The industry saw both challenges and innovations in 2018. Pioneer was purchased by Hong Kong firm Baring Private Equity Asia. Avidworx and Clarion were also purchased. Tariffs on Chinese goods disrupted pricing and product plans.
But innovation continued in the category with the first fully wireless CarPlay AND Android Auto radios (from Pioneer). We saw hints of Alexa voice control entering car radios (Kenwood, JVC and Boss Audio) and one of the first 4G dashcams allowing real time glimpses into a car (Waylens).
A few of the above mile markers for 2018 are reflected in the top stories of 2018, which are determined based on the number of clicks each received.
The top story of the year discussed a new low priced CarPlay deck from Sony at a street price that broke the $300 mark.
Here are the top 10 stories in CEoutlook for 2018.
1 Sony Ships Low-Priced CarPlay Deck
Sony began shipping this month one of the lowest priced CarPlay decks from a leading supplier. The new…
2 JL Audio Intros DSP Amplifiers
JL Audio unveiled the VXi car amplifier line today, which consists of eight models, all…
3 Two Audiophile Car Audio Brands You May Have Missed
Two super high end car audio brands are now available in the US under a relatively new distributor…
4 Pioneer Takes Drastic Steps as Profits Tumble
Pioneer Corporation is in talks with various companies to rescue its finances as its OEM automotive navigation sales…
5 Pioneer Gets Last Minute Bailout
Pioneer Corp. received a bailout of about $540 million from Baring Private Equity Asia, just in time to…
6 New Exclusive Distributor for Zapco
Scott Buwalda, a founding member of Hybrid Audio and APEX Co., the parent of Zapco have formed a…
7 Pioneer Replaces Two Limited Distribution Decks
Pioneer Electronics is replacing two CarPlay decks with newer versions under its Limited distribution line. The new models,…
8 Car Audio Officially Zapped With Tariffs
Car navigation devices, including those incorporated in a vehicle, are officially on the list of goods getting…
9 Pioneer is Sold to Hong Kong Firm
Pioneer Corporation announced it will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Baring Private Equity Asia, based in Hong…
10 A Rare Glitch With Apple CarPlay
Some dealers and consumers are reporting a recent glitch using Apple CarPlay with certain iPhones that have been…
