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In the age where car stereos have been graduated to become infotainment systems, we’re still somewhat stuck with systems that are either proprietary (read: poor user experience), or are tied into one specific platform, be it Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s CarPlay. But Parrot is planning to change that with its new RNB6 system.
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Announced in CES 2015, Parrot RNB6 is an in-dash system that is not something that ships with your ride, but something you install after the fact, meaning it could be fitted in most modern cars with a 2 DIN slot (ISO 7736).
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The head unit has a 7-inch 720p ‘IPS Pro’ capacitive touch display that right off the bat, is already better than Proton Infotainment System’s resistive touch screen. It ships with a slightly-customized Android 5.0 Lollipop, that already has built-in features for AirControl (air-conditioning stuff), media playback, on-board diagnostics (OBD 2), parking assist, telephony, turn-by-turn navigation, and voice control. The package also comes with Parrot’s own dash cam, that does 1080p video with a ‘Super HDR’ mode. Other connectivities of this infotainment system include Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, and even GPS/GLONASS.
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On the media department, drivers have the ability to adjust the ‘sound stage’, turning the output balance as if she or he is sitting in front of the sound source. The presets are available for a variety of car models, and user-customized presets can also be shared with other Parrot RNB6 users. Besides that, it also has a 4x 55-watt audio amplifier. For input, it takes over-the-air FM/AM radio, does satellite radio too (in the US), plus the ability to pipe media over HDMI or even MHL.
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But the beauty of the RNB6 is, of course, its ability to work with both Android Auto and CarPlay. This will be great for folks like me who owns both Android and iOS phones and the infotainment system can adapt to whichever phone I have plugged in to it that day. Proprietary systems have a bad reputation of getting stale with no updates pushed to it after being shipped. With Android Auto and CarPlay, at least we can take comfort that the two big companies will continue to push software updates to the head unit, independent of the hardware maker, in this case, Parrot.
Unfortunately, Parrot has yet to announce the price and the availability date of its RNB6, but hopefully it will be out soon, and other competitors will be quick to introduce similar products in the next few months.
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