Guess they are now officially playing the PR game of "get mad at apple, not us"

"Hi everyone! We know you are all eagerly awaiting the Apple CarPlay firmware (we are too!). More and more buzz... fb.me/1PLDBaT6v"

I just hope this doesn't bite them in the ass. Apple has been mean to partners that gave it unwanted press before.

Yes! They are officially on final approval. If apple passes this firmware we could have car play by next week! This is if their firmware approval goes like their app approval process. http://www.ceoutlook.com/2014/07/02/update-on-pioneer-alpine-release-of-carplay/

Or they could just be working the social marketing machine...building hype to a fever pitch prior to release. Personally, I don't really see anything back-handish about their tweet. If you wanted to read into it -- which you probably are because, like me and everyone else, you're thinking, "C'MOOOON, Apple!!!" -- I can see how one might perceive it that way.

They posted this 3 times on FB

Pioneer needs either to get this thing released or give an actual, official explanation about what's going on. Enough with the little tweets and hashtags. I think the mood is turning from genuine anticipation to general frustration at this point. Early summer has come and gone. Treat your customers with a little respect.

Pioneer needs either to get this thing released or give an actual, official explanation about what's going on. Enough with the little tweets and hashtags. I think the mood is turning from genuine anticipation to general frustration at this point. Early summer has come and gone. Treat your customers with a little respect.

Wrong!  Summer is halfway through as of August 6th, since Summer ends on September 22nd this year.  Therefore, we're about halfway through "early summer".  Early Summer has not in fact come and gone. 

I'm not being a dick or anything, just putting myself in the shoes of Pioneer and I thought I'd go ahead and assume that that would be their line of defense.  Given the trajectory of the sun and the moon, and how we mark our calendars, unfortunately they would be correct.

You can play with the language all you want, but the fact that it is summer and the ONLY release date we still have is "early summer" shows a lack of respect for the customers who are doing things like buying new head units in anticipation of CarPlay. At the very least, give us an idea if it's going to be days or weeks until the release. But relying on "the trajectory of the sun and the moon" as a release window, as you seem to approve of, is nothing short of disregard for Pioneer's customers.

Forget "Early Summer" or any other date. Apple has this and they will release it when they want it released. It's obvious this is not up to Pioneer. Apple is not going to release Carplay unless it feels comfortable that the apps are ready to go. Especially Maps. If they end up having a bad GPS app it would be disastrous. If it happens this month, expect it on the very last day of the month. 

Maybe if Pioneer's own interfaces weren't so buggy and unusable, people wouldn't be so desperate for CarPlay. Getting Appradio mode to work is like playing the lottery, and Appradio Live is a garish mess. I love my AVH4000NEX, but I'd just really like to do things like use navigation and control my music without going through 25 steps and hoping I don't have to restart everything.

Wow... 

Pioneer needs either to get this thing released or give an actual, official explanation about what's going on. Enough with the little tweets and hashtags. I think the mood is turning from genuine anticipation to general frustration at this point. Early summer has come and gone. Treat your customers with a little respect.

I work as a product manager for a CE company, and I feel like telling consumers like you to have a little respect for the hard-working people at companies like Pioneer and Apple (people just like me...and perhaps you), and stop acting like such an entitled @ss.

If you bought a NEX HU in anticipation of CarPlay, then you knew it would be released "early summer." If you didn't, then you should have done a little more basic research. The NEX receivers were never launched with CarPlay as a feature -- not even as a future feature. CarPlay was announced in partnership with Apple well after their announcement. What Pioneer is selling to customers are products with the features originally announced at launch. Pioneer has had to shell out serious cash to launch CarPlay as a feature, so just be happy that it's coming, that you'll be one of the first to be able to take advantage of it, and that they haven't jacked the prices of NEX units.

Get a grip. Don't be a d*ck.

Wow...

 

 

 

I work as a product manager for a CE company, and I feel like telling consumers like you to have a little respect for the hard-working people at companies like Pioneer and Apple (people just like me...and perhaps you), and stop acting like such an entitled @ss.

 

If you bought a NEX HU in anticipation of CarPlay, then you knew it would be released "early summer." If you didn't, then you should have done a little more basic research. The NEX receivers were never launched with CarPlay as a feature -- not even as a future feature. CarPlay was announced in partnership with Apple well after their announcement. What Pioneer is selling to customers are products with the features originally announced at launch. Be happy they haven't changed the price; if you think Pioneer hasn't had to shell out serious cash to add CarPlay as a feature, you're dreaming. Be happy they haven't jacked the prices of NEX units, and get a grip.

 

Don't be a d*ck.

Edit: also as far as car play is concerned, pioneer is advertising the hell out of Carplay right now for a feature we can't use yet. Their Facebook is full of teasers showing the feature working. They are getting their users worked up. Take Alpine as a comparison. They have pledged future support of Carplay. Do you see them shoving the non existent feature in the user's face? Pioneer is teasing the the point of obnoxiousness and the users are frustrated as a result. Get off your CE high horse.

So, a customer who simply wants to know when a product will be released is an "entitled @ss"? Wow, you must be a real pleasure to your clients. And, if you want advice about not being a d*ck, tell Pioneer to stop tagging unrelated (read: Appradio Live) Facebook posts with a CarPlay hashtag just so people will read them.

And I love how you think we should all feel sorry for Pioneer because they had to "shell out serious cash" to feature CarPlay. Awww....poor company. Who knew spending money was a part of doing business? But you're right, I should just sit here and "be happy" that a promised feature is coming, at some point, sometime in the future. Again, your clients must be thrilled with your sense of urgency. I can only imagine what a whiz you are at deadlines. I'd love to see your clients' responses when you told them, "you want the work finished? Be happy! The job is coming! Stop being a d*ck!" A true master of business, you are.

And yes, I knew full well that the update would be released early summer. And since then, no other information has been forthcoming, even though it is early summer. Wanting an update of that basic information is hardly a feeling of entitlement. Seems like you're the one who needs to get a grip, and also extract your head from Pioneer's a**.

Don't go down that rabbit hole with the NEX line my friend. Dangerous stuff. Everyone with the 5000 and up still can't use their connected features in their nav because the avicsync app still isn't available for their radios. That was supposed to be a launch feature. The manual even states how to connect using the non existent app.

 

Edit: also as far as car play is concerned, pioneer is advertising the hell out of Carplay right now for a feature we can't use yet. Their Facebook is full of teasers showing the feature working. They are getting their users worked up. Take Alpine as a comparison. They have pledged future support of Carplay. Do you see them shoving the non existent feature in the user's face? Pioneer is teasing the the point of obnoxiousness and the users are frustrated as a result. Get off your CE high horse.

Fair point about the other features. I feel my point about CarPlay still stands, though: While I can understand people's frustrations about Pioneer's marketing tactics, for people to get all holier than thou and demanding about CarPlay dates -- as if either Pioneer or Apple owes them something -- is ridiculous and, yes, "entitled."

Does Pioneer need to fix/release features promised at launch? Absolutely. Is their marketing obnoxious? Sure... Did they announce or launch NEX units with CarPlay as a feature? No. Have they missed their launch window? No. (The first day of summer was June 21st -- it's still pretty "early" summer.) Are they working on getting it into customers' hands? Yes. Companies like Apple work by a controlled process, and Pioneer are working with them. I see no indication that Pioneer is dragging its collective feet. If they were hyping and teasing left and right while doing NOTHING to bring CarPlay to fruition, I could see people being peeved, but Apple has and is testing their firmware. To get all "So and so had better give us dates because WE'RE the CUSTOMER, damn it!!!"? Now...THAT is obnoxious!

Wow... 

 

 

I work as a product manager for a CE company, and I feel like telling consumers like you to have a little respect for the hard-working people at companies like Pioneer and Apple (people just like me...and perhaps you), and stop acting like such an entitled @ss.

 

If you bought a NEX HU in anticipation of CarPlay, then you knew it would be released "early summer." If you didn't, then you should have done a little more basic research. The NEX receivers were never launched with CarPlay as a feature -- not even as a future feature. CarPlay was announced in partnership with Apple well after their announcement. What Pioneer is selling to customers are products with the features originally announced at launch. Pioneer has had to shell out serious cash to launch CarPlay as a feature, so just be happy that it's coming, that you'll be one of the first to be able to take advantage of it, and that they haven't jacked the prices of NEX units.

 

Get a grip. Don't be a d*ck.

Real people and real companies stick to deadlines and communicate with their customers. if had gone through HS and maybe Community College you would surely know this. secondly if you had done a little research you would realize that Pioneer had advertised features at the launch of their NEX line that were not included or communicated that these features would not work till a ambiguous date in the sky!

hows this for a example. you purchase a apple pie for Thanksgiving. i bake you the apple pie and deliver it. i didn't tell you there would be no apples in it. after a few calls to customer service i tell you i will deliver the apples and whip cream sometime before the end of July? the whip cream is very hard to make but, funny thing is no one asked for the whip cream! 

So, a customer who simply wants to know when a product will be released is an "entitled @ss"? Wow, you must be a real pleasure to your clients. And, if you want advice about not being a d*ck, tell Pioneer to stop tagging unrelated (read: Appradio Live) Facebook posts with a CarPlay hashtag just so people will read them.

 

And I love how you think we should all feel sorry for Pioneer because they had to "shell out serious cash" to feature CarPlay. Awww....poor company. Who knew spending money was a part of doing business? But you're right, I should just sit here and "be happy" that a promised feature is coming, at some point, sometime in the future. Again, your clients must be thrilled with your sense of urgency. I can only imagine what a whiz you are at deadlines. I'd love to see your clients' responses when you told them, "you want the work finished? Be happy! The job is coming! Stop being a d*ck!" A true master of business, you are.

 

And yes, I knew full well that the update would be released early summer. And since then, no other information has been forthcoming, even though it is early summer. Wanting an update of that basic information is hardly a feeling of entitlement. Seems like you're the one who needs to get a grip, and also extract your head from Pioneer's a**.

"I knew full well that the update would be released early summer. And since then, no other information has been forthcoming, even though it is early summer. Wanting an update of that basic information is hardly a feeling of entitlement."

Do you have a "right" to be informed about the progress of, say, the fix for a "broken" feature or the release date of a promised feature that was never released? Absolutely. We're all very excited about and chomping at the bit for CarPlay, but Pioneer owes you nothing. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Just about EVERY "big boy" company has a policy of not divulging internal product development milestones to the general public.

It's still early summer, btw.

A company is not going to give a date and miss the deadline due to unforeseen circumstances. Any glitch or last minute bug that affects the release will be seen as a negative. They feel comfortable with saying this summer. Given that window something should happen between now and September. It'll be here. I'm sure the firmware update is more than just Apple stuff, so Pioneer will want it out as soon as possible. 

Dude, we could debate this all day, but the difference between you and me is that you're happy to sit back and take what's given to you while I, as a paying customer, want information. End of story. Good luck with your approach; I'll stick with mine.

Real people and real companies stick to deadlines and communicate with their customers. if had gone through HS and maybe Community College you would surely know this. secondly if you had done a little research you would realize that Pioneer had advertised features at the launch of their NEX line that were not included or communicated that these features would not work till a ambiguous date in the sky!

 

hows this for a example. you purchase a apple pie for Thanksgiving. i bake you the apple pie and deliver it. i didn't tell you there would be no apples in it. after a few calls to customer service i tell you i will deliver the apples and whip cream sometime before the end of July? the whip cream is very hard to make but, funny thing is no one asked for the whip cream! 

I agree that I was out of place regarding the features that Pioneer DID announce with the NEX units and did NOT deliver on. Do customers have the right to at least know that these shortfalls have been acknowledged? Yes. Does Pioneer need to commit to fixing broken features or releasing announced features? Absolutely.

Regarding CarPlay, however, which is what the original whining was all about...Neither Pioneer nor Apple owes anyone anything in terms of product development. This kind of information is largely held by most companies -- car companies, consumer electronics companies, pick-an-industry companies -- to be confidential to their internal processes and is only shared, even internally, on a need-to-know basis.

They've said feature X is coming and they've provided a time-frame for its release. Have they missed it? No. Is their marketing getting obnoxious? Sure. (Who's doesn't?) Still, this "Pioneer had better give us dates because WE'RE the CUSTOMER, damn it!!!" is about as obnoxious as it gets.

Dude, we could debate this all day, but the difference between you and me is that you're happy to sit back and take what's given to you while I, as a paying customer, want information. End of story. Good luck with your approach; I'll stick with mine.

Exactly. You WANT.

Because you feel like you're entitled to it (information).

Guess what? You're not. I know. It hurts.

But hey...you bought an iPhone. Go tell Apple that you demand a release date for iOS...because you WANT it.

Please...

I know, man, those annoying CUSTOMERS! If only they would go away...then, everything would be perfect, right?

I know, man, those annoying CUSTOMERS! If only they would go away...then, everything would be perfect, right?

Just the obnoxious, entitled ones.

I'll stop. LOL

We should all try to get along on here, anyway. Kumbaya, brother!

Sorry man, but a smiley face at this point isn't going to make your posts sound any less stupid than they've been. I think at least three people here have exposed the many errors in your thinking. Now, we're just waiting for you to catch up.

Sorry man, but a smiley face at this point isn't going to make your posts sound any less stupid than they've been. I think at least three people here have exposed the many errors in your thinking. Now, we're just waiting for you to catch up.

I tried.

Some people...

This from the guy who led off his commentary by calling me a d*ick and an a**. Priceless.

I don't care whether it's CE or aerospace (where I've been a project engineer for 16 years), everything is on schedule until it isn't.  It all comes down to risk mitigation.  The fact that no matter how hard one tries, you can't foresee every hurdle in the path, be it extended design time, failures during development, and even waiting for customer approval.  Margins are built into schedules and it often isn't enough.  A comparison to apple pie is laughable.  Instead of the promise to make an apple pie, try a promise to make the FIRST apple pie.  And even that is a laughable comparison.

Listen to all of the wailing stemming from missing the purposely ambiguous release of "Early Summer".  Imagine if Pioneer had actually given a firm release date and missed that.  This place would be coming unglued!

AvicSync isn't ready yet?  Did anyone ever stop to think that resources previously devoted to AvicSync were reallocated to work on CarPlay?  People bemoan Pioneer's "crappy firmware" but then are fired up because they haven't released yet.  In all of my experience, people are a lot more forgiving of quality product that was late as opposed to garbage product that was on time.  (And I highly doubt that AvicSync is going to be anything to knock your socks off, either.  Reference: Pioneer's old MSN Direct tuner)

You want CarPlay.  I want CarPlay.  We all want CarPlay.  Pioneer wants to give us CarPlay.  A watched pot never boils.  If that's not soon enough, go ahead and slap an Alpine CarPlay unit in your vehicle instead, like that will get you CarPlay any sooner.  I'm happy to have my NEX unit's functionality even without CarPlay, something I can't have with an Alpine unit that doesn't even exist yet.

Every comment that Koneill made in this thread is spot on.