Related
Hi there.
Long story short...
I got involved in a new project of Universal 2DIN Android Media Device.
The designers made their work and now theres 2 parralell ways of further development.
1. The definition of hardware. The new or some existing device. Screen resolution, processor, RAM, ROM etc... There are several firmware manufacturers in China that offer pure android 5.0
2. The User Interface.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
The plan is to use 7/8 inch full touchcreen with no buttons, no dvd.
Maby some functions that other devices dont have. Or the mix of most popular features from different devices?
3G support
DVR
rear camera
can bus
SWC (steering wheel control)
wi-fi+wi-fi hotspot
webcam for skype video calls
BT calls and conntact sync
companion app for phones with Music Folder sync and maby some kind of controll of the car
navigation
screen gestures for volume, playback controll without leaving the current app (e.g. navigation)
voice control
multiscreen
split view when needed (e.g. navigation goes to left and browser/ chat/ music player on the right)
OTA firmware update
cloud backup of the settings
So what are features that are nessesary in the NEW device?
What wolud YOU buy?
Leave the comments below.
Any ideas and help (software development/ firmware modification of future device) would be appriciated.
leave the links for your favourite Android Head Unit.
Build good hardware and open source everything
Bokomaru said:
Build good hardware and open source everything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what is good hardware for you?
playahate said:
what is good hardware for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tough question. I've been working with the Newsmy carpad hardware for a bit now and they basically handle everything I personally need but there are some improvements that could be made on that.
A few things I can think of offhand I would improve on that hardware
The HU has a microphone but that is only available to the bluetooth interface on the head unit and is not passed to the android portion
Having multiple options for audio output
Being able to pass audio/video to and from the head unit to android. I suspect plenty of people would want to be able to send different video to remote monitors to show movies to the kids but not have them displayed on the head unit
The biggest advantage that we have with the Newsmy carpad hardware is that there were source leaks for the android code base so we have been able to do a lot of improvements ourselves. If we had access to the head unit code as well we could go a bit further
Thanks for the anwer. The main thing i dont like in Newsmy is android box. Not everybody like to have the additional device in the glove box...
@Bokomaru by the way, how important is 1920x1200 screen?
or the 1024x600 is good enough?
playahate said:
Thanks for the anwer. The main thing i dont like in Newsmy is android box. Not everybody like to have the additional device in the glove box...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me Android Box is a great advantage of Newsmy. I can take box home and mess everything on TV screen sitting in the armchair using my BT keyboard and mouse. Cannot even imagine doing all this inside the car.
I would like to have the option of detaching a box from my car to work on it in the house. My unit doesn't have that and I have to do it all sitting on my driveway, but I'm not sure if tha twill be a big plus for regular users (not geeks like us). To me what these units need to improve on is the little details like the mic issue that @Bokomaru mentioned. Basically getting rid of the whole MCU side to keep everything accesible to Android.
One of the biggest gripes I have with m unit is that if I'm listening to the radio and I want to play something on PowerAmp I have to exit the radio app first and then go to PowerAmp and look for whatever I want to listen to because if I leave the radio app open in the background (so I can continue listening to it while I'm ready in PowerAmp) then I'll get both apps playing at the same time. This happens because of the way the MCU has direct access to the hardware without going through Android.
Optical output would make it an instant buy for me. I'd love to be able to run full lossless out to my DSP.
Actually, I would like physical buttons - at least for music playback. Volume up/down, Play/pause & next/prev would be enough - that would allow me to control the media playback without taking eyes off the road.
In my opinion, the perfect Android head unit could have been made by Parrot, the RNB6
So much very interesting features (such as front cam or OBD2 connector) and very nice interface
But production seems to be canceled.....
ant-11 said:
In my opinion, the perfect Android head unit could have been made by Parrot, the RNB6
So much very interesting features (such as front cam or OBD2 connector) and very nice interface
But production seems to be canceled.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah. i like it too.
i think its not cancelled. they say its not for aftermarket coz theres a LOT of integration needed, depending of the car model, so they will be pre-installed in some cars.
The perfect head unit for me turns on instantly. All of these android head units take too long to turn on. Figure something out and you have my sale. I'm talking turn on as fast as my single din head units. The only reason I have a single din is because they are instant on.
starfox5194 said:
The perfect head unit for me turns on instantly. All of these android head units take too long to turn on. Figure something out and you have my sale. I'm talking turn on as fast as my single din head units. The only reason I have a single din is because they are instant on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This could be done faily easily by just having a battery inside the unit. I'm actually surprised theses manufaturers haven't done it yet. Before I bought my headunit I used to have a tablet on a stand that I always kept plugged in to the car (I didn't use it for anything else) and I set it up to go to sleep when it stopped charging (meaning the car was off) and to wake up when it started charging again (meaning I had turned the car on again).
The car charger was crappy so the tablet ended up using more power while in use than it was receiveing from the charger, but this would be easily doable with a better charger so a headunit that's specifically been designed with this in mind shouldn't be difficult. It might be a little more expensive because of the added cost of the battery, but it shouldn't be much more.
starfox5194 said:
The perfect head unit for me turns on instantly. All of these android head units take too long to turn on. Figure something out and you have my sale. I'm talking turn on as fast as my single din head units. The only reason I have a single din is because they are instant on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually while i've been searching all the information of all the possible devices, i've found the device that boots the android in 4 seconds. It was 1,5 years ago. Not the 4.4 but still...
They say there are many devices with this tech, but i didnt find real pictures on their site
Kriszilla said:
Optical output would make it an instant buy for me. I'd love to be able to run full lossless out to my DSP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use optical out already on the Huifeis and the Newsmys if you get a USB sound card.
---------- Post added at 10:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 PM ----------
JakubAnderwald said:
Actually, I would like physical buttons - at least for music playback. Volume up/down, Play/pause & next/prev would be enough - that would allow me to control the media playback without taking eyes off the road.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, youre right, its good to have a touchscreen and having no buttons looks cool, but in reality its much easier to use physical buttons when driving.
playahate said:
yeah. i like it too.
i think its not cancelled. they say its not for aftermarket coz theres a LOT of integration needed, depending of the car model, so they will be pre-installed in some cars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ant-11 said:
In my opinion, the perfect Android head unit could have been made by Parrot, the RNB6
So much very interesting features (such as front cam or OBD2 connector) and very nice interface
But production seems to be canceled.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If its cancelled then good - if its anything like their last effort it will be ridiculously over priced, highly restricted rubbish.
EVERY Android HU in the XDA Android headunit section can do OBD and front cam and have been able to for years.
If i would build a car radio for my BMW E46, i will use the following parts...
1: A Odroid ODROID-XU3/XU4 with: 64GB eMMC with androit 4.4.4 or Lolipop, usb gps modul (Ublox 6010 chipset), Bluetooth 3.0, USB Audio Adapter with stereo out and mic in, usb IEEE 802.11b/g/n 1T1R WLAN module with Antenna, Lithium primary battery to back up the Real Time Clock, DC Plug Cable Assembly 5.5mm. hardkernel.com
2: A Chalkboard Electronics 7" open frame universal HDMI LCD with IPS capacitive multi-touch, ambient light sensor , a bezel for your screen . chalk-elec.com
3: A 5-24V DCDC-USB Intelligent DC-DC Converter with USB Interface and Metal Enclosure by Mini-Box for the Odroid and the Chalke Electronics screen. http://store.mp3car.com/
4:A resler Ibus can for steering wheel control. reslers.de/IBUS/
5: A monkeyboard FM/DAB+, DAB antenna, the app from Googleplay
6: And of course a good amplifier for the sound (i already have)
It's quite expensive, but you will have the fastest android car pc on the market.
playahate said:
Leave the comments below.
Any ideas and help (software development/ firmware modification of future device) would be appriciated.
leave the links for your favourite Android Head Unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android Auto Headunit app I'm working on (see sig) makes me very interested in seeing nice hardware HUs.
I'm mostly targeting tablets at this point, but a hardware HU designed to be an HU can offer many advantages.
I've personally committed myself to working in the "connected car" space for the next few years at least. I'll be happy to try and help/enable anyone working on open source code and hardware for this.
Big HU companies and auto OEMs want to hold back features, and provide new ones every year to keep us on the upgrade hamster wheel. Example: None of the current aftermarket or auto OEM HUs are known to have Wifi. They will NOT be able to do Android Auto or Carplay over Wifi, despite that both seem imminent. (Wifi works with my HU app right now on Android Auto.)
Even IF some of those HUs have hidden Wifi capability, chances are low that it will ever be enabled in future firmware updates. Same thing is happening with Android Auto. Older HU and cars mostly will NEVER be retroactively enabled (despite that actually breaking some promises for at least one auto OEM). (I say mostly because Hyundai seems to be making retroactive upgrades possible for some cars. Props to Hyundai.)
My point is that open hardware and software will help enable retroactively adding features, without wasting money and filling landfills/garbage dumps with last years products.
(1) I'd love to see something as thin and compact as a tablet, but with power, USB and audio connections that are better than tablets offer.
(2) I'd also like to see something more traditional that is much deeper than a tablet, to hold more "stuff", but I think the concepts of CD's and DVD's are old enought that I'd prefer not to see support for them, meaning it doesn't have to be as deep as HUs with such support.
XDA user doitright has made a few posts on my HU thread about an HU he is building, and I've become rather interested in his thoughts. One such post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61988233&postcount=490 .
He is basing his HU on the Qualcomm design of a "96boards" called DragonBoard: https://www.96boards.org/products/ce/dragonboard410c/ . It's $75, supports Android 5.1, Linux based on Ubuntu and Win 10 support to come.
I REALLY, REALLY like that this is supported by Qualcomm and I think it's likely that it will support the latest versions of Android, shortly after Google release, probably for a few years at least, and at least to Android 7.x (IMO). It's built by Arrow, not Qualcomm though. The design is a reference design from Qualcomm.
There is an open "96boards" spec so other companies can easily build boards that follow the specs. There is also a HiKey board right now, so already there is competition. Qualcomm apparently has committed to ensuring boards based on their design are available for the next TEN (!) years, which is important to embedded system companies.
The idea that an HU could be abandoned after 1-2 years really annoys me. Being stuck on Android 4.x, as the popular Chinese HUs are now, also really annoys me.
Give me something that can run the latest Android versions for the next 2-3 years at least. Give me something like a 96boards design where I can easily upgrade the main board after a few years.
playahate said:
The plan is to use 7/8 inch full touchcreen with no buttons, no dvd.
Maby some functions that other devices dont have. Or the mix of most popular features from different devices?
3G support
DVR
rear camera
can bus
SWC (steering wheel control)
wi-fi+wi-fi hotspot
webcam for skype video calls
BT calls and conntact sync
companion app for phones with Music Folder sync and maby some kind of controll of the car
navigation
screen gestures for volume, playback controll without leaving the current app (e.g. navigation)
voice control
multiscreen
split view when needed (e.g. navigation goes to left and browser/ chat/ music player on the right)
OTA firmware update
cloud backup of the settings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beyond what I wrote above about 96boards and specifically the Qualcomm designed Dragonboard...
- Worry about hardware first. Software can be done and worried about later.
- Use open hardware supported by open software as much as possible. IMO this likely means forgetting about Chinese SOCs etc. and going with Qualcomm.
- Make it modular so we can add and change stuff in future ourselves.
- Start with the simplest and cheapest (but good quality) possible minimum hardware. Example: touchscreen + SOC board + power board + connectors for power in, USB, and low power analog audio output.
Modularity should mean that we can add as much as we like, whether we build it ourselves or it comes as add-ons from the vendor of the base HU. Maybe a row of physical buttons that can be added at bottom of display. Maybe an FM/HD etc radio board. Maybe a power amplifier with speaker level outputs. Maybe a USB hub add-on that allows flash-drives, cameras and phones to be attached for charging or Android Auto etc.
What's the perfect head unit
Mostly, it's quality components. I would pay $1000 for a device that had support, warranty, and quality components like solid capacitors and properly soldered ICs that are rated for high temperature changes
What new head units need are bug fixes not new features.
That said specs can still be improved
The RK3066 doesn't have enough performance, I would like something a bit newer
I'd like recent versions of software, and an interface that looks modern, the latest 4.4.4 units come closer, but still pretty far from ideal.
Screens have a lot of room for improvement. I would like good quality IPS screens at least 720p
The apps that make use of the MCU need a good redesign, while they look a lot like current gen pioneer interfaces, pioneer isn't known for having a fresh taste in design.
I think it's essential for any head unit to have these features
Rearview camera trigger
steering wheel control support
GOOD sounding FM radio (properly de-emphasized, no static)
capacitive glass screen of course
On paper, these head units sound great, but the execution needs a lot of work. Extensive QA/UX testing needs to be done, components need to be of a higher standard, and there needs to be better communication, and a way for a certain headunit to stand out from the mass of other ones on the market. Give it a name instead of a 3 letter designation, market it properly, and focus on one product for a longer period of time instead of move to new projects so quickly.
I'm (hopefully tomorrow) replacing my dying Jeep. Likely candidates are a 2014 Rav4 or a 2012 Town and Country. Both seem to have good double-din slots without having a lot of vehicle subsystems tied to the factory HU. So ... I am beginning to investigate putting in an Android HU.
I'd like a recommendation on the best HU -for me- ... I know it isn't going to be the same for everyone. What I'm looking for, in no particular order, and not all of these are must-haves:
* community-supported ROMs
* 2GB RAM is highly desired.
* video input for the factory-equipped backup camera
* steering wheel controls (I'm assuming I need an adapter specific for whichever car I buy, probably not included with the HU but I want the HU to be able to accept them if possible)
* Decent sound quality output
* Good radio reception (does the US have an equivalent to DAB?) ... I'm willing to use an external FM module if that ends up being the highest quality option. App support is included in the word "good" here. And as likely figured out, I'm in the U.S.
* Some SIMPLE form of external storage (SD card is fine, USB HD is fine, I even have a spare 60GB SSD with built-in USB port since I just rebuilt my PC)
* Ability to tether to my WiFi hotspot (currently it would be a Nexus 5 phone) OR Bluetooth data connection (but I've found BT data sharing to be less well supported).
* Lollipop? I realize from searching there aren't any out there yet (pfft @ Parrot for nixing the aftermarket version of the RNB6) ... I'm not in a big rush to do the upgrade RIGHT NOW, if I can wait a few months to get a 5.x HU I will do that. Just need to know if such a model is known to be in the works?
I might go with a tablet-in-dash alternative, but would rather have a full HU. I've looked at various applink/mirrorlink solutions and found them all wanting.
>community-supported ROMs
Yes, most of us are using the custom ROMs made by Malaysk.
>2GB RAM is highly desired.
They are all 1GB devices and use nearly the same integrated CPU/RAM chipsets right now. I am pretty sure that we will see 2GB devices eventually but all of them right now are 1GB. But frankly for everything you need to do on these units 1GB is fine, just like it is for most android tablets. And the quad core devices are very responsive and snappy, going from dual core to quad core makes more of a performance difference in experience.
>* video input for the factory-equipped backup camera
Pretty much every unit has a standard composite input dedicated for backup cameras which are activated with 12v on the backup signal line. They are all also able to show the backup camera before the system is fully booted, so you turn the car on, put it in reverse and you can see the backup camera while the android continues to boot in the background (15-30secs).
>* steering wheel controls (I'm assuming I need an adapter specific for whichever car I buy, probably not included with the HU but I want the HU to be able to accept them if possible)
A standard feature, and most cars are based on the same standard.
>* Decent sound quality output
I have found they have good sound output. Especially for playing MP3's. They also extensive audio controls and EQ capabilities so you can really tune the sound compared to most factory units of "Bass/Treble".
>* Good radio reception (does the US have an equivalent to DAB?) ... I'm willing to use an external FM module if that ends up being the highest quality option. App support is included in the word "good" here. And as likely figured out, I'm in the U.S.
Some say the AM/FM is more sensitive than their factory radio was. I find it to be about equal in my case.
>* Some SIMPLE form of external storage (SD card is fine, USB HD is fine, I even have a spare 60GB SSD with built-in USB port since I just rebuilt my PC)
Most units have a couple of SD card slots that can use whatever SD card size you want. I have a 32GB and a 64GB in mine. They also support whatever USB sticks you want to use on their USB ports. They maybe do not work with USB hard drives from what I have read, you would beed to research further.
>* Ability to tether to my WiFi hotspot (currently it would be a Nexus 5 phone) OR Bluetooth data connection (but I've found BT data sharing to be less well supported).
Most all support wifi tethering, but they do not support bluetooth tethering because the bluetooth is actually handled by a dedicated bluetooth card designed for audio/phone control.
>* Lollipop? I realize from searching there aren't any out there yet (pfft @ Parrot for nixing the aftermarket version of the RNB6) ... I'm not in a big rush to do the upgrade RIGHT NOW, if I can wait a few months to get a 5.x HU I will do that. Just need to know if such a model is known to be in the works?
Its a nice to have, but there are more 4.x devices in the world than their are 5.x and it will be supported for quite awhile. I am not sure what all it buys us anyway because 4.x is stable and 5.x new features really only apply to phones.
Basically, most all the current android head units are based on the same internal hardware designs, the and main differences are in the physical front panel layout of what buttons, or knobs, or if you want a dvd slot or not etc.. my recommendation is that you get one with the best options available right now which are a) quad core, b) 1024x600 screen res, c) 16GB internal flash storage. Other than those specs its all down to the physical design of the units front panel for the most part.
I chose the carjoying unit shown in this topic because I thought it was the best choice of front panel design(no dvd slot to waste screen space, at least one knob and not all touch(yuck), etc)... to fit in my standard double din auto.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...oying-rk3188-rk3066-2-din-head-units-t3193170
nixfu said:
{snip}
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response
nixfu said:
>community-supported ROMs
Yes, most of us are using the custom ROMs made by Malaysk.
>2GB RAM is highly desired.
They are all 1GB devices and use nearly the same integrated CPU/RAM chipsets right now. I am pretty sure that we will see 2GB devices eventually but all of them right now are 1GB. But frankly for everything you need to do on these units 1GB is fine, just like it is for most android tablets. And the quad core devices are very responsive and snappy, going from dual core to quad core makes more of a performance difference in experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Newsmy units (NU3001, NU5002, etc) have 2GB of RAM and we were able to get the source for one of the ROM versions and developed a custom ROM from the source
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...4-4-2-kitkat-head-unit-newsmy-carpad-t2865525
Are there any units that have two camera inputs for rear and front camera?
So I finally found a car ... ended up buying a 2006 Toyota Sienna Limited with less than 50K miules (insert long rant about flying across country to pick up a 2013 Rav4 only to find the dealer mis-advertised and accepted payment for the wrong trim level).
After a lot of contemplation, and realizing I want to be able to do a mirrored set up in my camper-van (a giant E350 diesel) ... I've changed gears and am sifting through how-to's on doing a 7" tablet with a plain amp, joyconn controller for the steering wheel controls, and magnetic mounts so that I can swap my tablet from 1 vehicle to another.
But thanks for all of the input on my newbie questions.
I think I'm actually taking on a significantly harder project if I'm really going to do it right ... but being able to take my tablet with me and put it in 2 different vehicles (maybe 3 if my wife decides to let me do the same rigging to her Rogue) along with keeping up with latest versions of Android will keep me happier in the long run.
HOWEVER, this is the spot I could still be convinced on ... does anyone know of a hot-swappable double din system? If I could yank the whole thing out I might go back to a full headend and just not worry about carrying it around outside of those 2 vehicles. I did some searching but I'm guessing due to the added size required for rail hardware this probably doesn't exist.
Great questions and fantastic answers. Thank you!
I've been researching various headunits, and oddly haven't found everything I'm looking for; since you folks have all of the experience, I'm hoping someone can help. I'm coming from a stock Monsoon system from my 2007 Pontiac G6, which means anything is an upgrade. However, my choices are between a good Android unit, or a Pioneer AVH-4201NEX (with Apple TV, if I can get Peer-to-Peer AirPlay to work consistently)... so that's where my comparisons are at the moment.
* I assume hands-free phone operation is similar between the two paths? I know the Pioneers will allow me to invoke Siri; do any (all?) Android units do similar things built-in, or is the Zlink required?
* I use an iPhone; several units on Amazon claim they support iPhone "mirroring" via Wifi and/or USB - is this an implementation of AirPlay? Note that I don't necessarily want CarPlay, because of its app and usage limitations, unless needed for some of the hands-free operations. I would prefer wifi/bt-based, but not opposed to a plug-in requirement if everything else is matched.
* I'm most interested in the ability to cast YouTube and Plex -- although since these are Android, can I install those apps natively? I just don't want it to be the 'Android Auto' version, since Plex won't allow video (not that I'm going to be watching while driving, but I should have the freedom to do so at other times).
* Backup camera support, with automatic switching (this seems common, but throwing it out there just in case). I will probably provide my own camera, so I'm not worried about having one included.
* Good stock audio fidelity. My current/stock Monsoon system is good for my needs (not trying to rattle neighborhood windows), but I have seen conversations in this forum regarding having expectations of subpar audio on these units. I just don't want to have to crank these units to max in order to hear something.
* Native, easy to use radio interface. HD Radio is preferable, but it seems we're not here yet. Last year, Joying claimed that they'd look into it, but apparently this hasn't happened.
* EDIT: Also looking for decent resolution. I just noticed the Pioneers are only 800x480! 1024x600 seems to be rare (but at least more usable), and anything higher is relatively nonexistent. Why is there a skimp on displays when these are supposed to be entertainment units?
Other considerations:
* Double DIN, fixed unit. The radio access is secure, so I don't want a detachable or moving face that could end up being stolen.
* CD/DVD playback.
* Ability to use my existing G6 steering wheel controls for volume.
And since they are Android, how extendable are they with other apps? If I wanted to add one of the many NES emulators, for instance, would I be able to install them without hassle? How about adding BT-based controllers?
I'm basically looking to add an open system with the least amount of input and content restrictions as possible, while still retaining good experiences for 'basic' functions (e.g. radio).
I know these posts pop up every 6 months or so, but technology moves fast, and I want to see if the quality of these things has increased since then. Thanks all!
Morgon99 said:
I've been researching various headunits, and oddly haven't found everything I'm looking for; since you folks have all of the experience, I'm hoping someone can help. I'm coming from a stock Monsoon system from my 2007 Pontiac G6, which means anything is an upgrade. However, my choices are between a good Android unit, or a Pioneer AVH-4201NEX (with Apple TV, if I can get Peer-to-Peer AirPlay to work consistently)... so that's where my comparisons are at the moment.
* I assume hands-free phone operation is similar between the two paths? I know the Pioneers will allow me to invoke Siri; do any (all?) Android units do similar things built-in, or is the Zlink required?
* I use an iPhone; several units on Amazon claim they support iPhone "mirroring" via Wifi and/or USB - is this an implementation of AirPlay? Note that I don't necessarily want CarPlay, because of its app and usage limitations, unless needed for some of the hands-free operations. I would prefer wifi/bt-based, but not opposed to a plug-in requirement if everything else is matched.
* I'm most interested in the ability to cast YouTube and Plex -- although since these are Android, can I install those apps natively? I just don't want it to be the 'Android Auto' version, since Plex won't allow video (not that I'm going to be watching while driving, but I should have the freedom to do so at other times).
* Backup camera support, with automatic switching (this seems common, but throwing it out there just in case). I will probably provide my own camera, so I'm not worried about having one included.
* Good stock audio fidelity. My current/stock Monsoon system is good for my needs (not trying to rattle neighborhood windows), but I have seen conversations in this forum regarding having expectations of subpar audio on these units. I just don't want to have to crank these units to max in order to hear something.
* Native, easy to use radio interface. HD Radio is preferable, but it seems we're not here yet. Last year, Joying claimed that they'd look into it, but apparently this hasn't happened.
Other considerations:
* Double DIN, fixed unit. The radio access is secure, so I don't want a detachable or moving face that could end up being stolen.
* CD/DVD playback.
* Ability to use my existing G6 steering wheel controls for volume.
And since they are Android, how extendable are they with other apps? If I wanted to add one of the many NES emulators, for instance, would I be able to install them without hassle? How about adding BT-based controllers?
I'm basically looking to add an open system with the least amount of input and content restrictions as possible, while still retaining good experiences for 'basic' functions (e.g. radio).
I know these posts pop up every 6 months or so, but technology moves fast, and I want to see if the quality of these things has increased since then. Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO, these android units are the exception when it comes to fast moving tech. My direct experience with units I've had so far is that none of them are great sound quality from their built in amps, but if you go external they are pretty good. Volume wise they go loud, just not always a great sound.
Just curious, why do you want to play DVDs? I mean it sounds cool and is, but I cant really find a practical reason for them since I can put a movie on an SD card.
Hands free bluetooth is mostly the same on all these units and should be similar functionally. Some units will download your phonebook, some won't. As for Siri, not sure.
The mirroring function is an app, usually Ezconnect. For iphone this is over wifi so you have to be on the same network ad the unit. The app has a limited implementation of Airplay. There are other apps you can use as well, all pretty much the same as far as I can tell.
Youtube and Plex can be installed as apps, just make sure you get a unit with Play Store. If you cant tell just make sure you ask the seller.
Pretty much all of them have backup camera capability.
All the radios are easy to use, to me this is more about the look of the interface. I hate my Ownice C500 as the colored all the preset buttons and used white letters. That means the yellow and green ones are unreadable. Just look through all the detailed descriptions for pics of what the radio looks like. To my knowledge there are no HD or digital radios in any of them though most support a DAB add on.
There are tons of generic double dins and all pretty much have steering wheel control capability but you'll need to look at whether the unit cant interface with your G7 directly via canbus or you might need some kind of adapter.
Apps wise, some units support side loading natively such as my Hizpo unit with android 8 that came with a preloaded apk installer plus what you can get via google play. If you can load the app on a phone and the app supports landscape mode chances are it will work. However for an emulator you better get a unit with the fastest processor and the most RAM which is currently 4GB
If you really want something truely "Open" you'll want to get something that you can get root access to.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So it seems like all the android head units come from China - and we have to go through a lot to get them to operate how we want them to, I'm just wondering why not make our own head unit as a community project? Something that allows us to install ROM's of our choice and then we just have to build a launcher or something to fit our aesthetic desires.
Maybe get an old head unit for cheap to recycle the housing and hardware buttons - gut it, and then throw in something like the UDOO X86 or something with a lot of power + pinouts and hook it up. I don't think it would be cheaper but definitely we could get more power...
Personally I use my head unit for regular stuff, but I also use it for off roading related stuff. I have giant map files mainly... but also I want to hook an SDR dongle up to do APRS and get satellite data (weather/imagery) when I'm out of range. It's not really super practical but I think it's neat... And there are other reasons a more powerful unit would appeal to me. Also I'd like to just open up the units to be more friendly to customization so it's not just a couple guru's who are working out the hard stuff.
What do ya'll think?
I found this site from a comment on a youtube video where I was researching options for getting a head unit that is better than Toyota included for my Toyota Highlander Limited Hybrid. I'm sorry for the length of this post but I spent hours reading and watching youtube and I think I'm on right path, but I feel like I just need a little validation...
For reference, I'm an Apple mobile and tablet user but I owned a Samsung phone for about 3 months so I know what an Android launcher and the marketplace is. I know there are stores for hacked products, but I ended up with ads all over that phone so I prefer not to go that route. I'm not a big tinkerer - once I get something set where I want it, I won't usually change the settings unless I find a need.
I think my post will give you a good idea about what level of knowledge I have - at least you know I tried. If there is highlander or hybrid specific feedback I'm overlooking somewhere, please let me know. If I'm missing something key to decide between systems let me know.
1. When I look at the forum categories, they are broken up into terms I'm not familiar with. I believe FYT Android is where I need to focus because I see references to the units I'm researching there. But I don't understand why they are considered FYT.
2. I'm trying to stay in the $500 range and get something that works well enough that I'll use it for more than just the radio - without breaking functionality but the canbus thing is new to me. I get the concept - my car's personal IoT/LAN. But does the dash operate independently of the headunit? I sort of feel like somethings will be independent and others will not. For example, I suspect the dash display will know my speed, trip miles, direction (compass), when I need an oil change. But I feel like the option for the radio is fed from the head unit. I feel like anything that appears on my dash when I'm using the GPS (like turn next left) is fed from the head unit. Is that correct? If yes, do those functions usually stop displaying on the dash with a replacement head unit?
3. I have buttons on the dash for different features on the car. I suspect most of those work independently of head unit - like the mirror heaters. But what about accident avoidance features? Those tend to display on my dash - are those possibly affected by a different head unit? And I have a button so I can turn on 360 video - I mainly use it to see how close I am to the car in front of me when parking in a tight space. I suspect that button will work with any head unit that has front camera and/or 360 degree integration.
4. From my research, I have been focusing on units that are 4 GB/64 GB although it sounds like 2 GB/32 GB would work just fine as long as I don't store over 32 GB of apps and data.
5. Items that don't differentiate: I expect these options to be the same result across all units. Please let me know if you know differently.
-Apple car play - All have it & should function exactly the same. (I don't need android phone integration but I know this does differ on units)
-Phone call integration - looks like all use same default android app. I am very interested in how clarity of calls might differ, but I think all are using same default android function and all are able to use an included external microphone.
-Toyota OEM microphone integration - it's unclear if any will integrate with existing Toyota mic but I suspect this won't yield a result I'm happy with in either case.
- Toyota speaker button on wheel control - I think this button fails to work on every integration. I would like this to work but even the Toyota system is so unreliable I don't use it.
- Marketplace apps - All should integrate with marketplace apps exactly the same.
6. So here is my list of options I came up with in order of most likely to least. Is there another brand I should research...
- Teyes CC3 (for highlander 2015-18) - It looks like it matches integration with the best out there. I don't care about the "Porsche simulator", but it still looks like the easiest to use launcher on the market & they are actively updating it. I cannot find the same level of highlander specific details I find on the SYGAV, but reviews seem overwhelmingly positive so I suspect it'll work just as well. My concern is that I have to order directly from alibaba and wait a month to receive and they seem to send wrong parts. I haven't used alibaba but it looks like the customs costs are included in the price of $435 (364+70.76). Does anyone know if this is accurate or if there are other fees? The main complaint I hear with this unit is that it is locked down, but I think that means for adding launchers and the like that I am not interested in.
- SYGAV (for highlander 2015-18) - I don't really love the user interface on this one. But this one is the one I have found most highlander related data on and it gives me some comfort I might have less issues getting it to work. I can find nothing close to this level of detail on the other brands about highlander installs.. I have read user responses that Carplay & android auto require no additional parts to install, 360 degree camera works as well as front camera view, Hybrid info displays. For the camera inputs, it sounds like I can use my OEM cameras but I may need a camera cable adapter (unclear if included in package). One user stated that to get it to work in a highlander, I need to get the Motorola 1 M 2 F & GM adapter to Motorola (for reception). One user states that they have TPMS working, but it's unclear if they connected to the TPMS already in tires or if they had to buy separate TPMS tire plugs. The main complaint is the GPS mapping if basic IGO.
- Dasaita (for highlander 2015-18) - This brand seems like the next most popular after Joying. It looks like they have 3 launchers they develop and you can install whichever you like best. In regard to the UI, I feel like this brand comes in 2nd after Teyes. But I can't find as detailed user experiences with highlander and which functions work and which do not.
- Joying - I am not actively researching this one but everyone seems to be using this one. I was considering this one but I couldn't locate any highlander option anywhere - not even from their website (joyingauto.eu). That sounds like I'd have to figure out the canbus thing on my own and find the plastic frame to put it in my dash & I don't feel like I'm knowledgeable enough to go that route. I really don't understand why this one is so popular above competition - it is one of the highest priced if I buy from the US markets. Everyone that uses it seems to add a separate launcher which makes me question whether Joying's UI development isn't all that great. I know some others lock down their products so you can't tinker as much. Is that why it's popular - because it isn't locked down? If so, I see similar hardware on cheaper units. It sounds like the UI development/support/upgrades is quite a bit of what one is paying for when buying these.
7. Maps - this is one of my major complaints from my Toyota unit . I do not see anything that makes me feel that the maps included with ANY of the units are any better. Most seem to use IGO GPS which seems to get the same complaints I have when using my GPS. I believe the only solution is a unit that includes apple car play. Or am I overlooking any with better mapping functions?
8. JBL audio - I know I have the JBL system in my car and on regular car head units this seems to make a difference with integration, but from my list above, I can't find anything to indicate that any will not work with the JBL system. I'm assuming it is because the car based units have hardware incompatibilities that android based do not, but it's really unclear to me. Can someone provide clarification? On the SYGAV unit, I read a review that it needs an amp to sound as good as an OEM unit, but I think that would apply to all of these units equally. In either case the Toyota JBL system has an AMP under my center console. I can't find this level of integration information but I think all units will connect to the amp.
9. 12 speakers - I feel like this will determine which system is best if I can figure it out... The JBL audio has 12 speakers (one of which is a subwoofer) in 10 locations in the highlander. I can't locate specific details on any of these if anyone gets all the speakers to connect successfully. I did see that one of these brands have 5.1 outputs but I don't really know what I need to be looking for in descriptions to figure this out on each unit. Any suggestions how to figure this out.
10. Video playback - All of these support video playback but it sounds like auto carplay may block mirroring while the car is actively moving. Is the behavior going to be the same across all units? I sort of feel like this is something that works differently across different brands, but I can't find details to figure out which allow video playback when car is moving.
11. Hybrid integration - SYGAV is the only unit I've seen where someone has hybrid info working on a highlander, but I feel like all the systems may work very similarly. I believe the dash display will work independent of the head unit so I can always switch the dash display when I want to see what the hybrid system is doing. I think another brand states it has hybrid integration but I couldn't find any responses where someone had it working successfully.
12. Daytime/Night time modes - I need to validate across all, but I know multiple have tried to integrate this. I do not think any have integrated without a bug. I feel like the ones that are likely to get this right first are Teyes and Dasaita since they are actively developing their UIs. Since these are all android based, I feel like all will have an android setting to dim the display even though the color scheme may not change.
I'm really leaning toward the Teyes because if I imagine myself driving, it looks like the easiest interface to use and they are actively developing. When looking at default display, it looks like the most 'modern' design also.
In case someone else reads this thread trying to figure all this stuff out, XM and HD radio integration may differentiate these units also. I know it doesn't work on some but I don't use either of those so it isn't important to me.
I'm mainly responding to my own post in case someone else is considering a T'eyes unit. I purchased one and I highly under estimated what is involved with getting these units to work. The T'eyes cc3 in my car may go up for auction - just too much of it is unusable.
Note that if you do not like tweeking your cell phone, you might not like these units to begin with - don't expect they'll just work out of the box. Consider hours if not days to configure these things. Also, look at the back of the units - this one came with a 'Toyota" harness which is a bunch of wires to convert all the cables in the back. And it isn't a single harness of wires - it's multiple bags of cables that you have to pick and choose from. You have extra cables and I'm pretty sure the set is missing cables. My car has 2 cables where I only have one adapter that matches them in all harness wiring. So one is unplugged. I have no idea what each cable from my car is used for. But most of the wires only have a single place they can connect in the primary harness. It's all a confusing mess even though I think I have 90% connected to the correct spots.
Not all units are made this way. There is going to be something converting the cables, but some units have some sort of box on the back that has all the cabling converting done for you - so it looks like the cables from the car attach into the unit directly. After my harness was attached, I did not have cables that match everything coming from the car. I feel like that is why things like my my surround cameras do not work. I also have no back up camera working now. That is a pretty big deal.
Also, car play isn't all I thought it would be. It seems to only mirror Apple written apps to the device. I can install apps onto the unit and connect to my phones hotspot, but the connection is very flaky. Unless you are willing to connect the unit with its own sim card, you may be severely limited. I wanted to be able to stream youtube and such while making a weekly 90 minute drive I make. Well, this just doesn't happen because half the time the unit will not connect to my hotspot. It usually connects within 30 minutes of me driving, but I haven't found a reliable way to get it to connect to the hotspot. Usually I'm driving with my phone playing through my phone speakers because audio streaming won't work with wifi/hotspot.
All in all, I wouldn't purchase this again. If I were going to attempt again, I'd go with one of the models that removes the 'harness' from the equation.