Pioneer pioneers first iOS-compatible car stereo

Pioneer has introduced an in-dash entertainment system that’s compatible with your iPhone.

The company, which specializes in high-end automotive entertainment technology, unveiled AppRadio this week, and said it will begin shipping in June for less than $500.

The device itself doesn’t have any form of iOS built in, but it is specifically designed so that when a user plugs in an iPhone or iPod Touch, it will have seamless connectivity so that it is almost like having an iPhone in the middle of your dash.

It sports a 6.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, and mounts into where your car stereo normally sits. It supports a full range of gestures and will actually allow users to launch and interact with apps directly from the console.

It is not just a direct video output of the iPhone screen, though. The functionality was specially created for in-car use, giving users quick access to the most likely apps like radio, video, and GPS content.

A lot of the apps, though, are disabled so as to prevent drivers from being distracted. For example, users cannot create a radio station in the Pandora app, but they can freely listen to any station that’s already been created.

When it launches in June, AppRadio will be available in all the major big box stores.