Android based double din receivers

Can anyone recommend an android based double din? Only requirements are: ability to run torque app with bluetooth and has google maps (GPS) built in. If it can do that then it should be able to do everything else I need it to.

I'm trying to figure out if I wanna go droid double din or straight up tablet.

You would be better off with a new tablet. Here's the pros and cons of each.

Headunit
Pros: Will fit with much less modification, DVD and FM capability, can wear gloves with touch screen.
Cons: Most/all Android headunits are Chinese pieces of crap. They're outdated, running slow processors, minimal RAM, iffy features.

Tablet
Pros: Better touch screen than any headunit I've seen (Capacitive>Resistive), better processor, more RAM, more storage, better screen resolution, more updated/more app support.
Cons: You have to make it fit, running the wires correctly will be a massive PITA, accessing all of the buttons could be an issue, keeping it from draining your/it's battery could be an issue.

thank you! good points!


What about a single din receiver with aux hooked up to a removable tablet..
hmmmmmmmmm......

Wouldnt that be best of both worlds?

....or keep your stock head unit modified to accept audio input from your smartphone?

That's what I'm doing

I had a Samsung Galaxy in for awhile. It fit perfectly in between the 2 edges of the cup holders. Even though it was awesome, I just hated the wires running everywhere for it, not being able to use my cup holders or change bin, and the lack of 3G just kind of ruined the whole point. Al, did you order yours with the aux input, or did you do it yourself? Is it just through a cassette adapter, or...? Write up on how to do it?

al_roethlisberger wrote:

....or keep your stock head unit modified to accept audio input from your smartphone?

That's what I'm doing

It worked for a while... but now I have a cassette adapter stuck in there with the wire hanging out. It's time to upgrade..

matt270avian wrote:

I had a Samsung Galaxy in for awhile. It fit perfectly in between the 2 edges of the cup holders. Even though it was awesome, I just hated the wires running everywhere for it, not being able to use my cup holders or change bin, and the lack of 3G just kind of ruined the whole point. Al, did you order yours with the aux input, or did you do it yourself? Is it just through a cassette adapter, or...? Write up on how to do it?

3G is wonderful over here. I can stream music at a high bitrate, no problem. My phone works fine but it's a pain mounting and taking it off every time. Tablet to aux on a receiver would be tighhhthththt.

I have a fella on eBay that rebuilds the 1995 style radios and is rebuilding my AM/FM/CD head unit. He updates the CD player with a 95+ model that is more reliable, and adds a 1/8" stereo jack to the front face for an iPod, phone, etc connection that interrupts the radio when plugged in.

I am using the Motorola "Navigation Dock" for my RAZR M which automagically puts the phone in "car mode" when docked. It is pretty slick. You'll still have some wires, power one one audio of course, but it can be mounted down low on that part of the dash between the glove box and console and the wires mostly hidden and routed neatly. I haven't done that part yet, but that's the plan. The modified radio should be here by next week, and then I'll get it all wired up.

Then I'll install my Rockford Fosgate PBR300x2 and DLS front speakers, and should be jammin' with my already installed "semi old school" Kenwood KAC-829 and Kicker DX 6x9s. The Kicker DX 6x9 speakers, which is their lower end line, are really surprisingly good. They have very good and tight bass response, and the mids/highs are also quite good considering they are pretty simple technology speakers. I may get some better 6x9 speakers one day, but maybe not. These cheap DX Kickers are that good. I paid a whopping $29 for them.

The screen on the phone can't compete with a pad of course, but it does pretty well for me and is great because then it is completely portable in and out of the car so I don't have to maintain multiple devices. And I keep my radio stock.

And yes, streaming is the way to go these days. I doubt I'll bother with many (new) CDs or any ripped or electronically DL'd songs for this application. I'll stick with Slacker, Pandora, Spotify, etc..

Al

Whatever you decide to get, i would recommend sonicelectronix. By fer the best prices/selection ive found for car stereo stuff.

Sir Psycho Sexy wrote:

Whatever you decide to get, i would recommend sonicelectronix. By fer the best prices/selection ive found for car stereo stuff.

Them, and OnlineCarStereo.com.

very late to the thread. I have one of the Cheap android (china) unit in my Windstar, after a different flash (lots of people and threads on this if you google) I can honestly say it works quite well. A Cheap, but specific bluetooth OBD dongle (only a couple work with it.. negative, but they are cheap as cheap gets and work just fine). Mine is set with a USB hub from the back USB into my glove box, has IPOD controls, and so far after the flash pretty much all aps work. the streetmaps (and most apps) that come with it blow.

its for sure not for just anybody. if you can read and donjt mind flashing it can be a pretty ok unit. yes its an older version of android on most of them (you pay alot more for newer ones) but mine works fine. its not big on memory, but it fits all i want, dont need angry birds. My real grips.. old style touch screen .. you get used to using your fingernail instead of finger, i don't notice it anymore.
The radio app.. dont use it much, but i dont like it. As for sound, it works well. I do think there are better options, but for $300, i dont think i could do it as easy and good looking.

I was thinking about getting one of those eBay units and flashing it like you. You pretty much have the exact setup I was thinking about doing. I actually ran a cheap unit that uses a version of Windows CE instead of CE + Android, which is what yours runs because it has iPod, FM, and possibly DVD capabilities. Someday I might experiment and try to flash Android onto it (if I don't sell it first).

That being said, having switched to my Pioneer unit I can't go back. It allows me to mirror my phone's screen (Note 2) while keeping a capacitive touch screen and very good sound quality. Now I just need to find a good aftermarket antenna......

I rock a CarPC in my Aurora with 7" touchscreen custom molded into the stereo bezel.

sall wrote:

I rock a CarPC in my Aurora with 7" touchscreen custom molded into the stereo bezel.

Got pics of the set up or during install?

Here are a couple of the bezel:




I just have to remember what site I uploaded them all too... it's been a couple years.

The actual brains of operation sit between the kick panels.

What OS do you run on the CarPC? I was half tempted to do this with a Win8 build since it's so touchscreen friendly but I decided to go with a Pioneer instead. Specs on the PC?

How did you get sound out? I bet the easiest way would be to take optical out of the PC into an amplifier and split it up from the amp, but another thought I had was to get a decent sound card, cut up some old 3.5mm speaker wires, and splice them into the factory system.

What about steering wheel controls? The Pac unit that uses infrared might work if you had an infrared adapter for the PC. The hard part would be configuring the OS (I'm assuming Windows) to adjust the volume, skip tracks, etc. according to the infrared signal. Not impossible, but definitely a challenge.

Radio/other sources of music? Internet connectivity? Sorry for all the questions... I just really like the thought of a whole PC in car. It just gets costly when you compare it to a headunit that does pretty much everything for half the price.

al_roethlisberger wrote:

I have a fella on eBay that rebuilds the 1995 style radios and is rebuilding my AM/FM/CD head unit.  He updates the CD player with a 95+ model that is more reliable, and adds a 1/8" stereo jack to the front face for an iPod, phone, etc connection that interrupts the radio when plugged in.  

Al, can you share info on this site, would like to consider that option.
Thanks,
Jbird