Database Users

How to choose which unit?

I am looking to buy an android head unit. I've found a few with different specs and screen sizes. I am wondering if someone with some experience with these units can help.
I'm trying to choose between these 3 units.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-1-Quad-C...For-Toyota-Highlander-2011-2014-/181834823295
This one is 10 inches (good), runs android 4.4.4 (good), all the latest specs...but it says it only works on 2011-2014 toyota highlander models. I have a 2009. It doesnt make sense because all of the other ones are made for Highlanders from 2008-2013, which is the 2nd gen and this looks like it is an exact replacement for my head unit. Not sure I want to gamble on that, otherwise this would be my first option.
http://www.carjoying.com/quad-core-...ouch-screen-1024-600-resolution-double-d.html
This one is only 8 inches, but it gets good reviews from some users on the Toyota Highlander forum. IT has all of the latest specs, like the one above. And it is made for my model year.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pure-Androi...n-/181738329265?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123
This one is 10 inches, but it has an older dual-core processor and is on android 4.4.2. It is also made for my model year.
There are so many options and they all look a little different. I dont know how to choose!!! I am mostly planning to use this for navigation, bluetooth audio/calling, and FM/AM radio. Of course, all of the android functionality is great, but those core functions are the most important for me. Anyone have any ideas?

I do not have a highlander, but have been doing days and days of research and cannot decide. I am on the market for a generic 7in double din unit. Hopefully some people who have lots of experience with these HUs can chime in to provide guidance/input.
I have been looking at joying, but they seem to only provide HUs with 1GB memory only. Is the 1GB memory enough? Most units these days have 2GB options.

Most units these days have 2GB options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually most of the units ARE 1GB units. Pretty much every single android head unit on the market uses the exact same small CPU/memory integrated sub-board that plugs into the main board on their unit. In fact the same motherboards are used between the dual and quad core, 8gb and 16gb flash models, only that small internal pluggable cpu board is different. It is also possible that these units will be able to be upgraded to faster CPU's with more ram in the future by swapping out the CPU boards.
All of the 2GB units right now appearing on the market, are usually a totally different design of having an entirely separate android pizza box(I am guessing they are repurposed TV boxes or something) which you have to figure out how to install somewhere and also a separate screen unit that you also have to install in the dash. The 1GB RAM head units are all a single integrated unit that installs in the regular double din location. I personally like the traditional single unit designs myself and chose not to use a 2GB unit because of that.
But really the choice comes down to price, specs (quad core, 16gb space, 1024x600 screen is what seems to be the best specs), and the features, button layout, if you want a DVD slot, or one without so you get a bigger screen, etc.. and then of course if you care about who you purchase it from and support etc..

nixfu said:
Actually most of the units ARE 1GB units. Pretty much every single android head unit on the market uses the exact same small CPU/memory integrated sub-board that plugs into the main board on their unit. In fact the same motherboards are used between the dual and quad core, 8gb and 16gb flash models, only that small internal pluggable cpu board is different. It is also possible that these units will be able to be upgraded to faster CPU's with more ram in the future by swapping out the CPU boards.
All of the 2GB units right now appearing on the market, are usually a totally different design of having an entirely separate android pizza box(I am guessing they are repurposed TV boxes or something) which you have to figure out how to install somewhere and also a separate screen unit that you also have to install in the dash. The 1GB RAM head units are all a single integrated unit that installs in the regular double din location. I personally like the traditional single unit designs myself and chose not to use a 2GB unit because of that.
But really the choice comes down to price, specs (quad core, 16gb space, 1024x600 screen is what seems to be the best specs), and the features, button layout, if you want a DVD slot, or one without so you get a bigger screen, etc.. and then of course if you care about who you purchase it from and support etc..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nixfu - thanks for the prompt response...this is very helpful information! What about the screens? Are they also similar across the board? I do not mind paying more money for a reliable/stable unit...I am more concerned about the risk of purchasing a HU plagued with software/hardware issues. One of the things I would like is having the ability to configure the HU to go into suspend when the power is switched off. I have seen several units that can be configured up to 2 hours suspend, but would like to be able to increase that up to potentially 24/48 hours or maybe more. You may have talked me into purchasing a CarJoying HU with your post/review of it Can that unit be configured to go into suspend longer than 2 hours when car ignition is switched off? Thanks again!

skange01 said:
Can that unit be configured to go into suspend longer than 2 hours when car ignition is switched off? Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I think they all have a min of 30secs and max of 2hours in the settings menu. Maybe that is something that Malaysk could add in his custom firmware.

Joying Android 8.1 4/32Gb with Intel SC9853i or Dasaita Android 9 4/64Gb RK3399-PX6?

Looking to buy a new android head unit, after some research , most likely I would go for one of the 2 below:
Dasaita Android 9.0 Car Radio 2 Din GPS- 2018 PX6 Built-in DSP IPS Screen 4Gb+64Gb 6-Core RDS WIFI Bluetooth
Joying New 10.1" 1 Din TDA7851 Android 8.1 Car Radio Player Multimedia GPS Navigation Audio Stereo DSP
Dasaita is a 6 cores - 2 cores running at 1.8Ghz, 4 at 1.5 Ghz, the benchmarks shows this unit performing better on the single core test, Joying is winning the multi-core. Not sure how much of a difference is going to be in a real life normal usage. Both units should perform nice. Joying unit comes with the new 8 core Intel SC9853I with 1.8Ghz per core, from what I read on this forum, looks like this product doesn't feel as solid as the Dasaita unit, still things that are being fixed through monthly updates from the manufacturer. Joying has SPDIF Coaxial digital audio output, Dasaita has HDMI out for video as distinctive features for these two units. One big concern would be regarding the Joying unit that it might get hotter than the Dasaita unit plus the not so polished software. Not sure which one to go for, I would appreciate your take on this, if you own any of these 2 units. PX6 RK3399 or Intel Airmont SC9853i ?

Hi, as being switched from px5 to the joying intel sc9853i head unit, i would definetly choose the dasaita px6 for below reasons;
1- Cpu power does not means everything and intel cpu gets very very hot 80~100 C during summers, of course this could be avoided by adding extra fan along with a heat sink but small one hence there is not much space inside the cage
2-PX6 is most known platform and lots of flexibility cos its a well known product unlike the joying intel head unit
3- Software of the joying is terrible, there are a lot of bugs and those will be affecting your daily driving experience and they will make you crazy after a while believe me
4- There is a joying support only allegedly, most of the time they can not be able the solve the problem and that garbage intel head unit has a lots of way to go to become a normal daily usage head unit
5- SPDIF is not a game changer option by itself, i have done side by side rca-spdif outputs and there is a very tiny difference in terms of audio quality
6- There is no xposed framework support which is tremendous effect on head unit ( I am putting this as a standalone remark hence this could fix the some of the bugs)
I hope these are the answers which you looking for..
cheers..

julien_blanche said:
Hi, as being switched from px5 to the joying intel sc9853i head unit, i would definetly choose the dasaita px6 for below reasons;
1- Cpu power does not means everything and intel cpu gets very very hot 80~100 C during summers, of course this could be avoided by adding extra fan along with a heat sink but small one hence there is not much space inside the cage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The PX6 can also become very hot. Same issue with all the faster CPUs.
Another point is rooting/Xposed/custom roms: I'm sure that Malyask has a PX6 custom ready in the near future. He already made one for the PX30 (don't buy a PX30).
And HAL9K most probably will have a PX6 custom rom pretty soon as well as he is "sponsored" by some Australian vendor of those units.
Due to the new flashing technique used on the 9853i (compared to the Joying Sofia and PX5), it is now also possible to make a custom rom for the 9853i. (but as long as my PX5 is working properly I will not switch to a 9853i and maybe never).

I have same dilemma as you. I tried to list out pros and cons for each in my opinion.
Above all else, I just want it to sound really good.
Dasaita px6 dsp pros:
Android 9 vs 8.1
Rockchip platform seems to have more longevity / development vs intel ?
Mali 864 vs Mali 820 (not a huge deal)
Faster single core performance
HDMI out (nice to have)
2 camera inputs
3 1.5 amp usb outputs
Cons:
Need to purchase android auto / carplay dongles separately (100+ for both)
No spdif out
Screen not easily / quickly removable
Unsure if canbus adapter for chevy cruze is compatible
Joying 8.1 intel DSP pros:
spdif out
android auto / apple carplay support built in via zlink
Easy to remove screen
Seem to have good technical / customer support?
Joying makes a direct 7 inch oem style replacement for my 2011 silverado vehicle, which makes getting harness / canbus adapter easy....
Faster multi core performance from CPU
Cons:
No video out
Android 8.1
usb / bluetooth limitations?
overheating issues potentially (live in phoenix lol)

I personally still using the 3 years old PX3 from Joying.. had twice the screen replaced for free due to cabling fault
and by looking at some reviews for the new units and build quality, I'd say they are quite good. They even produce variants screens like the 8" one that looked pretty solid.
The only downside I may think of is only the Android/software support for the Intel units. You are pretty much only relying on 1 single seller/manufacturer for the updates, unlike MTCx units.

WOW! Also I'm in big dilema ...which HU i'll have to choose: joying, xtons, witson, eonon, daisata, so many brands .... I was determinated on Joying with Intel SC9853i, because at this moment they offer HU with best hardware specs on the market, but after I read this thread and this one I have big reservations.... For me and my car best fit is a HU with buttons, not only touch. I prefer this ones because they looks closer to the original media player.
So, after 1 week of searches, digging, I have to face it with this conclusions:
-Joying have best hw specs on market, 8Cores Intel SC9853i, built in DSP, responsive support, but many bugs;
-Xtorns have a good build quality on their HU, maybe the best, sadly NO built in DSP, more expensive than competition, they have 6Cores PX6 on their lastest HU, not so much info on this forum about xtrons and their rom stabiltiy or support;
-Witson, I'm witson old HU owner, quad core, 1GB ram, and the experience was average, because the lack of ram memory, but after 2 years it still working. Now they offer 8Cores Px5 with a fair price, NO DSP, also not much info about support
--about other brands I have no knowledge, so no opinion!
After this conclusion, now I'm aimed on Xtrons, but in no hurry! I think if they had DSP on their unit, it was a 1st choise for me...so I have to find more info about user experience with this brand. Maybe someone share his experience/opinions about xtrons , and why not, about anyother brands to complete this thread!
THX!!

surfer63 said:
The PX6 can also become very hot. Same issue with all the faster CPUs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very hot is a relative subject. The question is does it become as hot as Intel and throttle? I think in the past also Intel units had more heat related issues than other units. But more importantly, you never know when Intel will stop supporting the platform. It is new and risky.
That said, Joying Intel units have 2s boot. I haven't seen any PX6 unit which claims to support this. I wonder why? as PX5 units had this feature???

yurtesen said:
Very hot is a relative subject. The question is does it become as hot as Intel and throttle? I think in the past also Intel units had more heat related issues than other units. But more importantly, you never know when Intel will stop supporting the platform. It is new and risky.
That said, Joying Intel units have 2s boot. I haven't seen any PX6 unit which claims to support this. I wonder why? as PX5 units had this feature???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course heat is relative. But the PX5 definitely got hot and started throttling down. Cooling it was one of the first things I had to do. I was not able to find the specs back, but the px6 iss comparable to the PX5.
Lots of home media units contain PX5s and cetainly need a big heatsink. Based on same spec measurements I guess it is the sam for the PX6 (but I can't prove, as I can't find back these measurements )
the 2seconds startup has nothing to do with the CPU, but with the additional hardware: the MCU and MCU firmware. Only the FYT based MCU types can do this.

@surfer63 it is interesting information about 2-3s boot. But why FYT does not have PX6 units? To be honest, right now I am not able to find any PX5 units with fast boot even.

yurtesen said:
@surfer63 it is interesting information about 2-3s boot. But why FYT does not have PX6 units? To be honest, right now I am not able to find any PX5 units with fast boot even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know whether they have or have not PX6 models. Joying only has the 9853i models from Fyt. There are however more FYT resellers than Joying.
Why do you want to have a PX6? You want a good functioning unit with as few bugs as possible. Performance wise it doesn't make a big difference, if any.

The downside for Intel socs is the precious trial with Intel Sofia units.
Manufacturers bet for Intel two-three years ago and moved fast again to rockchip platforms leaving Intel Sofia's with no support
In my opinion dont let be tempted by hardware specs...here the key is the software.
These units have hardware enough for the extrnse use for the car environment....if software is not stable....then your headunit is useless manufacturers don't give you the correct support (the most often case) then you have to move to any developer support....
Today the MTCD/MTCE based mcu units are the best developing supported (thanks to malaysk and hal9k) both are moving to px6 now.
With respect to which brand....in my opinion...many manufacturers claim warranties but no answer when troubles appear. I can recommend Dasaita (you can read many posts in which dasaita has been made the correct support for customers)
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

I followed Intel path for 2 important features that matters for me:
1. Fast boot. My unit is up less then 1 second and this aspect is very important.
2. DSP that gives a much better sound quality and settings compared with any PX solution I've tested.
And another big factor that made me decide was that HU i bought looks 100% like OEM unit including UI menu and is plug & play for all car features. Is not Joying brand but is based on same FYT solution. Now i am looking to find a way to root this device.

How bout the nee Belsee 9.0 units? How do they compare? They have a plug and play for the 9th gen accord. Cant find any info on Belsee

yurtesen said:
@surfer63 it is interesting information about 2-3s boot. But why FYT does not have PX6 units? To be honest, right now I am not able to find any PX5 units with fast boot even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is that fast boot a hardware thing or software based?

ricanxd said:
So is that fast boot a hardware thing or software based?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both. It is done by the MCU hardware and MCU firmware from FYT. It is not in the android layer. That is only reacting on it.

Px units have a sleep mode and waking up from sleep is instantaneous.
During sleep just few mah are consumed.. so no worries on draining battery
Px u mints have also dsp...did you tried a px with dsp before to be compared with your fyt with dsp?
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

ikerg said:
Px units have a sleep mode and waking up from sleep is instantaneous.
During sleep just few mah are consumed.. so no worries on draining battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The non-FYT PX units have a sleep mode of 5 minutes to something like 2 hours. Within this time frame they wake up instantanious. After max. 2 hours (or so), they switch off completely and cold-boot again needing 25-45 seconds to get to live again.
The FYT-units, both Intel and PX units, have deep-sleep and a 2-4 seconds wake up (the extra 2-3 seconds due to the MCU). Also after 4-5 days this wake-up is still 2-4 seconds!! And it does not drain your battery. The current is so low that a normal car battery can at least last for 30+ days before reaching 50% load, necessary to be still able to start the car.
That is a huge difference between the FYT units and the non-FYT units.

surfer63 said:
The non-FYT PX units have a sleep mode of 5 minutes to something like 2 hours. Within this time frame they wake up instantanious. After max. 2 hours (or so), they switch off completely and cold-boot again needing 25-45 seconds to get to live again.
The FYT-units, both Intel and PX units, have deep-sleep and a 2-4 seconds wake up (the extra 2-3 seconds due to the MCU). Also after 4-5 days this wake-up is still 2-4 seconds!! And it does not drain your battery. The current is so low that a normal car battery can at least last for 30+ days before reaching 50% load, necessary to be still able to start the car.
That is a huge difference between the FYT units and the non-FYT units.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not true.
Px units (like mtcd) have a unlimited time sleep mode.
Just when detects low voltage of battery they shut down.
I had my px5 5 days on sleep mode without issues and waking up instantaneously
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

ikerg said:
That is not true.
Px units (like mtcd) have a unlimited time sleep mode.
Just when detects low voltage of battery they shut down.
I had my px5 5 days on sleep mode without issues and waking up instantaneously
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is really great to hear. Until now I was really under the impression that only the Joyings did that.
You mention the PX5 (mtcd). Was that also true for the PX3 (mtcb)? I have seen many videos/images where they showed in the Settings this "switch off after xx minutes" (or whatever it was exactly called).
For me that was the only reason to choose a Joying. Cadillac Mike did quite some reviews where he also discussed the mtcd units and the Joying. He specifically mentioned the quick-start of the Joying. Unfortunately he removed all non-Seicane videos from Youtube and now seems to be paid by Seicane (and changed to 5after12 as user name).
And as all mtcd units are compatible: does that mean that what you say is valid for all px5 units?

On my px5 still the Menu allows you to choose between some.time to shut down or auto sleep....if you choose auto sleep...it lasts for days prioritizing the battery of the car as now it has a voltage meter to achieve this
Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

Which unit to choose? Dasaita or Ownice

Hi everybody
I'm going to order one of these two:
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/4000614373792.html 375€
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/4000248222979.html (K3 HIGH) 331€
Both have integrated DSP and 9 "IPS Display. Dasaita has PX6 chip, 4GB RAM and 64 ROM; Ownice has PX5 chip, 4 Gb RAM and 32 GB ROM.
Regardless of the PX6 processor which is less supported (but in my opinion it will become because the PX5 starts to get old), I'm undecided on which to choose even if I am much more oriented towards Dasaita which seems to me of higher quality.
Do you still confirm that Dasaita is among the best 2din android car radio distributors, even above than Ownice?
Thank you

I can't say which is best since I only have experience with Ownice. What I can say after taking the thing apart is that construction is on par for a Chinese unit and I would't expect any different from Dasaita. I think the difference will be on the update side but again no experience with Dasaita so someone else with a MAX6 would have to comment or you can search for yourself. As far as I know the last MCU update for the K3 dates from October 1st (v3.17).
I'm less than impressed with the EQ app stunt but I have a pro so doesn't matter to me. Also annoying is how they change the specs (the K3Pro is now a PX6) and how outdated the site is (as in they still list units that are not available in the Ali store).
As far as support goes they seem to be good as there is not much request for help here and they seem to be responsive from the feedback. Haven't had to use it so might be a good sign. AFAIK Dasaita has excellent support.
There are custom ROM for both SoC and they're a nice improvement over stock. The one advantage of PX6 is it runs cooler making it appear to be faster than the PX5. The issue is the PX5 is not properly cooled and gets throttled. Once you add a heatsink it runs smoother. The question is does a PX6 perform as well under load with the stock cooling?

Thanks nick2k for your valuable advices. What do you mean by under load at the end of the post? Listening to music with Spotify and using google maps at the same time is it a use that puts the radio under load? I'm not one who twists a lot.

Sorry for the late response. Spotify and Google maps together wouldn't be a great load but adding a visualization widget and a software EQ would start to add up. You also never know what other service is running in the background. Unlike a PC CPU that sits idle most of the time Android devices have a bunch of stuff tracking users and doing who knows what else. It all adds up and the environment also has to be accounted for a hot summer day will cause throttling easier than a cold winter day. I guess you will only find out when you get there but all it might mean is it needs a bugger heatsink.

What are good current specs?

I have an old Pumpkin 7" MTCB unit I'm looking to replace (RK3188, 800X480 screen and I think 512MB RAM). I flashed Malaysk's ROM on it with Android 4.4.4 but it's really slow at this point so it needs to go. I've been looking at different options but I've been out of the loop for a while and I'm having a hard time comparing head units, mostly because of the different CPUs. I remember PX6 CPUs used to be the best but now there are plenty others that appear to have the same specs but are not called PX6 (they mostly just say octacore).
Also which brands seem to have the best track record so far? Dasaita used to be considered the best but I don't know if that's still the case. I've also seen a few units with automatic rotating screens, but I don't know if that would really be useful or more of a gimmick so if anybody has any experience with these please chime in.
Ideally I'd like to get a 10" screen with DSP and 4GB of RAM (I think 2GB of RAM would become too slow a lot sooner so I'd like to avoid it). My budget would be around $300 (I could go higher if it's really worth it) so please let me know your recommendations.
Thanks in advance.

FYT based 7862UIS 3GB or more. The MTCD units IMHO have been left behind.
You'll need to do some forum reading, it's all there

Beginners guide to Android head units

Hey all, I've been messing around with android for ages, I've built a head unit using a Nexus 7 running Timurs kernel. That's become fairly outdated now and I've discovered that I can buy one of the head units running android which does everything the nexus did but better.
But I am so out of the loop with all the terminology and it seems that there isn't an obvious Go-To brand.
I was hoping this forum could answer some questions that I'm sure a lot of people are asking. So,
What does MTCB, MTCD and FYT stand for, a basic explanation of them and why would you pick one over the other?
What are the most popular / widely accepted / most supported brands / models from each group?
I'm personally after a ~ 9 inch device I can use as a dash for my aftermarket PCM (RealDash is the app I'll use) that also has standard headunit features. I'm looking at a Joying unit but I want to know what my options are.
Thanks heaps for any information
Hopefully this can be made into a thread for new people to get the lowdown and basics of Android based head units.

I have had an ATOTO head unit for over a year now and I have been very pleased with it. I recently got a newer model that I will be swapping it out with soon.
ATOTO has the best value for features and performance on the market today. Their products are primarily sold on Amazon, and they also sell direct at https://store.myatoto.com/ . There are several reviews on Amazon and you can Google ATOTO reviews and read some independent ones as well. Overall, they come highly recommended. They have great customer support, but since they are overseas it is by email only with a 24-48 hour turnaround for a response. You can also search for ATOTO in the forums here and there are several threads.
I hope this helps...

I saw a video for beginners the other day on Youtube
He seems to have lots of other good videos.
I'm also new, even though I've used Joying for a decade.
It seems they all use the same image or build off a common base, like all units use a PX5 or PX6 rom image. I wonder if they build it themselves or where is the origin?

Atoto makes their own Android based custom ROM and UI, the current units are based on Android 10. Unfortunately, there is no resource I have found here to root this latest version. But, you can certainly install another UI like Nova Launcher and such.
BTW, their latest models have a 1024x600 IPS display with 178 degree viewing angle.

Atoto does not use these px5 or px6 images?

Ok, px5 and px6 are actually processors.
Then I guess what my next question is, do they build off a common Android for head units branch?

As in, I dont't think they all are branching the git repo of Android, instead of branching from some head unit branch?

This really ought to be a Wiki article (except XDA axed that) or a sticky. There are many people here who know a ton about Android but aren't conversant with head units. Most of the posts on this subforum have to do with specific problems for specific functions on specific units in specific cars. Not a great way to get an oversight.
Let me flesh out what I mean (from my naive knowledge and subject to correction/expansion):
Head units are composed of:
Chassis
Single DIN
Double DIN
Others?
Motherboard
STM32F microcontroller (usually?)
Speaker amplifier
FM radio tuner
WiFi interface
Bluetooth interface
Resistive steering wheel controls interface (2)
Serial interface to external, optional CAN BUS (OBDII) box
Rear view camera interface
GPS interface
Standardized? rear panel connectors
"Core board" (a pluggable, modular Android system) Often named after the Rockchip processor used, PX4, PX5, PX6. Is this the only format? Are these modules used for anything besides head units?
LCD/OLED Display

Renate said:
This really ought to be a Wiki article (except XDA axed that) or a sticky. There are many people here who know a ton about Android but aren't conversant with head units. Most of the posts on this subforum have to do with specific problems for specific functions on specific units in specific cars. Not a great way to get an oversight.
Let me flesh out what I mean (from my naive knowledge and subject to correction/expansion):
Head units are composed of:
Chassis
Single DIN
Double DIN
Car specific formats
Motherboard
STM32F, MTC*, CSN*, CSM*, FYT, RK7* and a couple of older and outdated boards still sold
Speaker amplifier
FM radio tuner
WiFi interface
Bluetooth interface
Resistive steering wheel controls interface (2)
Serial interface to external, optional CAN BUS (OBDII) box
Rear view camera interface
GPS interface
Standardized? rear panel connectors (no standard, as there are 30-pin, 21-pin, ISO and Quadlock connectors)
"Core board" (a pluggable, modular Android system) Often named after the Rockchip processor used, PX4, PX5, PX6. Is this the only format? (No, also some kind of ALLWINNER boards mainly acting with 8227L chipsets, Intel...) Are these modules used for anything besides head units? (not really, because they are just some sort of "reader" for the main board, the communication between the hardware and Android is completely different from any other Android device.)
LCD/OLED Display (and resistive an capacitive displays)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my comments inline in red..
That is not that easy with these units.
The most important thing here is, that thread starter do not use the search function, which leads to a lot of duplicated threads. There needs to be a clear instruction to use the search and how to figure out which sub-forum to ask in, means the thread starter needs to know the facts of his unit in front....
As we see in the MTC and this forum, we often have to ask about MCU and Chipset and that leads often in asking the mods for moving the threads into the right forum.
If you ask me: I have no real idea how to get that structured in a way that someone who has the knowledge is able to help without check backs for details.
If you have a look at this forum, you might find some dozen of threads regarding the same MCU/Chipset... really not ideal.

famadorian said:
I saw a video for beginners the other day on Youtube
He seems to have lots of other good videos.
I'm also new, even though I've used Joying for a decade.
It seems they all use the same image or build off a common base, like all units use a PX5 or PX6 rom image. I wonder if they build it themselves or where is the origin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been watching this guy's videos as well, but can't helped getting the feeling he is being heavily sponsored by brands like Joying.
Also: I personally don't believe, that a octacore head-unit is necessarily. There a plenty of Quad-Core ARM A7 headunits out there, which are below €$£ 150 where as the octacore units are way more expensive.
€ 110,61 50%OFF | Ekiy T7 Qled Dsp Android Auto Radio Voor Suzuki Celerio Alto 2014 - 2018 Stereo Auto Multimedia Video Speler 2din carplay Gps Navi
https://a.aliexpress.com/_vE6we4
So personally I opted for a € 150 unit, featuring a 720P IPS screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage and Apple Carplay and Android Auto support. The last one seemly is called AA, although AA is also the road assistance in the United Kingdom....
Anyway most people will tell you not to buy a Quad-Core unit, but I did it nevertheless. These units are in a way quite similar like the Nexus 7, which has a Cortex A9 instead of Cortex A7. The last one being one of the most energy efficient chipsets.... isn't that important as well for a car?
The Nexus 7 had a 800x1280 screen, and 1GB of RAM and worked just fine. Until the storage got screwed up.... I still have mine, but it doesn't seem to do much anymore.
One thing to consider: when using mainly Android Auto or Apple Carplay, than in theory even a 1GB RAM unit would be fine. I believe he tested some of these as well.... they where quite impressive for the money. Also technology is way better, than a few years ago. Even though it seems there hasn't been much going on at the budget side...
But budget head-units below € 150 used to be way worse: a few years ago I couldn't even find a single unit for my car, below € 250. Now it starts at € 110 with a completely integrated frame. Of course I would suggest adding € 40 more and getting atleast the unit with 2GB of RAM.

DexterMorganNL said:
I have been watching this guy's videos as well, but can't helped getting the feeling he is being heavily sponsored by brands like Joying.
Also: I personally don't believe, that a octacore head-unit is necessarily. There a plenty of Quad-Core ARM A7 headunits out there, which are below €$£ 150 where as the octacore units are way more expensive.
€ 110,61 50%OFF | Ekiy T7 Qled Dsp Android Auto Radio Voor Suzuki Celerio Alto 2014 - 2018 Stereo Auto Multimedia Video Speler 2din carplay Gps Navi
https://a.aliexpress.com/_vE6we4
So personally I opted for a € 150 unit, featuring a 720P IPS screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage and Apple Carplay and Android Auto support. The last one seemly is called AA, although AA is also the road assistance in the United Kingdom....
Anyway most people will tell you not to buy a Quad-Core unit, but I did it nevertheless. These units are in a way quite similar like the Nexus 7, which has a Cortex A9 instead of Cortex A7. The last one being one of the most energy efficient chipsets.... isn't that important as well for a car?
The Nexus 7 had a 800x1280 screen, and 1GB of RAM and worked just fine. Until the storage got screwed up.... I still have mine, but it doesn't seem to do much anymore.
One thing to consider: when using mainly Android Auto or Apple Carplay, than in theory even a 1GB RAM unit would be fine. I believe he tested some of these as well.... they where quite impressive for the money. Also technology is way better, than a few years ago. Even though it seems there hasn't been much going on at the budget side...
But budget head-units below € 150 used to be way worse: a few years ago I couldn't even find a single unit for my car, below € 250. Now it starts at € 110 with a completely integrated frame. Of course I would suggest adding € 40 more and getting atleast the unit with 2GB of RAM.
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This is your personal thing.
I don´t recommend to buy such a QuadCore thing, as it is lame as hell, does not support deep sleep, does not provide any support in case there is something wrong with the unit. This, I already wrote to you in another thread.
Please don´t recommend such a nonsense as there are top units available for around 200-250 Euro/USD. It is may be okayish for you, but the majority wants and needs something which does not need these stupid AA or this Carplay.
To use any head unit just as a monitor for Android Auto or Apple Carplay is just a bit hard to understand, as the units with at least a PX5 has more functionality as Android Auto or Carplay would ever be able to provide.
Buy this overpriced unit with a QuadCore and I would really hope that we don´t read that you buyed just BS.

Well it's your personal opinion as well.... it ain't facts.... and it isn't overpriced. The euro is just very weak on the moment, one euro is only $ 0,99 I saw last time.
Ah well have fun with your expensive Chinese Android head-unit, I bet they break as fast as the cheaper ones and there won't be any difference when using Android Auto. And please stop calling it AA, because it's confusing as in British English that's how they call the road assistance. How do you call Apple Carplay then? AC? That's your air conditioner
For € 300 I can buy a JVC: so why the heck spend this kind off money, on a Chinese Android head-unit?
Anyway Saab Unleashed also tested an cheap ARM A7 unit, and it's just fine. This being even a unit with 1GB RAM and only 16GB storage. Also no 720P screen. It really depends on your own usage, how the experience with such a unit is.
Not all Android applications need so much processing. And also I don't believe it's a fact that these units don't support deep sleep. Because there is still a lot of difference between ARM A7 Android head-units. A quick search on Google learns, that deep sleep is supported within the ARM A7 chipset.
And it's not like that Joying or any other brand, is in the league of a Chinese brand like Xiaomi. So yes I rather go for a cheaper Android head-unit, even though it comes with a slower but very energy efficient chipset. Energy efficiency is also very important.
Oh and all Chinese goods bought directly from China, don't provide the warranty you are used to for example in Europe. If I buy a JVC unit, for € 300 than I can be sure to have warranty for atleast 2 years. An Chinese Android head-unit, no matter which price only provides warranty as long as the AlliExpress buyer protection lasts!

DexterMorganNL said:
One thing to consider: when using mainly Android Auto or Apple Carplay...
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This reinforces what I've been saying. This whole subforum is an inbred world only with difficulty accessible to a non-auto Android user (or even developer).
I presume from the above quote that those things are basically equivalent to Roku screen mirroring with some bells and whistles thrown in?

Renate said:
This reinforces what I've been saying. This whole subforum is an inbred world only with difficulty accessible to a non-auto Android user (or even developer).
I presume from the above quote that those things are basically equivalent to Roku screen mirroring with some bells and whistles thrown in?
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Click to collapse
Well that's usually the case isn't it? But I just recently heard about Roku, saw those streaming sticks lying in a Germany Saturn. Didn't know what it was, but I guess it's something like Amazon Fire stick?
But actually the cheapest vehicle specific headunits, don't even come with Apple Carplay or Android auto support. I considered getting the cheapest one, as they are all able to use native Android apps.
Only I was concerned, that 1GB RAM would not be enough to atleast run Google Maps and Spotify on the same time. So I looked further, compared multiple sellers. Mostly all offering the same ****....
So I was surprised that Ekiy, was offering a unit that came with a 720P IPS screen. While other resellers, sell these kind of units with a 1024x600 TN Screen.