iLX-107 head unit from Alpine doesn’t require a USB cable to connect an iPhone to Apple CarPlay.
The Apple iPhone changed mobile phones when it came out 10 years ago. It’s become so essential to users that it’s transformed automotive infotainment through the Apple CarPlay interface.
There’s one big problem with Apple CarPlay, though. If you want to connect your iPhone to it in your vehicle and use your car’s touchscreen to access things on your phone, such as music or text messages, you have to do that physically, through a USB cable. Not the biggest deal in the world, but in this increasingly wireless and WiFi age, it would make sense if you’re able to have Apple products connect to each other without a hard connection. Alpine’s iLX-107 head unit – compatible with iPhone 5 and later models, and the latest version of iOS – allows you to do just that.
According to our friends at Motor Authority, “Controlled through the unit’s 7.0-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay pairs with your phone by way of a 5.0 gigahertz WiFi connection. Once you do the initial connection setup, the head unit will automatically connect each time you hop in your vehicle.”
The Alpine iLX-107 comes with three (2V) preouts, one aux input, Alpine’s MediaXpander technology to get better sound out of compressed audio files, and an input for a rear view camera system. A separate iDatalink Maestro module enables users to retain certain factory vehicle features and even view customized vehicle info, such as a selectable gauge screen and a parking assist screen. Thanks to an optional KAC-001 External Accessory Controller, you can use the iLX-107 to control up to eight relay-connected accessories, from the winch to the light bar on your track car’s tow rig.
This convenience doesn’t come cheap, though. The Alpine iLX-107 head unit has an MSRP of $900; the KAC-001 External Accessory Controller costs $250.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
