Today’s cars are much safer than ever before – for a number of reasons! But you certainly can’t deny  the fact that most modern cars already come with touchscreen head units. And a lot of them with hands-free capabilities for calling and texting. This played a major role in this improvement in car safety.   

Unfortunately, not all are blessed to have a car manufactured within a couple of years. Nor do all models come with touchscreen head units, especially the lower trims. Thankfully, you got a pretty quick and easy solution for this - and that is installing a new head unit with either Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto.  

If you’re looking forward to replacing your car stereo, we suggest taking a look at the Sony XAV AX1000 apple car play review. This nifty little gadget is all you can ask for when it comes to upgrading your car stereo unit!  

Armed with a litany of features, including faster activation times, wireless capabilities, and Apple CarPlay, the Sony XAV AX1000  can and will make it easier to stream and listen to your favorite tunes, listen to messages on your phone, as well as navigate your way through open roads, all the while minimizing potentially dangerous distractions.  

What Makes the Sony XAV AX1000 So Good? 

Quick wakeup 

Intuitive and simple controls 

Much of the issue with touchscreen headunits is how unintuitive the controls are.   

The lack of physical buttons means that users inevitably have to navigate their way through multiple screens for fairly basic functions. However, Sony made sure that this was not the case with the XAV AX1000. Perhaps more importantly, they even fitted it with a couple of physical buttons. This includes a volume knob that lets you turn the volume down and up without having to look down and navigate your way through the 6.2-inch screen.  

Dedicated hardware buttons 

The ergonomic rotary dial is indeed worth mentioning twice. This is because you can use it to control more than just the volume. One push and you can launch the menus dedicated to sound control. Holding the button down then lets you use the voice commands.   

It’s not just a physical volume button that the XAV AX1000 has in terms of ergonomics though. The XAV-AX1000  also has other dedicated hardware buttons for easier and distraction-free operation. This includes buttons for skipping and seeking tracks, as well as a “HOME” switch that lets you switch seamlessly between Sony’s UI and Apple CarPlay.

Compact rear chassis for easy installation

Unlike other double-DIN displays, the XAV AX1000 has a relatively shallow and compact rear chassis. This is worth mentioning because it makes installation so much easier. At the same time, the shallow depth leaves more room for accessories and cabling that usually fit behind the double-DIN port. 

Apple CarPlay support 

This is pretty much self-explanatory. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why you should buy the XAV AX1000 as your head unit of choice!  

As an added bonus to its Apple CarPlay support, you can use Siri to navigate. All you need to do is to tell Siri where you want to go and Siri, as well as the display, will help you get there the best way possible.

Gorgeous Active Matrix VGA display 

Equipped with an Active Matrix screen, which is a rarity among head units, the XAV AX1000 features a much brighter and colorful display, with better viewing angles, as well as being capable of displaying updates much faster compared to other head units that use passive-matrix displays.   

While not a flagship product, the Sony XAV AX1000 apple carplay  review feels every bit like one. Sony certainly made sure that users enjoyed the highest quality video output possible at its price range. It also helps that the resistive 6.2-inch VGA display is responsive and accurate, similar to how easy most smartphones and tablets are to use

Is the Sony XAV AX1000 Worth Buying? 

Yes. The Sony XAV AX1000 apple carplay is easy to recommend.   

Is the XAV AX1000 cheap? Not exactly. However, it is cheaper than most other offerings, especially when you consider just how much it brings to the table.   

If you’re looking for an aftermarket receiver with full CarPlay support that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, the Sony XAV-AX1000 comes with an ergonomic design that actually has physical buttons, a gorgeous and extremely responsive display, as well as quick boot-up times, that almost make it a no-brainer at its price range.  

Final Thoughts 

Clean, ergonomic, and classy. What more can you ask for?  

The Sony XAV-AX1000 apple carplay doesn’t pretend to be a top-tier car receiver or head unit, but it certainly looks the part. Paired with an attractive price point, it’s the perfect entry-level headunit for iPhone users looking to upgrade their vehicle’s headunit to have Apple CarPlay.  

While the XAV-AX1000 could be a bit more customizable, it’s a small price to pay for having a complete package.   

It’s arguably just icing on top of the proverbial cake that the XAV AX1000 lets you enjoy better-quality music while on the road, which is a testament to just how good the other features of this headunit are. For a Double DIN Head Unit, this one is the top of its class!