Upgrade Your Car With Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Touchscreens
Your vehicle doesn’t have to be new to have modern technology.
One of the most popular upgrades at Ride Sounds in Chicago is replacing or upgrading an older factory radio with a modern touchscreen featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s one of the fastest ways to completely change the everyday driving experience without replacing the vehicle.
Whether you’re driving a car that’s five years old or fifteen years old, there may be a touchscreen solution that brings the technology much closer to what you’ll find in a new vehicle.
What Is Apple CarPlay?
Apple CarPlay brings many of the iPhone features you use every day directly to your vehicle’s touchscreen.
Depending on the radio and vehicle, CarPlay can give you convenient access to:
- Apple Maps
- Google Maps
- Waze
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Podcasts
- Messages
- Phone calls
- Siri voice control
- Compatible third-party apps
Instead of constantly reaching for your phone, compatible functions can be controlled through the touchscreen or by voice.
Many modern systems also support wireless Apple CarPlay, allowing your phone to connect automatically without plugging in a USB cable every time you get into the vehicle.
What Is Android Auto?
Android Auto provides similar functionality for compatible Android smartphones.
Connect your phone and access navigation, music, communication, and supported applications through the vehicle’s touchscreen.
Popular features include:
- Google Maps
- Waze
- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- Phone calls
- Messages
- Google Assistant
- Compatible audio and navigation apps
Wireless Android Auto is also available on many of the touchscreen systems we install.
More Than Just CarPlay
A modern touchscreen upgrade can do much more than connect your phone.
Depending on the system you choose, features may include:
Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
Connect automatically without plugging your phone in every time you drive.
Bluetooth Audio & Calling
Stream music and make hands-free calls.
Backup Camera Integration
Display an existing factory camera or add a new backup camera.
Large Touchscreen Displays
Upgrade to modern 7-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch, or vehicle-specific displays where compatible.
Navigation
Use navigation through CarPlay, Android Auto, or compatible built-in applications.
USB Connectivity
Charge devices and connect compatible media.
Steering-Wheel Controls
Many vehicles can retain factory steering-wheel audio controls with the proper interface.
Audio System Expansion
Add amplifiers, subwoofers, DSP processors, and aftermarket speakers to create a complete sound system.
Keep the Factory Features You Actually Use
Replacing a radio in a modern vehicle isn’t always as simple as removing one unit and connecting another.
Factory radios can communicate with numerous systems throughout the vehicle.
Depending on the make and model, the radio may be connected to:
- Steering-wheel controls
- Factory amplifiers
- Premium audio systems
- Backup cameras
- Vehicle settings
- Climate-control information
- Factory USB ports
- CANBUS networks
- Parking sensors
- Other factory electronics
This is why choosing the correct integration equipment is so important.
At Ride Sounds, we evaluate the vehicle before determining what radio, interface, harness, CANBUS module, amplifier interface, or other equipment is required.
Our goal is to add the technology you want while retaining important factory functionality whenever the vehicle and available integration equipment allow it.
Factory-Style Vehicle-Specific Touchscreens
Not every touchscreen upgrade requires a traditional aftermarket radio.
Many vehicles now have vehicle-specific touchscreen systems designed to replace or integrate with the original dashboard.
These systems can provide a much larger display while maintaining a clean, factory-inspired appearance.
Depending on the vehicle and system, they may support:
- Apple CarPlay
- Android Auto
- Bluetooth
- Factory cameras
- Steering-wheel controls
- Factory audio
- Vehicle information
- Touchscreen climate functions
- OEM-style menus
Ride Sounds works with touchscreen solutions for a wide variety of vehicles, including European, domestic, and Asian makes.
Upgrading BMW iDrive Systems
BMW owners have several options for bringing newer technology into older vehicles.
Depending on the existing BMW system, upgrades may include CarPlay integration, MMI interfaces, larger touchscreen displays, or CIC/NBT/NBT EVO-style solutions.
The right solution depends heavily on what equipment is already installed in the vehicle.
Instead of guessing based on the year alone, we identify the existing system and determine which upgrade makes sense.
The result can be a dramatically more modern interface without completely changing the character of the BMW interior.
Premium Factory Audio Requires Proper Integration
Vehicles equipped with premium factory sound systems can require additional equipment when installing an aftermarket touchscreen.
Systems from manufacturers and premium audio packages may use factory amplifiers, digital communication, or fiber-optic connections that can’t simply be connected to a conventional aftermarket radio.
Depending on the vehicle, the solution may involve:
- Factory amplifier retention
- Amplifier bypass
- CANBUS interfaces
- Digital audio interfaces
- Fiber-optic integration
- Aftermarket amplifiers
- DSP integration
This is an area where professional installation becomes particularly important.
Turn Your Touchscreen Upgrade Into a Complete Sound System
A new radio can also become the foundation for a much larger audio upgrade.
Once the vehicle has a modern source unit, we can build around it with:
Speaker Upgrades
Improve clarity, detail, output, and overall sound quality with properly selected aftermarket speakers.
Amplifiers
Give your speakers and subwoofers the clean power they need to perform.
Subwoofers
Add the low-frequency performance missing from most factory systems.
DSP Processing
Use digital signal processing to improve equalization, crossover configuration, time alignment, staging, and overall system performance.
Custom Enclosures
Build the subwoofer system around the available space and desired performance.
Electrical Upgrades
High-powered systems may require upgraded wiring, a Big 3 upgrade, additional battery capacity, or a high-output alternator.
A touchscreen installation can be the first step—or part of a complete custom build.
Add a Backup Camera
If your vehicle doesn’t already have a backup camera, a touchscreen upgrade is a great opportunity to add one.
A professionally installed camera can automatically display the area behind the vehicle when reverse is selected.
Depending on the vehicle, we may also be able to retain an existing factory camera when replacing the original radio.
Professional Installation Makes the Difference
The touchscreen is the part you see.
What happens behind the dashboard is just as important.
A professional installation involves selecting the proper integration components, making reliable electrical connections, routing wiring correctly, configuring interfaces, testing factory features, and securely reassembling the dashboard.
At Ride Sounds, we want the finished installation to look like it belongs in the vehicle.
Clean installation. Modern technology. Factory-style integration.
Give Your Current Vehicle New-Car Technology
You don’t necessarily need a new car to get the technology you’ve been missing.
Adding Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a modern touchscreen, Bluetooth, and a backup camera can make an older vehicle feel dramatically newer every time you drive it.
And if you want to go further, Ride Sounds can combine your touchscreen upgrade with a complete custom audio system, subwoofers, amplifiers, DSP tuning, DreamColor ambient lighting, and other automotive electronics.
Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Installation in Chicago
If you’re looking for Apple CarPlay installation in Chicago, Android Auto installation, or a touchscreen radio upgrade, contact Ride Sounds.
Tell us your year, make, model, and the features you want, and we’ll help determine the right solution for your vehicle.
Ride Sounds
Custom Car Audio & Automotive Lighting
Chicago, Illinois
Call: 708-714-1924
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