Over half of 2009 vehicles in America will offer iPod support

And we're not talking about that 3.5mm-to-3.5mm trick, either. No sirree, we're referring to bona fide iPod integration, and 2009 marks the first year where over half of all US-bound automobiles are expected to offer optional support for Apple's prolific PMP. When looking at 2008 model year vehicles, just 39% offered tight iPod integration, but according to Phil Magney, vice president of automotive research for iSuppli, the "automotive industry is at the point where in-vehicle technologies -- or the lack of them -- are influencing sales." Furthermore, Bluetooth is expected to be in 82% of 2009 US vehicles (optional or standard), and just so we're clear, we're talking all cars, not just the luxury brands. Unfortunately, no data was provided for expected compatibility with the DJ Ditty.

[Via Wired, image courtesy of JPMagazine]

[Jeff Stoelker @ Oct 15th 2008 9:27AM]

just offer USB support to support any type of HDD or flash drive.

[turn_self_off @ Oct 15th 2008 9:39AM]

indeed, altho the ipod interface is both stereo out, power and control in, so when the ipod is plugged in, its doing the whole music thingy (complete with that "magical" play count database), not the cars own audio unit.

it kinda worries me how much of a presence such a proprietary connector has these days...

[Maestro @ Oct 15th 2008 9:42AM]

My 08 CTS has this. It has an iPod connector and also a USB port that will support a bus powered HDD or a Flash drive.

[Matthew @ Oct 15th 2008 10:09AM]

You probably already know this, but if not, the Ford SYNC system is quite impressive. Perhaps more importantly, as you indicated, it uses a simple USB connector. If you want to connect to iPod you use your standard USB->iPod cable. If you want to use hard drive, flash drive, or anything else it works just the same.

[Jeff Stoelker @ Oct 15th 2008 11:22AM]

my G37 does not have USB support, only ipod and CF support. my thing is, id rather use a 16GB flash drive for $30 than have to rely on a bulkier ipod to play music in the car. but then again i primarily use the hdd in my car anyway. but for those who dont have the hdd in the car, i think it would still be nice to use just a usb flash drive than the ipod.

[solarbuddy @ Oct 15th 2008 10:19PM]

Too true! I have JVC deck with a moderately functional USB jack. Sadly, it won't even look for files on the USB drive if there is ANYTHING there except mp3 files (i.e., PortableApps kills it dead). Car stereo stuff is *so* lame--this pod-mania just proves it.

[Pwnge @ Oct 15th 2008 9:28AM]

Ha yeah, I got my ipod stereo installed in my subaru by the one and only firedog in circuit city,
so I prefer aftermarket systems!

[7on @ Oct 15th 2008 9:33AM]

You couldn't install it yourself?

[Kamokazi @ Oct 15th 2008 9:40AM]

@7on

Subaru, iPod, having someonie else do anything remotely technical....

You know what type of person he is...you actually think he is capable?

[Skeezle @ Oct 15th 2008 9:53AM]

So what exactly does it say about someone who has a Subaru & an iPod?

Seriously, my WRX & I would like to know...

[happy_penguin @ Oct 15th 2008 11:24AM]

I wouldn't trust Circuit City to install a roll of toilet paper after all the bad press they've gotten on botched jobs.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 15th 2008 9:31AM]

Others having Zune support.....?!?!!?!!?

[eddy @ Oct 15th 2008 9:39AM]

I'd dig some Zune support myself. Isn't there a thing in some cars by Microsoft anyway? Microsoft Sync or something like that?

For the time being, my car stereo does XM and plays CDs loaded with MP3s. When it comes time for a new one, if I want to connect my Zune to the stereo, I suppose I'll just have to get one with a 3.5mm aux. jack on the front of it and control my music from my Zune.

[tom @ Oct 15th 2008 9:43AM]

Ford SYNC (made by Microsoft) support Zune as well as iPod. That tells you how confidence they are about Zune, rather than giving consumer choices.

MS could have been blunt about this, just Zune only, no iPod

[Matthew @ Oct 15th 2008 10:10AM]

Tom, it is worth noting that the Ford SYNC system is powered by microsoft, but is not a Microsoft product. It is a Ford product. Ford set the requirement to be iPod (and Zune), USB Mass storage, and a number of others.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 15th 2008 11:26AM]

In other words, Ford designed a superior product. :)

[Ignatius @ Oct 15th 2008 1:34PM]

There's a first time for everything.

[bob sakamano @ Oct 15th 2008 9:36AM]

they were charging like 500 dollars for this... why wouldn't they ALL offer it at that price???

[bob sakamano @ Oct 15th 2008 9:36AM]

dollaz*

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 15th 2008 12:27PM]

Uh, you were right the first time.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 15th 2008 12:27PM]

tyme*

[Leindurstit @ Oct 15th 2008 9:37AM]

Sad news, this.

[Oblivion @ Oct 15th 2008 9:49AM]

This truly is sad. If I ever make a product that could have mp3 integration it will be Zune only, just to say "Screw you, iPod"

[Tony @ Oct 15th 2008 12:17PM]

It's even sadder if you think about how long it took manufacturers to adopt airbags compared to this.

[dark star @ Oct 15th 2008 9:37AM]

this is the only reason i continue to buy ipods. integration is tight with cars and home audio sys. obviously it isnt fair to others but oh well...

[Alex Padilla @ Oct 15th 2008 9:41AM]

philosophically speaking, the fair only comes once a year (and twice if sponsored by a community outreach program)

[digitallysick @ Oct 15th 2008 9:39AM]

The sad part is all cars/trucks should of had an aux port installed starting back in 2000, so we are about 9 years behind. Most people i know take out the factory radio (because they are always garbage) and replace it. Sad, you go to buy a new ride and you have to take out the radio. Even new toyotas have no aux port in the trucks wtf

[John @ Oct 15th 2008 10:22AM]

My scion has standard AUX and iPod connections (2 separate ones). That's why I love it :)

[wud_e @ Oct 15th 2008 9:39AM]

SOOOOOOOOOO what happens when the flimsy adapter plug starts to wear and you only hear sound on one side of the car unless you wiggle it in just the correct way?

[Maestro @ Oct 15th 2008 9:41AM]

And half of those cars will sit on the lot since no one can afford them!

[Matthew @ Oct 15th 2008 10:11AM]

$399 option on almost all Ford, Lincoln, Mercury vehicles. Starting as low as the Focus. Not only does it have the iPod/Zune/MP3 integration it gives you Bluetooth voice integration with Cell phones, A2DP support, etc.

Very affordable. Now, if only Ford would offer it for less by taking out the stupid FM radio and CD player (which I have not used 1 time since 2003), then it would be perfect.

[rcappo @ Oct 15th 2008 9:48AM]

I'm just making the ipod touch the head unit in my S10 truck. It will wirelessly download podcasts and new music when it is parked in the garage.

[ET @ Oct 15th 2008 1:13PM]

How do you wireless download podcast on your ipod touch, please teach me.

[Pasha @ Oct 15th 2008 9:52AM]

A 3.5mm is enough for me, thank you. I don't want to pay for a feature that useless to me.
Not everyone has an iPod. I am perfectly happy with my 3 year old rockboxed iRiver

[Ian @ Oct 15th 2008 9:54AM]

What would be nice is if Apple would open the control and dock standard for ipods so other players could pay a royalty and be controlled by anything that has an ipod compatible dock connector and controls.

[huh @ Oct 15th 2008 10:10AM]

What would be nice is if the clunky ipod connector that even Apple has to update sometimes, were replaced with a USB connector. Apple doesn't deserve to sit on royalty licensed standards, all they do is kill them. Take USB vs Firewire.

[Saltboy @ Oct 15th 2008 10:11AM]

The iPod support usually means an USB port and that the stereo recognizes and iPod and uses it proprietary system for browsing. You can also plug in other things into the USB port and it will read the music off of there as well. MP3 format is pretty popular and supported. My car has a USB and aux port. Both are used for the iPod and its special cable, but I can use them for other things as well.

[Ian @ Oct 15th 2008 11:12AM]

Not really. My Kenwood HU has an ipod connector and USB. If I plug in even a SanDisk Sansa, which DOES read like a removable drive in Windows, it still won't play for some reason. The USB stuff is usually meant for things like just putting files on a thumb drive or the like. I haven't found one actual DAP that works with it.

[Mike @ Oct 15th 2008 10:20AM]

Offering iPod support sounds great BUT they must do it correctly. I have a 2007 Honda Accord and paid $200 (they wanted $400) for the iPod integration and its useless. I ended up buying a Belkin FM adapter because the Honda iPod menu system is UNUSABLE!

[Eric @ Oct 15th 2008 11:46AM]

Which adapter did you get? I am using the iSimple (PXAMG) and it works great...a little strange to use the menu at first but it works great. I am using it on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline with Navigation.

[Lucas @ Oct 28th 2008 10:33PM]

and what happened when you went to Honda and told them that you paid extra for a feature that you didn't get. and you wanted it fixed asap or your money back.

[Billy Gun @ Oct 15th 2008 10:22AM]

It's very nice to have Ipod suport, but I wish I find a nice Car stereo that comes with a hard-drive or an flash memory bilt in and a SD slot to add/transfer the songs, with no CD player - and a large album art view and tags viewing.

It's nice to have a Ipod/mp3 player suport.. but do I need to plug an Ipod every time I go to my Car? C'mon, just add an HDD or a flash memory with an SD slot. I guess 8gb flash memory is cheapper than a CD player for the hardware makers.

[EricC @ Oct 15th 2008 1:27PM]

You mean like these?

http://www.crutchfield.com/g_300/Car-Receivers.html?tp=5684&nvpair=FFBrand|Alpine&nvpair=AG_Type|ffDigital_Media_Receiver+(no+CD)

[Darren @ Oct 15th 2008 10:27AM]

Almost makes me want to go out and buy a new car.

[Dharmabhum @ Oct 15th 2008 10:58AM]

@Billy Gun
They've got such systems dude. Sometimes they cost a little more because HDDs are only entering the market, and they almost always do so on the luxury end of it. But systems are coming around for lower prices, like the upcoming Nissan Connect platform: HDD-based, Bluetooth, SD slot, with USB and AUX inputs for media connectivity. Not sure how much it will cost or if its Europe-only though...

@the iPod
Its not going anywhere. its the most popular PMP and by far has the highest market penetration. Do you expect automakers to disregard one of the most popular devices because some people are anti-fanboi? I'm no fanboi myself, but you can't deny its grasp on the market these days, for better or for worse...

[Pikl @ Oct 15th 2008 11:04AM]

God dammit.

The last thing we need are our CARS (read: $15-30,000+ investments) to tie us to a single brand of MP3 player which is arguably one of the least capable out there. Why, oh why, do car companies fail at everything?

[Saltboy @ Oct 15th 2008 12:07PM]

Again, the iPod support, that I have seen, is a USB port and you use a cable. NOT a hardwired cable that only connects to an iPod. You can use a thumb drive with mp3s on it just as easily. The only propriatary support is that it will pause it when the car is off and such.

I have not seen every model of car and their brand of support, but the ones I have seen are USB and a dongle, not hardwired. Even the after markets that support iPods are giving you a USB port to plug in your iPod.

My iPod lives in my car and is only taken out rarely to add songs.

[Steve @ Oct 15th 2008 11:11AM]

iPods get updated yearly or less, I expect to keep any car I buy for a minimum of 10 years. Does it really make sense for me to buy a car with iPod integration when I don't know if a future iPod generation will work with it, or if iPod will even be around at all in a few years? Personally I'm happy with the headphone jack adapter I installed in my after-market Sony deck.

rcappo, I like your idea about the Touch. We got one recently as a gift and I hadn't figured out where to use it yet. Will give it a try in the car.

[EricC @ Oct 15th 2008 1:35PM]

Forget "future iPod generation." It's more like "future iPod firmware." When I got my iPod touch for Christmas last year, the iPod adapter in my truck (the brand escapes me at the moment, but I believe they went under a while back) that had served me well with my 1st-gen Nano for years continued to serve me well -- and in some cases, BETTER -- with the touch.

Fast-forward almost a year, and a handful of firmware updates later, and the thing is flaky at best. Every update seems to break something new, or at a minimum, break something that it already broke a little more. Why do I keep updating? Because I (foolishly) hope that Apple might pull its head out of its ass and fix it...or at least TELL US what they're fixing. I'm so sick of seeing a new firmware update that says "Bug Fixes."

[al @ Oct 15th 2008 11:20AM]

When we were getting a new car I really didn't want the stereo with the ipod button plug and button. I would never have use for it. There was no way around it though. Luckily there was a regular line in plug too