Android head units for cars

[Norphy]

I want to get a new head unit for my car. The one that it’s got is functional but it’s in a car that was built in 2007 and is a bit on the primitive side. It can play MP3s from a CD-R but that’s the extent of its functionality. No Bluetooth, no USB port, no Aux input.

 

It has the room for a double DIN head unit, so I’ve been looking at aftermarket head unit which can do CarPlay. The trouble with those is that the cheapest is £300 plus I’d have to spend another £70-odd on a facia adapter, wiring loom adapter, Canbus reader and aerial adapter. Connects2 do a bundle with everything you need but it’s not cheap.

 

I’ve also seen in eBay that there are a plethora of cheapish head units which run Android. Not only that, quite a lot of them do head units which are tailored specifically to particular cars and fittings, so they look more stock and have bigger screens as you’re not wasting space on facia adapters. I’ve done a bit of research and there appear to be a couple of brands (Joying and Xtrons) which have good reputations and sell from the UK. There is a particular one from Xtrons which has a 9” screen, a custom UI, has an 8-core CPU and 4gb RAM which runs Android 10, fits the car without an adapter and comes with all the cabling you need. It works out a lot cheaper than the branded units and has the advantage of basically being an Android tablet stapled to a car radio so you can get apps from Play store like Waze etc. This one: https://xtrons.co.uk/vw-skoda-seat-various-android-10-octa-core-4gb-ram-64gb-rom-ma90mtv-l, or possibly the 8” version which has the same spec hardware but has chunkier physical controls on it.

 

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of these Chinese head units, or the brands I’m looking at specifically that they could share?

Edited January 17, 2022 by Norphy

[FN-GM]

I know someone who took one out and swapped it for a unit capable of Android Auto. The original unit became slow as a dog and had no updates. As Android auto runs from the phone he got upgrades as his phone did.

[Norphy]

I know someone who took one out and swapped it for a unit capable of Android Auto. The original unit became slow as a dog and had no updates. As Android auto runs from the phone he got upgrades as his phone did.

 

Yeah, I understand the principal behind Android Auto and CarPlay. The head units I’m looking at support both, but that’s not really what I’m asking about.

 

I’m more asking about the cheaper head units from the likes of Joying and Xtrons and whether they’re any good or I’m better sticking with the likes of Sony, Pioneer et al.

[LeMarchand]

I was far too tight to spend that much and only have a single DIN space, so I bought a cheap bluetooth only head unit and mounted a gravity holder for my phone in a suitable place. Phone currently charges via a magnetic tip, but you can get get QI versions. Phone launches Android Auto when it connects to the stereo, so all nice and simple. I've heard it's not so seamless in newer iterations of Android, but there should be ways to get it to launch (or use another car dash). Obviously will also work with a 2 DIN space if you have a suitable place to mount the phone.

 

Another "use your phone screen" option might be something like this - if you can find a better reviewed one. I had no luck last time I tried. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KW59H95

[3s-gtech]

You’ll find that the build quality isn’t quite as good, the amp not as powerful and the sound quality not up there with the branded units, but the generic ones can be okay. Fixed screen rather than motorised makes a big difference to durability. Integration with your car controls may not be as comprehensive, so check whether it works with your car.

[MartinT]

I bought an Eonon on eBay a couple of years ago and it's been a great Android head unit. This one is 4-core but all the newer ones are 8-core. It runs Waze perfectly, as well as internet radio. I did require a harness adapter (cheap on eBay).

 

[synaesthesia]

I've had experience with Eonon and Xtrons. Had 2 failures on the Xtrons (both on a Ford Focus) but service was surprisingly decent and had a quick replacement. That was a few years ago though, but I'd recommend either.

If you like tinkering though, maybe look at using your existing head unit and coupling with an Android Tablet. I've replaced the navigation screen in my Laguna with a samsung 7" tablet, connects directly to the stock head unit for audio, bluetooth, carplay etc etc and fully customisable - something the units from all the chinese manufacturers are not. (And do be careful - some of the cheaper ones will say Android but what they actually mean is Windows CE... seriously!)

[jmak]

I had a Seat of a similar age. I looked at all of the options and eventually settled on a Bluetooth adaptor and running Android Auto on my phone. I always intended to mount an Android tablet (I had a Nexus 7 hanging around, so only needed to buy a mount) but the phone was good enough that I never bothered.

[Norphy]

Bluetooth isn't an option without buying a third party module which would plug into the existing car's head unit CD changer control, for which I'd have to pull the dashboard apart. If I'm pulling the dashboard apart, I may as well put in a new head unit.

 

In the time between my old car b0rking itself and taking delivery of my new car, I drove my FIL's new Tiguan around for a little while which has an integrated entertainment centre with CarPlay built into it. It's nice just to be able to plug the phone in and have a big picture right in front of you rather than sticking your phone to the windscreen or attaching it to a mount clipped to your dashboard. Safer too, I think, which is why I want a big screen double DIN unit. I want something that integrates into the look of the car rather than just bunging a tablet on the dashboard.

[Andycat]

I've a 12 year old Passat, I initially went with and Android unit for Bluetooth/DAB etc, but it soon became slow and a bit bleugh. It also had a separate DAB box and antenna that were a bit poo. I Upgraded to a Kenwood unit that did everything better, but it was a small fortune, and pre Auto/Carplay days. Now looking at something with Android Auto but again, branded is expensive!!

[Jawloms]

Jumping on the thread, but related - I have an Insignia and have looked around at the "Tesla" screens you can get which integrate the aircon/fan controls and stuff. Anyone any experience of those?

 

Stuart

[Andycat]

Jumping on the thread, but related - I have an Insignia and have looked around at the "Tesla" screens you can get which integrate the aircon/fan controls and stuff. Anyone any experience of those?

 

Stuart

 

Many Android ones claim to, but it all depends on your particular ECU module!

[Jawloms]

To quote Whitney Housten - How will I know?

[3s-gtech]

You really don't want your heater and fan controls on a touch screen. Manufacturers don't do it because it's better, but because it's cheap.

[MartinT]

CarPlay built into it. It's nice just to be able to plug the phone in and have a big picture right in front of you

 

I have experience of both Android Auto and running Waze natively. It's tempting to think of the former as being ideal, but after trying it this way, I stopped. The on-screen representation of the phone view was not ideal and it makes the phone do all the work, using the Android screen as a dumb mirror.

 

I now just tether the phone to provide an internet connection. Waze, Spotify, Radio Paradise etc. all run natively on the Android screen and are presented far better than a mirrored view optimised for the phone. Phone/Teams/WhatsApp calls still integrate perfectly into the car's hands-free audio and microphone connection and display nicely on the screen. I can still answer using the steering wheel controls, which integrate using an App called WheelKey with the Eonon.

[Tom_P]

I cant comment on xtrons specifically but I bought a cheap double din (£290 in 2019) for my mk4 golf, not branded as Joying but had their support website on the packaging.. it was awful. Was 'designed' for the mk4 and supposedly came with all adapters so it was 'plug and play'. This was not the case. After about 2 hours of messing around I finally got it working. It wasn't the cleanest of looks but it worked.. most of the time. The android auto would randomly disconnect, and then it gave up all together when it applied the latest update from my phone. At this point a gave up and managed to get a partial refund.

 

I then put the refund towards a used Pioneer single din where the screen pops out. Couldnt get it fully working straight away so called the Pioneer support who knew exactly what i needed for it to work in my car. Bought the adapter they recommended, which only cost £6 and never had any problems.

 

My friend had a similar experiance recently with his Cupra r.. He bought one branded as 'Pumpkin' and in the instructions on how to install, it was referring to coloured wires that the unit didnt have. He took it to a place local that does these installs and they got it working but only lasted 2 weeks before it fried itself.. It could have been an error installing but more likely the fact it was terrible quality. He got a refund and then spent a bit more on a Sony one plus the facias. Which I didnt have any issues installing for him.

 

So from my experiance i wouldnt go for these cheaper options or atleast check their returns/warranty/support policies.

 

Edit: I just checked xtrons return and warrantly policies which says "We reserve the right to refuse returned items or apply a 10% charge, if they show evidence of installation".. How are you going to know if you are happy with a product before installation..? There is also no phone number, you need to email if you have issues. Also, If it doesnt work they will replace with one of similar quality.. I personally would avoid them.. too many grey areas.

 

Edit 2: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/xtrons.co.uk

They don't have the best reviews out there.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Tom_P
Extra info

[Danp]

I spend ages researching what to get for my older X5 and ended up with one like this, but mine is a 4gb octa core jobbie

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185102365475?hash=item2b18f5f323:g:Hg8AAOSwFZthZUn5

 

Happy with it. It's a pain to get the radio working in these cars so I haven't bothered, just stream from my phone. I've got the magic box to connect to the car canbus system, but not wired that in yet.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

I believe @Dos_Box fitted an Android head unit to his Mondeo a few years ago.

It all looked very cool at the time!

[MartinT]

It's a pain to get the radio working in these cars

 

If your car has an amplified aerial (mine does), you need to feed power into the aerial co-ax cable (there is a flylead) which I had to do manually as the harness didn't do it as standard. Radio now works fine.

[Danp]

If your car has an amplified aerial (mine does), you need to feed power into the aerial co-ax cable (there is a flylead) which I had to do manually as the harness didn't do it as standard. Radio now works fine.

 

Yup, it all lives in the boot as the aerial is in the rear side window. It needs a 6m cable run from the boot to the dash. I just can't be bothered

 

More importantly, I need to see more of your WRX @MartinT

Edited January 21, 2022 by Danp

[MartinT]

More importantly, I need to see more of your WRX @MartinT

 

Hah, hah, everyone gets caught out by that! It's actually a BRZ with a few additions (Harrop supercharger being the main one).

[Danp]

Hah, hah, everyone gets caught out by that! It's actually a BRZ with a few additions (Harrop supercharger being the main one).

 

Oh wow, ok, now you really have got my attention!

[MartinT]

Oh wow, ok, now you really have got my attention!

 

You're welcome to see it if you're ever near Basingstoke.

 

I often go to car meets with fellow BRZ/GT86 owners.

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by MartinT

[Danp]

You're welcome to see it if you're ever near Basingstoke.

 

I often go to car meets with fellow BRZ/GT86 owners.

 

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Looks lovely! A bit too far to pop down, but thank you.