CD Player? FM Radio? A glove compartment that has a dedicated space for CD albums? These are some of the features of my 2010 Vauxhall Corsa, and I’m proud of it. I’ve been happy with the car during my one year of owning it, but I’ve felt as though I’ve been missing out on CarPlay.
I’ve used Apple’s in-car operating system in other vehicles when I’ve had to rent a car, and I’ve always found CarPlay to be fantastic and seamless in its integration with my iPhone. Within minutes, I’m listening to the best of the Spice Girls and queuing up a few podcasts for a long drive.
This is why I’ve started to wonder if I should take the plunge and look into a newer car that features integrated CarPlay as standard. That was, until, I saw that there were third-party monitors that come with CarPlay installed. These can be mounted on top of any car dashboard and, when paired with an iPhone, provide the same experience as a car that has built-in CarPlay.
With Amazon’s Prime Day confirmed to be returning next month, I’ve been looking at a couple of third-party monitors to see which one would suit me best, while also considering a car model that comes pre-installed with CarPlay.
Looking at options
For some context: I use my Vauxhall Corsa to take my wife and son to kindergarten, as well as for shopping errands, family visits, and more. The car is used roughly four days a week, and in order to use my iPhone with the vehicle, I have this Bluetooth adapter which pairs with my phone and streams the audio to my car radio. It’s a simple method but it works well. Yet, I still want CarPlay, because ‘it works well’ simply isn’t good enough for me. I want more. I want better.
Based on this, I’ve got two roads to pick from:
- A car that has CarPlay integrated into its dashboard
- A third-party CarPlay Monitor
I paid £1,100 for my car in 2023, the equivalent of $1,390. Looking at the latest Corsa models on Vauxhall’s website that I can buy right now, every model has CarPlay as standard. At a minimum, one would cost me £19,635 / $24,833, or £197 a month for four years, with a £4,908.75 deposit.
Essentially, those prices are way out of my budget. For a vehicle I use four days a week, I can’t justify the cost. So this means I’m left with the other option: a third-party CarPlay monitor.
The benefits of a CarPlay monitor
The most obvious benefit of having a third-party CarPlay monitor instead of buying a new car is the cost. Instead of paying £19,635, these monitors usually go for around $99, such as this one by Buonaldea. All that’s required is a place in your existing car where one of these Monitors can sit, then once you pair your iPhone to a Monitor, you’re good to go.
Another benefit of having this Monitor is that you can swap it out with ease. This means that if you decide to buy another car that doesn’t have CarPlay, you only need to stick it to its dashboard and you’re good to go.
It couldn’t be more simple, which is why I’m going with this option for my Corsa. But reader, I hear you say: “Why don’t you just buy one now?”
I’ve got a straightforward answer to that — Amazon Prime Day.
Ready. Set. Amazon Prime Day!
I love a bargain — who doesn’t? Instead of letting one get away by buying a third-party CarPlay monitor now, I’d rather wait for Prime Day to buy a cheaper model for my car instead. In the past, I’ve seen a bunch of them heavily discounted for past events such as Cyber Monday.
Because of these past savings, I’m biding my time for Prime Day to arrive — scheduled for next month. However, Amazon has yet to announce the exact dates for the event.
If you’re looking for a third-party CarPlay monitor as well, simply wait for Prime Day. It’ll be worth it — both for you and your car. With this in mind, here are three CarPlay monitors I’m hoping will see some big savings — all with different screen sizes and extras to set each one apart.
The one I mentioned above by Buonaldea features a big 7-inch display but also has a dashcam. This can be very useful to record anything behind you for those just-in-case scenarios.
You could also go one step further and opt for a more expensive option that has a wider monitor, such as this one by Carflix for $149. It features stereo sound, a high-resolution 10.2-inch display, and the option to stick it to your dashboard or your car’s windshield.
Finally, consider this third-party Monitor by Laviay for $125 for Prime Day. Featuring a large 9-inch display and two cameras, one for the front and back of your car, as well as including a 64GB memory card to store the recorded footage, this monitor is already a bargain.
Each one of these varies in display sizes and features, but the choice ultimately comes down to what works for you and your car. While these third-party monitors already have some great savings, I’m still going to wait for Prime Day next month, just in case any of them see further discounts.
