I love the concept of an Android based head unit (even though I am an Apple guy), but the one feature that seems to be lacking with these units is iPod control.
If I plug my iPod or iPhone into my factory car stereo via USB, I can select music by artist, genre, playlist, etc. It also displays album art and song info.
From what I can tell though, none of the Android head units do this. CarJoying told me that theirs will do play/pause forward/back, but that's all.
I found a thread somewhere that says that the ca-fi dashlinq4 won't do it either (I haven't been able to confirm anything about the new dashlinq ct).
Is there some technical barrier that I am not seeing or has it just not been done yet?
Hello,
finally one that interested me the connection on the iPod Radio Android .
I do not understand is that they give the ipod connection but then nothing happens . It does not recognize the ipod !
Joying sold a cable for this but now it sells more .
someone does the ipod ?
Related
Hello people!
My headunit was recently purchased (before I bought the Nexus One) for my iPhone 3G-S 32gig...
The iPhone unfortunately went for a swim...so I decided to try out the Nexus one for the **** of it.
Now, before, when I had the iPhone... the headunit played all audio, music, navigation via the USB port flawlessly... track information was pushed to the headunit and everything
With the N1 however, I can only use it via USB in "mount" mode... only able to read files directly, no audio streams!
While this wouldn't normally be a problem... the folders are SO disorganized, and my unit will look at ALL .mp3 files on the card... and that can be troublesome with the various ringtones and notification sounds that I have...
So I have resorted to bluetooth
This was not the intention with this headunit however...and I am searching amongst the forums for a "USB Streaming" solution that works LIKE the iPhone
Judging by the Desktop Dock by Google, the audio can indeed be streamed via USB (I am aware the dock can also communicate via Bluetooth...but I'm pretty sure the video demonstration I saw displayed the dock working via USB and via Bluetooth)
Any solutions??
I haven't rooted my phone yet, but will if I need to!
As a mobile electronics installer, i can tell you your most likely out of luck.
What head unit do you have? model number and brand.
the reason it works for iphone is many common electronics come with a stamp that says made for iphone... as ipods are synonymous with mp3's these days, and the units are programmed to read an ipod's files like an ipod does.
perhaps with androids growth, some manufacturers will begin offering made for android stuff. its possible.
I know I'll get flamed for this, lol, but I use my n1 while driving and hate cords in my way, so i just use the bluetooth for phone calls and I keep an Ipod Touch in my glove box hooked up to my head unit, or take the SD Card out of my phone and put it into my headunit.
Most of the USB setups were made with Apple in mind. That's just the way it is.
Be glad you can use Bluetooth.
Currently the only way to do it, is via mounting. Otherwise the Head unit has no way of knowing what's on the SD card. Blame Apple for being proprietary @$$hats imho.
As for me, I use BT Audio every, single day with my N1. (I listen to approx 2 hours of audiobooks daily + Navigation as needed, and sometimes Pandora. It works perfect)
it is a kenwood excelon x993
"This CD receiver is not only iPhone and iPod ready, it also includes a unique EQ feature that extracts the best possible sound from the iPod, iTouch or iPhone."
- from a review of your head unit.
maybe soon we'll see one that says "google ready."
With my old phone being an iPhone, you could plug in USB and have everything display on the OEM*car head unit screen like artist,song title,album name, and time lapsed from any music source (itunes,pandora,amazon prime music,Google play, etc).
My '12 maxima has the color lcd for the backup camera and menus,etc but when I try to connect my S7 edge via USB it just gives (check connected device) error!! I have Bluetooth for calls but not for music audio so that's not an option,although it pairs up immediately with no issue..And as previously reported here in the forums, the aux port in the SD820 s7 edge gives bad quality and extreme static at high volumes.
Do you guys know of any other options to get the S7 edge to play via USB, or will I have to stick with this boring iPhone 6s plus for my audio??
I enabled developer options to see what all USB options were available and no dice.*
Please help!!!! ??
Android USB audio in car:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5490#post_10963953
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/6480#post_11426983
I'm also having some difficulty with this. I have a new Kenwood DDX4016DAB head unit in my vehicle. This is a new 2016 model, and has a big 'ANDROID' button alongside the usual iPhone/iPod button.
The idea is that when the phone is connected to the unit's USB, that it should take over sound output from the phone - note - this is NOT accessing the phone as mass storage/MTP or anything like that - the head unit is supposed to take the full audio signal.
I find that when I connect the S7 edge to USB, that the sound does come across- -both Spotify, Waze, system sounds etc. - everything as it should. Playback controls on the head unit also function. The big problem is that the sound is very distorted and crackly. It doesn't sound right at all. I'm obviously hugely frustrated by this, as Bluetooth audio quality is not brilliant.
I find this problem to remain regardless as to whether I install Kenwood's (fairly useless looking) music app, or whether I just leave Android to do its native thing.
As to the OP - I appreciate that this may not be helpful to you directly (as we're both having problems), but I think my issue might help to clarify yours. Some head units (like mine) are able supposed to be able to take over the Android audio system totally. I suspect that this will only be quite new ones. A 2012 car is probably too old - I believe Android only began to support USB audio out with Android 5.0.
Older ones may simply not have the ability natively, or only be set-up for iPhone etc.
Hi Everyone, new to the forum here!
I need some help in finding an Android head unit for a project I'm doing which will involve retrofitting the unit into an OEM dash-mounted flip-up display enclosure.
My specific requirements for the unit are:
Android 5.1+
7" Display
Bluetooth w/ Song Information at least (so AVRCP 1.4+ preferred)
Bluetooth Handsfree
CAN Bus support (one of those red boxes)
Small list since most other stuff I want seem to come standard with these units already, however biggest point above being the Bluetooth song info with text because I heavily use bluetooth for audio. If the unit also has the ability to browse my phone's music library via Bluetooth from the head unit (so artist, track, playlist search etc...) that would be awesome as well. However, from the information I have found so far, later versions of AVRCP still seem not really implemented yet at this point. The only units that I have found so far that seem to match my requirements (besides screen size) are the InDashNet OctaCore units which seem to be even be AVRCP 1.5-ready.
In general from what I can make out the bluetooth audio support for a lot of these units seems quite limited but is slowly getting better. What I can't seem to find though in many reviews is much demonstration of the bluetooth music features (or maybe I'm looking in the wrong places?...idk). This is actually primarily why I'm making this thread.
So if anyone can point me in the direction of something that matches or at least comes very close to the specs I bulleted above I would really appreciate it. Also I'm not too concerned with what the shell of the unit looks like for this since I'll likely be gutting it anyways.
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been going around in circles trying to choose the correct Android head unit. It either has this but doesn't have that or does this but doesn't do that. For the past few years, I’ve had a Parrot Asteroid. I love it’s bluetooth, hands-free and ipod capabilities. It also got me interested in having the full Android os in my car (Parrot doesn't provide this).
So, I decided to make a list of exactly what I'm looking for, and enlist the advice of those who have hands-on experience with various Android head units to find the one I really want. I’m looking for a unit with the following (or, as close as I can get):
Bluetooth that downloads my contacts from phone to unit and allows me to receive and make calls from the unit. I have an iPhone 7. Voice activated calls would be nice, but not required.
Bluetooth that plays iPhone music, AND displays music info on unit and can be controlled (forward, back) from unit.
Full android o/s with ability to download and run apps from Playstore.
Usb, microphone, sd and bluetooth accessible to Android o/s and apps.
(In my research, I have discovered that a unit may have a built-in mic , usb and bluetooth; however, while the unit firmware can access them, apps running under Android o/s can’t)
Ipod capability -- Once iphone is connected via usb, I can search and play phone music library from the unit itself.
(All the video examples I have been able to find show a phone connected to a unit, and while the music plays on the unit, it is controlled on the phone)
I have read a lot about the Newsmy Carpad, and while the Android o/s functionality is exactly what I want, it is not clear from the videos I’ve seen how the Bluetooth (for phone and music) works in the real world, or if it even has ipod capability.
Interested in any suggestions about any units with which folks have real experience making calls and listening to music.
Thanks!!
Hi,
I just got a car from my company, it is a Toyota Auris 1.3 VVT, 2012 (before the recent facelift version), and I'm thinking to replace the built in unit with an Android HU.
I don't want to spend too much, and I would prefer a 2 DIN Universal unit, should I return the car or I get a new one, then I can move the HU to the new car.
I like the unit listed here: tinyurl.com/ybj7nmlo (please add https:// because I can't post url yet)
The price and specs seam reasonable. I can't really find any information about this unit, is it a safe buy? The seller seams to have many positive feedbacks, and they can deliver from Germany within EU so I could avoid customs. What should I expect or know about this unit?
I need the following:
- radio (FM mostly, if possible, by station name display)
- music player from SD card (at least 32GB size). Should be able to easily select artist, album, tracks. Would be great to have album art.
- navigation (IGO). I think it comes preinstalled with Igo, and then I can easily update to latest maps, other goodies. Would be great if navigation and music/radio can run together. For example, if I listen to music, but I run the navigation, then I hear the music in background, but when the navigation voice is saying direction, then music should fade.
- Bluetooth phone call, for incoming and outgoing calls. The built in mic should be fine, I don't talk too much when driving.
- Steering wheel control! I believe I will need to buy a canbus adapter for Auris, and then probably it will work. I have volume up/down, skip next/previous, and Select buttons. Should do the trick for volume, and skip track. Maybe long press would work too, for skip to next folder?
- would be nice to have it paired with an OBD2 interface, then I could even use Torque I guess or other app. I have an OBD2 device off eBay. Not sure if I can pair both the phone and the OBD2 at same time, or maybe yes? This is not so important.
Features like DVD/CD, and movies video playback are not important to me, and rear camera too.
What do you think, should I buy this unit, is it reliable? I don't need super sound, just decent enough. I have factory speakers only in front, that's it.
I still need to get a fascia for Auris, and a cage. And the canbus for steering wheel.
Or any other unit that performs fine in the same price range, available in EU from Aliexpress or eBay?
Thanks!
also looking but with dab built in.
if it doesn't have 2GB of RAM skip it
I bought the Bosion HU with Android Marshmallow about half a year ago, I am very happy with it.
Mainly because now I feel so free when I can install any app I want.
I installed PowerAmp for music player and TuneIn for radio stations, Google Maps and Waze for navigation
The microSD slot did accept without any problem my 64Gb sandisk card with all my music
It all works well, there are , though, a few small problems:
* The built in apps "steal" the speakers. Meaning, if you are listening to the Radio app (from the antenna, not the web) and you press Play on PowerAamp, you will still be hearing the radio. You have to launch the built in Music player, which "steals" back the speakers, then play Poweramp, this time it will play your music.
I haven't found any fix to this behavior, but to do the steps I just bescribed.
* Along the same line, the built in Music player and built in CD player seems to launch automatically and it takes a few minutes to stop them both and use your own app.
* The internal SD memory is not mounted, so you cannot write it
As you see not much to complain, for me these problems are not critical, and anyway I don't believe they are going to be fixed any time soon. The seller is not in the business of maintaining the OS.
The seller from eBay was very communicative and responsive, he/she just didn't have any solution to the problems, sometimes he/she did not understand the english in my description of the problems.