Alpine Announces Firmware Updates For INE, IVE Systems

Firmware updates for recent Alpine AVN and AV receivers should make them play nicer with your Apple devices as well as provide easier device pairing (automatically, even) and a feature that lets you control streaming music. (Photo courtesy Alpine Electronics of America.)

If you’ve found yourself saying, “Gee, I wish my iPhone5 would play nice with my Alpine car stereo,” you’re in luck.

Alpine announced in October a firmware update for its audio-visual navigation (AVN) and audio-visual receiver units intended to help them synchronize with existing in-car controls as well as other mobile devices including iPods and the iPhone5.

According to its official download site, the update is not meant to update navigation maps. Instead, it is intended to give the  INE-Z928HD, INE-S920HD, and IVE-W535HD units better compatibility with things like your car’s integrated steering wheel audio controls or your iPod or iPhone via USB connection. The updates also feature tweaks that should make the automatic pairing of favorite devices with the units easier and play and pause status controls for streaming music.

Not sure whether you should download the firmware update? Go here and read about it.