JVC Announces New MirrorLink Receiver With Smartphone Integration

In-car audio and video systems are becoming more and more integrated these days, and with the growth of smartphones, companies are making it easier to use and control in-car stereo systems with mobile devices. Today, JVC announced a new in-dash multimedia receiver equipped with MirrorLink, which allows Android, Symbian, and iPhone users to control various features of the receiver with their handsets.

Sadly, the receiver only works with Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, any Nokia Symbian phone, and the iPhone/iPod (excluding the iPhone 5). Using either the Samsung Drive Link app, the Car Mode app on Symbian, or AppLink for iPhone, the user can duplicate the phone's display onto the receiver's 6.1-inch screen. The MirrorLink technology allows you to access apps that have been optimized for in-car use, which ensures a safe driving experience.

The app also allows for hands-free operation of the in-dash receiver, and the home screen offers quick and easy navigation to music, maps, and phone dialing. Since the displays of the smartphone and the receiver are mirrored, passengers can use the smartphone to control the receiver without having to reach forward to change around various settings.

The new JVC MirrorLink receivers are priced starting at $599 for the KW-NSX1 model. There's no word on when or if the company has plans to roll out compatibility for more Android phones and the iPhone 5. Having only a limited number of compatible devices seems rather counter-intuitive, so hopefully JVC will open it up to more smartphones in the future.