Gadgetory

so you're looking to add angry auto or apple carplay to your commute but you don't want to buy a brand new 2016 model well I've got just a thing here for you it's a pioneer AVH 4100 NEX and it is a in - multimedia receiver that handles both Android auto and apple carplay when you plug an iPhone into the 4100 next the interface is taken over by apple carplay and that gives you big icons for your maps your music all of the basic sort of Apple apps that you'd want to use on the road and you get access to theory so you can hold down a button directions to the nearest coffee shop and you get access to all of the series I free voice commands for navigation for incoming text messages and for initiating hands-free calls now if you're not an Apple user and you have an Android smartphone you can plug that in as well and you'll find that the interface is then taken over by Android auto now the functionality is similar but the sort of interface is a little bit different but you do still get access to navigation using your phone software a couple of audio apps and even things like hands-free calling and voicemail and of course you can voice search things here as well directions to San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is 21 minutes from your location by car and moderate traffic here are your directions now the feature sets for Android idle an apple carplay are pretty similar so it's just a matter of which phone do you prefer to carry around and if you happen to leave your phone at home you have access to a full gamut of digital audio sources including USB connectivity and HD radio so it's got a lot of basics covered right there like the top-end 8100 the 4100 uses a multi-touch touchscreen this is a 7-inch unit the same size as the flagship the only difference is the 8100 use of the capacitive screen and this one uses a resistive screen now if you didn't tell me that this was a resistive unit I wouldn't know it's very responsive Pioneer tells us that this is a specific version of resistive touchscreen technology developed in concert with Google just for this receiver one of the things that's unique to the 4100 is that it has a detachable faith plate if you live in an area where securities are concerning you don't someone's stealing your stereo this is a very nice feature to have and the 4100 the entry model is the only unit in the next series that does this now the 4100 isn't the flagship of pioneers next model it's actually the entry-level unit as an AVH unit it doesn't have built-in GPS doesn't have all the bells and whistles of our current editor's choice 8100 next but in a lot of ways that makes it a better receiver for most users by skimming off all of that stuff you basically get left with a in-dash DVD player that has some pretty good set of audio inputs and most importantly Android auto and apple carplay compatibility right out of the box now what you don't get is the 8100 gigantic price tag at an MSRP of about $700 you can save a lot of money by just getting the features that you need with this entry-level unit so that is the Pioneer AVH 4100 next in a nutshell it's my personal favorite unit in the next line up and that it's the cheapest is a nice bonus I'm an Aswang goon with cnet.com and this is our first look at it