Android Auto head unit with BT and SWC

[RichardCranium]

Hoping folks have still been adding these, just not much talk lately about these head units. With a slew of Chinese no-name radios all over Amazon, it's hard to sift through them all. I see the no-name units for $150-269, and the name brand stuff is just over $300.

I want good working Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, and navigation would be nice. Those are truly the only things I would likely use. FWIW I have a PPV, so I have base everything.

Hope either people have installed recently or some folks from the threads a year or two will pipe in with some feedback from their units.

TIA

 

[RichardCranium]

TTT

Dang, where is everyone?

 

[2011SSVHOE]

I'm here Darren, but hell I don't know, that's why I have my base radio. I thought about putting one of them cheap ones in my U-haul truck, just for the navigation and maybe add a backup camera. In my Hoe my radio still works fine.

 

[RichardCranium]

I'm here Darren, but hell I don't know, that's why I have my base radio. I thought about putting one of them cheap ones in my U-haul truck, just for the navigation and maybe add a backup camera. In my Hoe my radio still works fine.

Yeah mine works fine too, don't even care to have any more output than I do. I'm just really after the Bluetooth so I can stream Pandora, without having to use the silly cord/jack.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

Darren, to do it right it will cost you over 50k, pull the hoe into the shop, remove the radiator cap and slide a whole new unit underneath the cap, and reinstall radiator cap, now you have all the bells and whistles and an empty bank account, just what the Chevy dealer dreams about. LOL

 

[Keanen55]

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

 

[randeez]

most of the china brands all use the same hardware.
i havent looked at them for a while since the one in my truck has been doing pretty good - it does seem almost like a phone though (needs to be upgraded every few years to keep up with the apps)
last one i grabbed used a PX-5 chip with 4mb of ram i think. i had a cheaper one before and it would just bog down with a music and nav app open but it only had 1mb of ram, and a slower processor

if you can hotspot the headunit, which is what i do - you really dont need to "stream" anything if your phone can do it the head unit can and sound quality is better etc. just download app to headunit and use it. pandora spotify etc
navigation, youll need an app. google maps uses a tremendous amount of processing to use for navigation if youre trying to use satellite mode. there are a handful of free apps, I use waze on the head unit.
i dont use bluetooth on it so i cant really comment how good it is.
steer wheel controls all work fine, buttons are also programmable with the android units

there are some apps, possibly obscure, that i use that dont work so well on them however:
gopro - they have the android control that, on a phone works good and i wanted to use to take pics/start recording thru the headunit. when driving is easier than fumbling with phone. i couldnt get the app to work right - could have been because of older gopro.
plx has android interface for wideband o2, fuel pressure, etc. same thing i could download the app but couldnt get it to connect to the module to show the data

 

[derfman00]

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

Doesn't work on units with built in xm modules

 

[Meccanoble]

Bluetooth and SWC are the easiest options every aftermarket HU has that will properly function. I wont say my pioneer has been flawless but the additional abilities it provides, I would never go back to stock unless I was looking for a "look". I do love the online support from other members/forums that Pioneer provides.

 

[RichardCranium]

Darren, to do it right it will cost you over 50k, pull the hoe into the shop, remove the radiator cap and slide a whole new unit underneath the cap, and reinstall radiator cap, now you have all the bells and whistles and an empty bank account, just what the Chevy dealer dreams about. LOL

Thanks Roger.

If you're happy with your radio, they make aftermarket modules to add bluetooth to the factory radio. It uses your XM radio feature and converts it to bluetooth. It's all behind the radio and is all plug and play (no cutting and slicing wires). I use to use 1 from Isimple and it was under $100 and 15 minutes to install!

Great tip, unfortunately with my PPV I don't have XM.

most of the china brands all use the same hardware.
i havent looked at them for a while since the one in my truck has been doing pretty good - it does seem almost like a phone though (needs to be upgraded every few years to keep up with the apps)
last one i grabbed used a PX-5 chip with 4mb of ram i think. i had a cheaper one before and it would just bog down with a music and nav app open but it only had 1mb of ram, and a slower processor

if you can hotspot the headunit, which is what i do - you really dont need to "stream" anything if your phone can do it the head unit can and sound quality is better etc. just download app to headunit and use it. pandora spotify etc
navigation, youll need an app. google maps uses a tremendous amount of processing to use for navigation if youre trying to use satellite mode. there are a handful of free apps, I use waze on the head unit.
i dont use bluetooth on it so i cant really comment how good it is.
steer wheel controls all work fine, buttons are also programmable with the android units

there are some apps, possibly obscure, that i use that dont work so well on them however:
gopro - they have the android control that, on a phone works good and i wanted to use to take pics/start recording thru the headunit. when driving is easier than fumbling with phone. i couldnt get the app to work right - could have been because of older gopro.
plx has android interface for wideband o2, fuel pressure, etc. same thing i could download the app but couldnt get it to connect to the module to show the data

That's a lot of good feedback from experience, appreciated. I think I'm gonna spend the extra $100 or so and get a mainstream name brand. The biggest think I'm after is Bluetooth, Android Auto is a plus but really not a deal breaker.

Bluetooth and SWC are the easiest options every aftermarket HU has that will properly function. I wont say my pioneer has been flawless but the additional abilities it provides, I would never go back to stock unless I was looking for a "look". I do love the online support from other members/forums that Pioneer provides.

Another reason I will choose a recognizable name brand, now I just need to decide....