Sony halved the price of a Bluetooth-equipped AM/FM/CD car receiver to $180 street, with the announcement of the MEX-BT2500. That's roughly the price of some higher-end car Bluetooth adapters alone.

Most Bluetooth phones should work with the new receiver for hands-free calling. A smaller number of phones supporting the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) will also allow streaming of music from phone to car radio. It's possible third-party Bluetooth iPod adapters would also work wirelessly; if not, there's a line-in jack.

The MEX-BT2500 was announced at Sony's annual products showcase held in Las Vegas for editors, analysts, and (separately) Sony dealers. Sony's other Bluetooth car receiver, the MEX-BT5000, remains in the line at about $400. Other Sony car receivers have USB jacks or iPod connectors, none have all that and Bluetooth, too.