I won’t try to lie to you, there was most definitely a time period in Sony’s history (the Xplod years) that produced less than desirable products. However, the important thing is not that they made a mistake, but that they have learned a valuable lesson from it! Last year Sony came back strong in the car audio market, stripped of the Xplod insignia and ripe with great new features and designs that show they are listening to their customers.
Making the most of what you already have!
Let’s face it, everybody has a smartphone these days and it holds everything that defines you; your photos, your contacts, your emails and all your favorite music. So, doesn’t it make sense to make it easier for that one little device to become part of your entertainment system in your vehicle? Well, Sony thought so and it shows in the fact that they are the first company to introduce MirrorLink in the United States. This feature, which will debut on two forth-coming double din multimedia units, allows the user to plug their Android based smartphone into the radio and use and control applications stored on the phone via the radio in the dash. How cool is that?
For those who don’t own CD’s.
Many people have all of their music in a digital format and they play back the music via a portable device, there are no discs to speak of, and when they purchase new music, they do so digitally as well. In all honesty, it is the way everything is going and it is so much easier. So, if you don’t own CD’s and don’t play CD’s, then what use do you have for a CD player in your dash? Sony heard this cry and introduced their line of Multimedia Receivers which are designed solely around this kind of lifestyle. However, unlike many other “mech-less” units, Sony actually did something with the left over space inside the radio and introduced the Tune Dock to the world.
With the push of a button, you flip down the faceplate, plug your iPod into the included cable and set it on the dock. Push the dock back inside the radio and flip the faceplate back up and just like that, your device is docked safely inside the radio and you control song selection right from the radio screen. Brilliant! Still, for those who enjoy the sound a disc or haven’t taken the time to convert their collection to a digital format, Sony still makes feature rich and easy to use CD players.