Database Users

DON’T BUY. On Road test of Ownice C500 – two weeks usage.

On Road test of Ownice C500 – two weeks usage. DON’T BUY.:crying::crying:
I bought more than two weeks ago the unit. I installed on Subaru BRZ (same as Toyota GT86 and same wiring and Toyota harness of course, it's the same car!).
I was tired about BT issues on Xtrons PH75HGTA – MTCD platform on Lollipop 5.1 - related to DashCommand unable to pairing, usb dongle key operating only as router (wifi only 2.4Ghz not 5GHZ) and not in modem way, therefore you were obliged to run Dashcommand (and Torque Pro) with WiFi ODB loosing Internet connection capabilities.
About these features C500 fits well:
You can be online with a microSIM (4g/LTE full compliants to Euro frequencies), run DashCommand with ODB Link LX (genuine), answer the phone on BT (S7 Edge) or if you have a call+data plan on SIM you can make calls from C500 directly.
This sounds good but:
(After 4 firmware flashing - up to V39, latest available)
-FM RADIO is not a real RDS, no TEXT ON RDS, therefore you are on a ’80 radio (Saturday Night Fever age). Today in Europe none is surfing on numeric frequencies since 25 years.
- Equalization, lower and poor, the worst unit on the market (3 levels, bass, middle and treble with an elephantiac sensitivity)
-Sound with no support to subwoofer frequencies, sound is poor with high range speakers, let’s imagine on stock speakers
- DAB radio (same apk running on Xtrons and same usb dongle) has a indecent sound quality and level+, they say that the issue is from producer of apk but on Xtrons runs very well with a high sound quality.
- Rear cam image quality near indecent level (in Russian forum 4PDA someone suggested to solder a 75Ohm resistance across ground and signal wire)
- Rear cam operating only after boot, if you set power off delay time of 10 minutes and restart the car after 11 minutes ,you need to wait to see on back like in 1990: stupid
- Sound bettering (a bit) with few workarounds, you need to root unit and install Viper4Android, Busy Box and set to permissive rights
- unable for adding on memory (SD or USB) to set as system memory (not available space...it returns) only to portable way. You cannot transfer any apks.
My car hasn’t canbus drive as no steering wheel buttons are, so no issue. Someone might become crazy as I read if you get or need volume keys on steering wheel.
My rating is very negative as unit:
Don’t buy, this unit has not more than speed, only.
When you buy this kind of unit you need listen music in 2017 quality standard and not in accordance to 1960 standard, you need to see on back when you start, what is the meaning of a car cam on board if you are obliged to see on back like your father did?, you need to know the station name you are listening and see text traffic messages not search radio station like Allieds did with Nazi’s armed forces in Normandy near 1944.
Avoid IMHO to throw money, keep your MTCD (fully supported with a real and great job i.g. from Malaysk)

I understand your frustration with the unit, since the issues you mention aren't minor bugs and they impact core-features. However, coming from an MTCD-unit and reading the forums until now, I know there's two sorts of Chinese units: fair and poor, none of them are great. I had all kinds of issues on my KGL-unit, with Tomtom and other apps not installing due to the firmware used, OBD-issues, sometimes very laggy in switching between packages and all sorts of other issues. Support by KGL was none-existant. So considering the list you mention, to me it seems the basic is fine and stable, which is a good starting point. The majority of issues could be resolved if the manufacturer is willing to put some effort into it.
Issues that could be dealt with rather easily are I presume:
- add RDS-information
- Equalizer (although I would like for it to be switched off completely, I have an external amp with DSP and would like to get the signal as clean as possible, an equaliser will just eat CPU-resources, so it's not helping in my particular case)
- DAB-compatibility
Probably more difficult to solve:
- Rear cam image quality, if it's indeed hardware-related. Has somebody been able to verify the impedance-mod?
- Rear cam availability. Besides increasing standby-time somebody suggested that it would be possible for Ownice to integrate some sort of additional layer to the firmware to have access to the cam much sooner.
I'm not sure about the "no support for subwoofer frequencies". If they haven't installed a sophisticated equalizer, I don't assume the unit has a high-pass filter, so then it must be related to the sound in general and possibly in conjunction with your speaker system. I'll hopefully receive my C500 later this week, so I can test this for myself.
In the meantime big thumbs up to Bob at Winlink for reaching out. Please don't let us down and show that Ownice / Winlink understand customer service and building customer relationships!

Bob-Winlink said:
Dear Customer,
thanks for your feedback, this is bob from winlink,
pls contact us to get support on our product.
Thanks very much.
Best regards
Bob Huang
Email: [email protected]
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Hi Bob,
How do you see posting effectively "take these issues offline before I will help you" as helpful to the end user or the development of your product? As a user who has experienced this kind of support, this is the worst level of response you could offer and potentially only drive potential customers to agree with the OP and look elsewhere.
Suggest try again and solve the problems in a transparent manner.

Totally agree! I really can't understand what exactly these guys mean when they say "RDS support"? There is clearly no RDS support! Radio is supposed to be THE MOST USED FEATURE of head units and this quality level is really insane. I don't know where is the problem - lack of RDS support in the radio chip, or maybe its just the app, that is not capable to render radio station labels and other data.
Another insane thing is the sound quality! C'mon, these head units are all about audio. Everything else is just a bonus over stock head units. No one wants to downgrade sound quality when they upgrade head unit.
Above two notes are not just about C500. I have experience with several Chinese brands, all sharing same INSANE issues. And I really can't figure out why.

How much did you pay?

skezza said:
How much did you pay?
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How much you think costs the RDS support? Every dumb car stereo has it since at least 15 years. Furthermore, these guys claim they have RDS support. At least they shouldn't do that!
I would be very glad to pay extra $30 (BOM should be less actually) for some 400-500W quality audio. What we currently get is just some Chinese tablet in a 2din form-factor. This is not what market expects. At lest not me.

Bob-Winlink said:
Dear Customer,
thanks for your feedback, this is bob from winlink,
pls contact us to get support on our product.
Thanks very much.
Best regards
Bob Huang
Email: [email protected]
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Click to collapse
Thanks for answer almost I don't like it.
Some points:
Lucky you aren't a US producer or seller: YOU CANNOT SALE GOODS WITH WRONG CAPABILITIES, if you declare RDS compliant , it means RDS not only AF, In US this means "class action" furthermore.
#1. Please advice that unit isn't RDS fully compliant otherwise re-write software to fit.
#2. Please advice that rear vision is not available on start up, same as above. It's the first HU with this ancient feature I find.
#3. I wrote three times, no answers. Check your mailbox found on home site.
#4. It Is very curious that firmware releases (up to V39) are adviced between users on 4PDA forum (Russia) or XDA, a decent producer will build a site with "Support"===> Support, Updates, Download, Firmware. This is done by any Western Producer or China Worldwide Producer (see Huawei, see Asus, see Blackvue, see any you wish), this is not serious It's not a money issue or cost as a Huawei smartphone doesn't cost the same of an iPhone or Samsung S7 Edge. It's nowaday political customer relationship, here. You are out, fired usually here.
#5. Bought a Xtrons HU that I know as capabilities are as standard way, I am waiting sending to install and remove C500 I will run it as stopper in my home entrance. I throw in bucket much $, it's life. No more Ownice/Winlink.
@Bob-Winlink For your convenience:
Contact Russian guys on Russian Forum 4PDA, they made a wide job to modify some of larger crazy features (see post 1 of thread), learn from them.
Maybe If Winlink will pay them or give them the source code, they are able to re-write all Unit not in insane way.

mishoboss said:
How much you think costs the RDS support? Every dumb car stereo has it since at least 15 years. Furthermore, these guys claim they have RDS support. At least they shouldn't do that!
I would be very glad to pay extra $30 (BOM should be less actually) for some 400-500W quality audio. What we currently get is just some Chinese tablet in a 2din form-factor. This is not what market expects. At lest not me.
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That wasn't my question.

RDS is transmitting in 57 kHz range, probably their FM tuner (C500) can not handle 57 kHz frequency.
Its not software thing, it requires new hardware. So yes, it is stupid. I want RDS = i will not buy Ownice C500.

skezza said:
That wasn't my question.
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I know your point - you get what you pay for. However I don't think C500 (or any other Android HU) could be categorized as a cheap piece of hardware. For that amount of money I would expect someone has put some thought and reason behind the product. These Chinese guys only know how to assemble. If you have dealt with Chinese, you should know all they care about is "quantity", not "quality". OK, that's fine, but for God's sake, some things are just unimaginary stupid. Fix them and you will sell more. Put some thought and reason!

mishoboss said:
I know your point - you get what you pay for. However I don't think C500 (or any other Android HU) could be categorized as a cheap piece of hardware. For that amount of money I would expect someone has put some thought and reason behind the product. These Chinese guys only know how to assemble. If you have dealt with Chinese, you should know all they care about is "quantity", not "quality". OK, that's fine, but for God's sake, some things are just unimaginary stupid. Fix them and you will sell more. Put some thought and reason!
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That wasn't my point at all, but okay.

skezza said:
That wasn't my point at all, but okay.
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OK, in this case I bring my apology. I'm curious what was your point?

mishoboss said:
OK, in this case I bring my apology. I'm curious what was your point?
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My point was if you paid a small amount, you might have actually been sold a fake or a clone or something else?

mishoboss said:
OK, in this case I bring my apology. I'm curious what was your point?
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skezza said:
My point was if you paid a small amount, you might have actually been sold a fake or a clone or something else?
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Updates? Anyone else having issues mentioned in this thread?

I think all the issues are still there on the quad cores, while the octa cores have solved most of this. I am happy, and I would buy another C500 Octa Core.

velocity4 said:
I think all the issues are still there on the quad cores, while the octa cores have solved most of this. I am happy, and I would buy another C500 Octa Core.
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From reading the thread discussing this unit, these still appear to have flaws and QA issues.

marchnz said:
From reading the thread discussing this unit, these still appear to have flaws and QA issues.
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Don't they all?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JOYING or PUMPKIN head unit?

hello
I'm really debating between choosing the latest JOYING headunit (with the digital amplifier) and the PUMPKIN 7.1 android
does they have the external mic problem?
Is there any other recommended stable Chinese android head unit?

I'm more or less convinced that it's really a zero sum game with these units. Each has it's own issues and benefits and they even out. Find one with the screen you like and general features.

pounce said:
I'm more or less convinced that it's really a zero sum game with these units. Each has it's own issues and benefits and they even out. Find one with the screen you like and general features.
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they all have basically the same feature. it's supposed to be almost identical units...
do u recommend a specific model from specific brand? there are so many of these Chinese brands.

+1 for Pumpkin, I've had the RQ0278E for a few months now, it's nice but it has its quirks. The Android 6.0 update made it better. Btw, I can't seem to get my DAC to work with it properly

deadeye1985 said:
they all have basically the same feature. it's supposed to be almost identical units...
do u recommend a specific model from specific brand? there are so many of these Chinese brands.
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Everyone has an opinion or approach. Depends on your objectives.
Personally, I find a good source first. I like Amazon because I can easily return. Then a look in the forums to check the amount of discussions and support for things I need. I read a bit and then buy something that seems to have some discussions and an amount of success or managed issues. Not everyone takes the approach.
Pumpkin and Joying are fairly established so I think they go in a short list.
I'm about to go with a Secaine unit because they do a nice job with dash specific plastic and form factors, but I don't hear much good about the guts. I see a lot of negative things, but that may just be because only people with problems post.
If you like hands on mods then a Joying might be fun. If you don't then maybe consider any good options that aren't Intel based.

What do you say about the OWNICE C500 ? are they another reseller ?

pounce said:
Everyone has an opinion or approach. Depends on your objectives.
Personally, I find a good source first. I like Amazon because I can easily return. Then a look in the forums to check the amount of discussions and support for things I need. I read a bit and then buy something that seems to have some discussions and an amount of success or managed issues. Not everyone takes the approach.
Pumpkin and Joying are fairly established so I think they go in a short list.
I'm about to go with a Secaine unit because they do a nice job with dash specific plastic and form factors, but I don't hear much good about the guts. I see a lot of negative things, but that may just be because only people with problems post.
If you like hands on mods then a Joying might be fun. If you don't then maybe consider any good options that aren't Intel based.
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I just want a stable and reliable unit with good MIC , good 3G/4G +GPS for running WAZE

deadeye1985 said:
I just want a stable and reliable unit with good MIC , good 3G/4G +GPS for running WAZE
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Can you use your phone as a wifi hotspot? That would keep things simple.
Reliable might not be a quality attributed to any of the android unit. It's my opinion that most of accept some degree of mediocre reliability in exchange for the functionality we gain with being able to run android on the head unit.
You may want to consider opening your search to include Android Auto units. Waze is supported now.

pounce said:
Can you use your phone as a wifi hotspot? That would keep things simple.
Reliable might not be a quality attributed to any of the android unit. It's my opinion that most of accept some degree of mediocre reliability in exchange for the functionality we gain with being able to run android on the head unit.
You may want to consider opening your search to include Android Auto units. Waze is supported now.
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The main problem is that I buy an android unit for my parents and they don't have a smartphone...only a old simple nokia.
so they need to use waze with a sim card with data plan.

deadeye1985 said:
The main problem is that I buy an android unit for my parents and they don't have a smartphone...only a old simple nokia.
so they need to use waze with a sim card with data plan.
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I would not recommend an android unit for older parents that use an old simple nokia if the reasons are that a smart phone is too complicated. I believe they may have issues with the use of the unit and that could be a safety issue.

ATOTO Double DIN Android 6.0 is my choice
I am owning ATOTO Android 6.0 HU. When it comes to operation speed, ATOTO is the best. After PUMPKIN Android 7 released for 2 months, I checked a lot reviews about it. But I think that may slower than my ATOTO Android 6.0 system. So I will just keep Android 6.0

i want to buy unit that support video out (headrest monitors), i found 2 units that i think that is good and i dont know what to choose.
1. joying JY-UM135N2PX5 CPU: PX5 Octa core Cortex-A53 up to 1.5GHz
2. hizpo WJZ99GX - CPU: T8 2.0GHz (i think this is the model number)
most of the parameters are the same, exept the CPU
does anybody could recommend one of them or maybe another unit that i missed?

Yes, after long time research, I finally got ATOTO back with my 2003 Mazda Miata. So far so good. The screen responds faster than my wife's Joying. Good try！And it helped me save a lot money.

deadeye1985 said:
What do you say about the OWNICE C500 ? are they another reseller ?[/QUOTE
No, ownice is a manufacturer, they use other hardware like the cpu from AutoChips.
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Best Head unit on a $250-$300 Budget

Greetings,
I am looking to upgrade the HU in my MY09 Subaru Forester, because the stock one is hot garbage. I don't need (nor can I afford) the very top of the line models such as a $600 Pioneer.
I plan on running Car Launcher Pro as I like the simple and sleek OS, although I did just see the FCC launcher by SpeedFire. My primary uses for the HU are Torque Pro (although I may just run that from my S7), some form of navigation such as Google Maps or Wayz, as well as basic entertainment from Bluetooth, Spotify, and Pocket Casts.
A couple units I've been looking at are:
Panlelo PA-09YZ16- This was the first one I considered but I've been scared off by everyone's largely negative review of Panlelo products.
Joying JY-UL128N2- This looks like a strong candidate but I want to know more before shelling out any money.
(I would post links but since this is my first post I'm unable to do so, both units can be found on Amazon.)
Other than those two I am open to any and all suggestions if anyone has a unit they really enjoy.
So my question to you is which head unit will best fit my needs?
Thank you for your time and expertise!

Best Head unit on a budget
Thanks for starting this thread. (I'm new here too.)
How to choose between Joying, Xtrons, Erisin, etc ?
They all seem to have the same needed features, with only small variation/s, accessories, packaging.
Are they all as good/bad/faulty as each other ?
Another thing I wonder about.
IF these are all good products, why are NONE sold in reputable stores ?
Seems we can only buy these items on ebay and similar dubious places.

bgroper said:
Thanks for starting this thread. (I'm new here too.)
How to choose between Joying, Xtrons, Erisin, etc ?
They all seem to have the same needed features, with only small variation/s, accessories, packaging.
Are they all as good/bad/faulty as each other ?
Another thing I wonder about.
IF these are all good products, why are NONE sold in reputable stores ?
Seems we can only buy these items on ebay and similar dubious places.
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It's pretty much a tablet for your car. Doubt anyone would want to be liable for stupid/irresponsible drivers with tablet radios.

Best Android Head Unit for a maximum of 500$ CAD?

Hi everyone. I have a Eonon GA2163 10" 2gb of ram and i want to upgrade. What brand should i look or which one should i stay away?
What i would like to have is:
10" screen
4gb of ram
DSP
Android update
Is this possible to have all that for 500$ CAD?
Another question: I see soooo many negatives comment about sound quality on youtube. For me, the sound quality of my Eonon is "correct". It only have a 3 bands EQ (treble, mid, bass). So a newer HU with DSP should have better sound quality...
Thanks for your help.

I've been looking around for an upgrade to my Pioneer Nav and I'm Canadian as well.
I don't think I was able to find any px6 10.2" screens with DSP for less than $650CAD. That said, the 9" versions come in at around $550 as seen here
The reason why I reference the PX6 is is because it comes with the DSP. But honestly, if you have a specific budget you're likely going to be looking at the PX5 models without DSP. You can always add DSP later though.
But yeah, I spent many hours trying to find the best deal. I couldn't find anything in your pricerange when I looked.

Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing

SummerLiu said:
Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing
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It appears this is the model you're referring to. I didn't catch that before... might be an ok fit for the OP
https://www.joyingauto.com/joying-1...een-car-navigation-system-with-4g-module.html
It does seem that Joying probably has the best pricing although it's a brand I choose to stay away from. I also can't get over the massive logo on the front of all their devices. It screams cheap to everyone that gets in my car lol. Personal preference though
I don't think you'll see much development for that either. It seems all the development right now is mostly around the PX3/PX5 and hopefully the PX6 in the future.
So software wise, I'd also be hesitant to purchase Joying.
Also, the Joying comes in at over $600CAD, outside of the OP's budget.

Thanks for your help. I said dps but what i really want is a good EQ. Not a cheap 3 bands.... 9" could do the job too.
I feel really insecure to buy a 500$+ head unit without any advice. My eonon have some bugs that i want to be sure the next head unit will not have like bluetooth connexion. If i have elm327 connected and my phone, when i receive a call the elm327 is disconnected. And this is when i successfully pair the damn device. This is one of the main reason i want an android head unit: app like torque or dashcommand connected to my car.

I don't believe any of the head unit manufacturers are good at software. That goes for the likes of Pioneer down to the Chinese brands. They are in the hardware sales business, not the software business. They need the software to work well enough to do a quick demo and get you to buy. Don't expect a lot of thoughtful design consideration or UI testing.
If I am wrong and there is a good company out there, I would love to hear who they are. I'd certainly consider buying a newer head unit from them. I am in no rush. I let my Joying HU sit on a shelf for a couple years before finally getting around to installing it.
The software is very disappointing. A2DP stops when going into GPS for example. I can't seem to figure out how to map my VOICE steering wheel button to Google Voice Input (like google search widget offers). And how do I disable AVIN so when I press the SRC or Mode SWC button it isn't in the cycled list? It's the small things. Even the pick up phone button (when hung up) doesn't start the Bluetooth phone dialer. The software is very, very poor. Reminds me of the brain dead design decisions of Kenwood and Alpine of years past.
Just my 2c.

The DSP is more than just an equalizer everybody will tell you units equipped with one sound better. Look for your car on the Ownice store the K3's have DSP. The K3 low would definitely fall in your price range but it's not 4GB/32GB. The K3 high is the better unit and should be priced close to your limit. Wait for the exchange rate to get better (probably in the fall).

SummerLiu said:
Maybe you can check on JOYING website, all of the newest intel 9853i system has built-in dsp, the sound is amazing
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Click to collapse
mvez73 said:
Thanks for your help. I said dps but what i really want is a good EQ. Not a cheap 3 bands.... 9" could do the job too.
I feel really insecure to buy a 500$+ head unit without any advice. My eonon have some bugs that i want to be sure the next head unit will not have like bluetooth connexion. If i have elm327 connected and my phone, when i receive a call the elm327 is disconnected. And this is when i successfully pair the damn device. This is one of the main reason i want an android head unit: app like torque or dashcommand connected to my car.
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Honestly, I'd stick to the hot-audio/dasaita models at this point.
Just the sheer amount of support and updates (the most recent update being about a week ago) makes these hopefully a safer bet. See updates here
Technology changes almost on a month to month basis. I accept that when I spent $500CAD+ on android tech that I may desire an upgrade a year later. It's just the cost of having the newest technology.
I do understand that not everyone can justify that kind of money on something that really is more of a want than a need though. If you feel that you just want something that is flawless, you may want to avoid android completely and just get something like a Pioneer unit. These units easily last 10+ years with no more than the odd map update. Just my 2cents.
$500CAD is a tough place to be for a budget right now. The reason I say this is because you definitely can't get the top of the line android HU for that. If you have that much to spend, you're better off holding off on the purchase until you can save up another $150 or so for the top of the line. If you can't afford top of the line, maybe pickup something on the lower end for like $250 for the next year or two and then upgrade later when you have the extra money? I'd hate to dump $500 though on something that's outdated or not receiving patches a year from now.

stokedcrf makes a good point about long term support especially with those Chinese units. They are getting better but there's still work to be done. Actually your best source for support is here provided you have a unit that's compatible. Look for one that is supported by hal9k or malaysk firmwares. Those would be Intel and Rockchip CPU with MTC_ MCU.

nic2k said:
The DSP is more than just an equalizer everybody will tell you units equipped with one sound better. Look for your car on the Ownice store the K3's have DSP. The K3 low would definitely fall in your price range but it's not 4GB/32GB. The K3 high is the better unit and should be priced close to your limit. Wait for the exchange rate to get better (probably in the fall).
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Thank you. Is Ownice a good brand? And right now there is 45% discount on the model for my car. What do you think of this head unit?
And what about update for Ownice? Will i be stuck with android 9.0 for ever or they have update for their head unit?
Thanks

Yeah don't get too excited about Aliexpress' discounts they come and go and come again. I linked to the Ownice official store there are others that sell them too but on the bright side shipping is included in the price at that store. Ownice is a manufacturer so you could have better support. Now talking about a good brand, these are Chinese units I wouldn't qualify any of them as good in the sense of Pioneer good. Lets just say some units suck less than most. In the last year this brand has put out units that were pretty decent. Here's the current K3/C800 thread and you can also read up on the C500.
Maxim is running HAL9K ROM 3.1 on his C800. HAL9K ROM started with Lollipop and is now up to Pie and the last 3 version of MTC MCU's are cross compatible so there should be upgrade possibilities for a while. You should do your own research and not have someone tell you what to spend your money on.

best android unit with DSP
When it comes to giant touch screen Android head unit with DSP, the best one I can think of is the XTRONS PST series. Unlike the pionneer, alphine, kenwood which usually has a relatively small screens, XTRONS PST series have 9~10 large screens.
The built-in dsp feature allows you to simply adjust the equalizers and add music effects and will offer great music experience.
Besides as I know, this is a brand designed in England, though it is manufactured in China.

Android Firmware Update link?

Current head unit models

Hi all,
Could you please recommend me a head unit? Something modern, well-specced, and good quality. My google-fu has revealed plenty of comparisons of Android Auto-capable head units (whichi don't run android) or just pages such as aliexpress - many of those models are years old now and it's next to impossible to know whether they're any good.
Looking through this forum doesn't really seem to help unless I know what to look for, it's mainly all model- or ROM-specific. A sticky'd list of head units with a comparison of features would be great, if it exists. If it doesn't exist, I'd be happy to start putting one together :good: Could be really handy for newcomers
Is there a place out there keeping their finger on the pulse of new releases in this space that I can take a look at?
Thanks

As your Googling revealed things change fast and new models come out as part supplies change so a sticky wouldn't be good for much except maybe a historical record. There's no one place I know of that keeps track of what's coming down the pipes apart from sites like XDA, 4PDA and some car enthusiast sites where someone happens to spot something and reports it. I found info on new units before they were released by visiting the manufacturer's site or their store on Aliexpress (usually has official store in the name).
As far as recommending anything I think it's too much of a personal choice that depends on too many factors to do. I'll just start by saying if you're looking for good quality stick with the name brands. All these Chinese units have issues with assembly and software if you're willing to play you can have lots of fun with them fixing things and modifying. Some are better built than others, the sub $100 MTK units are not comparable to the PX6 at 3x the price but that doesn't stop either from suddenly dying from poor quality components or soldering. Also Google has a habit of messing things up with their service updates.
What you get with these HU is a custom fit and features you won't find on any other HU. The things to look for is at least 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage for a basic low cost unit. What you really want is 4GB/32GB Rockchip SoC with an MTC MCU. You get a 64bit multi core processor with lots of RAM and an MCU that has better support from the manufacturers and the community.
The official Android auto works with a limited number of phones. There is an unleashed version as well as other apps with similar function. Many of the Android HU have the ability to do the same thing and also can work with Carplay (may need a dongle). Screen mirroring has its issues. Personally I think you're better off to have your phone provide an internet connection and bluetooth handle the communications.