” vehicles to become “nav-equipped”.
5. HOW DOES APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO WORK?
Apple Carplay and Android Auto work by connecting your iPhone/Android phone to your in-car entertainment system, the iPhone/android phone will tranmit the CarPlay/Android user interface to the vehicles display via the retrofit Carplay/Android Auto interface and also allows the driver to control carplay using the factory fitted entertainment controls such as BMW i-Drive or Audi MMI. CarPlay can connect wirelessly or via a USB cable.
The wireless connection method for CarPlay is shown in the graphic below, you will notice the Bluetooth connection is dropped once the WiFi connection is established. Our retrofit kit has both Bluetooth and WiFi antennas.
6. HOW DO I INSTALL THE RETROFIT CARPLAY SYSTEM?
A small multimedia computer is installed behind the dash, it is connected to the rear of your existing iDrive/MMI/NTG head unit and a wiring loom is provided for “plug and play installation”. It provides an interface between your iPhone/Android phone and the BMW i-Drive / Audi MMI / Mercedes NTG entertainment system. It is very similar to the “factory fit” CarPlay options you see on some new cars except that it has been designed specifically for retro-fitting into older cars which have a built in LCD displays such as the example Audi MMI system being tested in our lab below;
7. WILL THE ROTARY CONTROLLER AND ASSOCIATED BUTTONS WORK WITH CARPLAY/ANDROID AUTO?
Yes, the rotary knob is fully functional and is the main control interface to CarPlay/Android Auto.
8. DOES IT SUPPORT STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS?
Yes, factory steering wheel controls such as volume control, OK and Cancel etc are compatible with the CarPlay/Android Auto interface.
9. I HAVE A TOUCH SCREEN IN MY CAR, WILL A RETROFIT AUTO SYSTEM USE THE TOUCH SCREEN?
Yes it will, if the vehicle has touch functionality then this function is fully compatible with Retrofit
10. IS THERE A MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY?
Yes, a 1 year is offered.
11. WILL THE CAR INTERIOR STILL LOOK AND BEHAVE LIKE A “FACTORY SPEC MODEL”?
Yes, it uses the original LCD display so no additional visible hardware is installed.
