2010 Prius Will Have USB & iPod Integration... In September

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Danny, Apr 22, 2009.

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  1. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    In case you missed tonight's Earth Day Live Q&A with Toyota's Doug Coleman, there was a big announcement for the Prius community that the 2010 Prius WILL have USB/iPod integration. There are a couple of catches, though. The USB integration won't be available out of the factory until September, and it will only come with the Navigation option package that is available in the Prius III, IV, and V. Customers who buy their Navigation-equipped Prius before September will be able to have the USB kit installed at the dealer, but at their own expense. There are no specifics right now, but it looks like in September when the USB connectivity is added to the Navigation package, the price of the Navigation package will be going up. It hasn't been establshed yet whether that price increase would be the same as the price a dealer will charge to install it, or if the dealer-installed USB will be more expensive. The integration software will be very similar (if not identical) to the system in the 2010 Lexus RX. According to CNET and Doug in tonight's Q&A, you can browse music on a USB drive by folder, but iPods give you full music selection by playlist, artist, album, and genre. I'm going to try and get a hold of some of the technical documents for the RX tomorrow to see if I can shed some more light on this subject for you all, as this has been a highly requested feature among Prius enthusiasts. Photo of the USB connection in the RX: [​IMG] Photos courtesy of CNET Read the full Q&A transcript
     
    #1 Danny, Apr 22, 2009
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    whoa whoa whoa... hold up!

    Danny, is that a picture of the RX's MFD? There's a DVD option.
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Apr 23, 2009
  3. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    My current car (BMW) has a similar configuration. I can play MP3 DVDs (8GB each in double layer format!) in the nav DVD drive (and in some non-US countries you can play video DVDs).

    Hopefully this functionality will be added when they add the USB functionality in September.
     
    #3 stream, Apr 23, 2009
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I believe that would be DVD audio or DVD burned w/ MP3? I highly doubt we'd see front seat DVD entertainment.

    Maybe this controls the rear DVD screen and sound though?
     
    #4 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 23, 2009
  5. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    This is definitely a positive development. I'm not a fan of Apple's proprietary hard/software so I could careless about the iPod part, but I suppose Toyota chose this option in order to please a fairly large group of Apple devotees.

    With this USB port, I wonder how difficult it would be to add an adapter for standard MP3 players so that you can also see playlists etc. and control them from the steering wheel. (Kinda ironic that you'd need an adapter for standard equipment but none for proprietary stuff.)
     
    #5 zenMachine, Apr 23, 2009
  6. NYPrius1

    NYPrius1 Active Member

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    Gee I ordered a 2010 from the Prius Team! This means I have to pay for it??
    That in Sept. it would have been free?
     
    #6 NYPrius1, Apr 23, 2009
  7. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Sorry, Jon and others. That photo is from the 2010 RX, NOT the Prius.

    NYPrius1, read the whole article. It looks like there is going to be a price increase on Navigation-equipped packages when the USB is added in at the factory.
     
    #7 Danny, Apr 23, 2009
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Lexus models with the Mark Levinson System do allow video to be displayed in the MFD and is independent of the RSEA (if equipped).

    darn haha. That would've been cool but again a pricey feature.
     
    #8 Tideland Prius, Apr 23, 2009
  9. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

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    I have two thoughts:

    1. It's about f***ing time. I found it funny that my fully equipped Prius came with a CD player. Why not through in an 8-track slot while you're at it?!?
    2. While I'm glad for Toyota entering the year 2000 with iPod capability, why does their UI look like DOS? Whoever is developing the Toyota tech needs some serious lessons in aesthetics and usability in their user interfaces.

    Here's hoping Apple shakes things up by following through on some of their car interface related patents to show these guys how it's done.
     
    #9 boulder_bum, Apr 24, 2009
  10. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I have been planning on getting an iPod Touch just for when i get my 2010, and now I think I definitely will be. But I'll wait and buy the unit from Toyota and look to install it myself. Not only will I save money but honestly, I think I can do a better job (and neater) at the install than my local dealer will...

    I had bought a Nano for my 2006 when it came with the aux input but always having to look at the ipod screen for track info etc was jsut a pain... Thanks Toyota for making this integration possible, even if a little after my vehicle arrives. :)
     
    #10 Paradox, Apr 24, 2009
  11. NYPrius1

    NYPrius1 Active Member

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    Danny,
    Thanks For Pointing That Out!!
     
    #11 NYPrius1, Apr 24, 2009
  12. dogllama

    dogllama New Member

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    iPod / Nav Screen interface questions

    Hello all,

    This is my first post here, but I have to start by saying how impressed I am by the amount of useful information in this forum! BTW, not a current prius owner, but I am on the waiting list for a 2010 pkg IV w/ Sunroof in Southern California.

    What I am curious about is the type of interface that the september usb iPod integration will have. I have close to 15,000 songs on my iPod and it can be a real pain in the butt to scroll through my artists, even my playlists. What I am really looking for is the ability to jump to an artist / song without scrolling for 5 minutes. (my gf has this on her acura navigation) Doug stated that the interface will be similar to the Lexus RX, so I called a dealer to see how that worked. The results were not good. He said it shows about 10 artists per page, and that to get to the middle or the end of your list, you have to manually click page down until you get there!

    For a company that prides themselves on safety and keeping your eyes on the road, this feature is seriously lacking!

    Does anybody know if Toyota is addressing this problem in the september update?? Anybody know a work around?

    Thanks!
     
    #12 dogllama, May 15, 2009
  13. 1SMUGLEX

    1SMUGLEX I love the smug!

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    THis is good news
     
    #13 1SMUGLEX, May 19, 2009
  14. 1SMUGLEX

    1SMUGLEX I love the smug!

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    Re: iPod / Nav Screen interface questions

    Not sure of the OEM unit but here is aftermarket a lot of Lexus owners use

    Video,Audio Information Solutions for Toyota and Lexus (iPod integration,XM and Sirius SAT radio integration,MP3 integration,Auxiliary input)
     
    #14 1SMUGLEX, May 19, 2009
  15. christob

    christob Member

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    Greetings... Sounds like we've got a least a few people driving the new 2010 3G (yes, I'm jealous!) Curious if anyone is using their iPod in it. The Toyota website shows an available accessory (a cable) to connect your iPod, inside the glove-box, allowing head-unit & steering wheel controls... Does that mean you must buy that cable, in addition to the Nav system, if you want the iPod integration? Just wondering if anyone has experienced that accessory/functionality yet, and exactly how it works...

    Wow, I've been away from PriusChat a long time! My 2007 has become a weekend-only car because of my job-related travel, and so as I approach my 2-year anniversary in that great car, I've only just now clocked 11,000 miles (lifetime MPG hovering right at 49mpg.) When I saw the Toyota website for the 2010, my first thought was "time to trade in---wonder what my low-miles '07 will be worth?" ;)

    I have always wanted a sun/moonroof-equipped vehicle, and seriously, that one feature (well, the solar roof/ventilation seems pretty cool too, but I don't think I park in full sun all that often) along with the iPod integration, would have me seriously considering a trade-up. (I loved that the 2007 came with an audio input jack & aux power port in the armrest storage, but that only makes me want full iPod control all the more, since it is pretty cumbersome to deal with an iPod inside that storage console!)

    Forgive the ramble... to summarize---anyone actually using Toyota/factory spec iPod integration in a 2010 yet?
     
    #15 christob, May 21, 2009
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    No, it'll be available in Sept and yes it's a separate wire that works with the navigation system only (so we've been told).
     
    #16 Tideland Prius, May 21, 2009
  17. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    According to Prius Team (posted in another thread), the iPod adapter accessory on Toyota.com & in the brochure is only applicable to cars that don't have the upgraded JBL system, and is available now. A USB / iPod adapter will be released in September (on new cars, and also available for 2010 cars purchased before then), which will only be compatible with cars with nav.
     
    #17 stream, May 22, 2009
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    ohh ok.. so those without nav (but with JBL) can get theirs now?
     
    #18 Tideland Prius, May 22, 2009
  19. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    Almost. ;) The currently available accessory only works with the base (non-JBL) sound system (Prius II), which by definition can't have nav.

    The USB / iPod adapter will work with car with the JBL system with nav.

    So it appears that the cars with the JBL system that don't have nav won't have an iPod solution.

    That was easy, ha? :D
     
    #19 stream, May 22, 2009
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    oh what...?? That makes no sense.
     
    #20 Tideland Prius, May 22, 2009
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