Chinese android carplay units - any good?
Discussion
Just posting this on a bmw specific thread as i know bmws can be a nightmare with aftermarket installs.
As most of these style of units generally appear to be very similar with slightly different packaging sold through different retailers, i wanted to ask to whoever has ever fitted one, how they are generally.
Are they best avoided or are they a decent upgrade over the ageing oem units. I have an 2009 e82 so presumably anything is better!
Ive looked into an ccc/cic retrofit but this is very expensive and complicated- especially on a car that’s getting on a bit now.
General problems im seeing with some ( not all ) android based installs is -
Poor fm/dab signal
Problems with battery drain/station memory
Keeping bmw pdc noises chimes etc
Not always better sound quality- although seems to be more for those with harmon kardon systems
Does this sound about right or are these problems that cab easily be rectified depending on the install. Just interested to hear what people have done with theirs as cars these days seem to not get on well with aftermarket units since everything is so integrated.
As most of these style of units generally appear to be very similar with slightly different packaging sold through different retailers, i wanted to ask to whoever has ever fitted one, how they are generally.
Are they best avoided or are they a decent upgrade over the ageing oem units. I have an 2009 e82 so presumably anything is better!
Ive looked into an ccc/cic retrofit but this is very expensive and complicated- especially on a car that’s getting on a bit now.
General problems im seeing with some ( not all ) android based installs is -
Poor fm/dab signal
Problems with battery drain/station memory
Keeping bmw pdc noises chimes etc
Not always better sound quality- although seems to be more for those with harmon kardon systems
Does this sound about right or are these problems that cab easily be rectified depending on the install. Just interested to hear what people have done with theirs as cars these days seem to not get on well with aftermarket units since everything is so integrated.
The Eonon & Xtrons ones that folks fitted in E39s were always plagued with issues; that's why I avoided them personally and stuck with OEM but fitted the Grom Audio BT3 kit, which was full A2DP Bluetooth playback and Bluetooth hands free etc
IIRC this company was mentioned a fair bit and they seemed to have a better version for whatever reasons; but able to offer decent support too:
https://www.incarmusic.co.uk/bmw-e39-android-car-s...
See what they can do for your motor
IIRC this company was mentioned a fair bit and they seemed to have a better version for whatever reasons; but able to offer decent support too:
https://www.incarmusic.co.uk/bmw-e39-android-car-s...
See what they can do for your motor
I have one in my E63, never had any issues with it. I don't use DAB but it all works fine. Some other installs..
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.babybmw.net/threads/aliexpress-android...
https://droiduk.com/product/bmw-1-series-e81-e82-e...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.babybmw.net/threads/aliexpress-android...
https://droiduk.com/product/bmw-1-series-e81-e82-e...
I’ve run two Chinese system in my cars (one in my wife’s old 125i and one currently in my 335i).
From what I can tell, most of these things seem to come out of the same factory when you look at the specs - UK suppliers just stick on a massive margin.
The Andream in my 335i is pretty flawless to be fair, looking and feeling OEM. My friend had the same experience with his and has just fitted one to his F11.
The screen I fitted to my wife’s 125i was a bit more hit and miss but I did buy it second hand and when fiddling, I did a factory reset which made it worse. The annoyance with that was that it didn’t power down with the ignition being turned off. You either had to leave it to go into sleep mode or manually turn it off. There were no issues with battery drain etc.
I fitted a double din in my wife’s old 116i which was really good but not for cars with options like heated seats because there is nowhere to relocate the buttons to.
From what I can tell, most of these things seem to come out of the same factory when you look at the specs - UK suppliers just stick on a massive margin.
The Andream in my 335i is pretty flawless to be fair, looking and feeling OEM. My friend had the same experience with his and has just fitted one to his F11.
The screen I fitted to my wife’s 125i was a bit more hit and miss but I did buy it second hand and when fiddling, I did a factory reset which made it worse. The annoyance with that was that it didn’t power down with the ignition being turned off. You either had to leave it to go into sleep mode or manually turn it off. There were no issues with battery drain etc.
I fitted a double din in my wife’s old 116i which was really good but not for cars with options like heated seats because there is nowhere to relocate the buttons to.
Thanks for the recommendations. My only problem is that i am coming from a bmw with the basic business unit and just a storage bin on the dash, so i dont even have the old i drive system that i can just pop a car play conversion in.
If i had this then the dashtop screen would be my go to like the ones linked. Without the idrive centre console controllers i think that those screens would be too far to reach as a touch screen so ive ruled that one out. They also seem to look quite big.
I think my only options are the double din units above the HVAC comtrols but this is where it gets confusing because theres so many different brands making the same units and at massively different price points. Ideally id want one with a long warranty and after sales support but these seem to be in short supply.
The dashtop ones are kind of tried and tested because they only seem to piggy back off the oem stereo whereas the double din ones require a fresh install with a wiring harness which is where im dubious about it all working properly.
Think I’ve realised how limited the options are unless you have an idrive setup already installed really.
If i had this then the dashtop screen would be my go to like the ones linked. Without the idrive centre console controllers i think that those screens would be too far to reach as a touch screen so ive ruled that one out. They also seem to look quite big.
I think my only options are the double din units above the HVAC comtrols but this is where it gets confusing because theres so many different brands making the same units and at massively different price points. Ideally id want one with a long warranty and after sales support but these seem to be in short supply.
The dashtop ones are kind of tried and tested because they only seem to piggy back off the oem stereo whereas the double din ones require a fresh install with a wiring harness which is where im dubious about it all working properly.
Think I’ve realised how limited the options are unless you have an idrive setup already installed really.
E82_125i said:
Thanks for the recommendations. My only problem is that i am coming from a bmw with the basic business unit and just a storage bin on the dash, so i dont even have the old i drive system that i can just pop a car play conversion in.
If i had this then the dashtop screen would be my go to like the ones linked. Without the idrive centre console controllers i think that those screens would be too far to reach as a touch screen so ive ruled that one out. They also seem to look quite big.
I think my only options are the double din units above the HVAC comtrols but this is where it gets confusing because theres so many different brands making the same units and at massively different price points. Ideally id want one with a long warranty and after sales support but these seem to be in short supply.
The dashtop ones are kind of tried and tested because they only seem to piggy back off the oem stereo whereas the double din ones require a fresh install with a wiring harness which is where im dubious about it all working properly.
Think I’ve realised how limited the options are unless you have an idrive setup already installed really.
The dash top screen on the E8x cars from aftermarket suppliers isn’t too bad to use in reality. I thought it’d be a bit far away but it was fine in my use. If i had this then the dashtop screen would be my go to like the ones linked. Without the idrive centre console controllers i think that those screens would be too far to reach as a touch screen so ive ruled that one out. They also seem to look quite big.
I think my only options are the double din units above the HVAC comtrols but this is where it gets confusing because theres so many different brands making the same units and at massively different price points. Ideally id want one with a long warranty and after sales support but these seem to be in short supply.
The dashtop ones are kind of tried and tested because they only seem to piggy back off the oem stereo whereas the double din ones require a fresh install with a wiring harness which is where im dubious about it all working properly.
Think I’ve realised how limited the options are unless you have an idrive setup already installed really.
Double din units are good but expensive by the time you buy the fascia, adapters and the unit itself. The trouble is there is no where to relocate buttons for the heated seats, front PDC etc on some fascia’s. Which is a bit crap. You usually have to cut away some of the plastics behind the OE stereo so there’s no going back. You’ll need to find a spare fuse that for switchable power too.
The easiest install if you have the dash top storage box is the top mounted screen; there’s no cutting required.
Xtrons screens these days have no issues 
I work as technician for xtrons, and can say 99% of users are satisfied with everything from sound quality, system, to build quality. If you ever decide on getting one, rest assured xtrons will always have your back
PS. IIRC are xtrons resellers
I work as technician for xtrons, and can say 99% of users are satisfied with everything from sound quality, system, to build quality. If you ever decide on getting one, rest assured xtrons will always have your back PS. IIRC are xtrons resellers
Mario-XTRONS said:
Xtrons screens these days have no issues I work as technician for xtrons, and can say 99% of users are satisfied with everything from sound quality, system, to build quality. If you ever decide on getting one, rest assured xtrons will always have your back
PS. IIRC are xtrons resellers
Very interesting thank you and actually quite helpful if i go ahead with an Xtrons. This Xtrons one from another forum peaked my interest as it looks quite OEM. I work as technician for xtrons, and can say 99% of users are satisfied with everything from sound quality, system, to build quality. If you ever decide on getting one, rest assured xtrons will always have your back PS. IIRC are xtrons resellers
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1...
Theres another similar one to this with more BMW-esque buttons but i dont think they make that anymore but this one looks like it has more up to date specs. Do these type of units keep all the BMW chimes, PDC noises ect as thats what im hoping to keep ideally.
Are there also any reports of DAB issues on these too? I dont have DAB installed currently so would need an aftermarket receiver.
Edited by E82_125i on Monday 19th February 16:33
Court_S said:
The dash top screen on the E8x cars from aftermarket suppliers isn’t too bad to use in reality. I thought it’d be a bit far away but it was fine in my use.
Double din units are good but expensive by the time you buy the fascia, adapters and the unit itself. The trouble is there is no where to relocate buttons for the heated seats, front PDC etc on some fascia’s. Which is a bit crap. You usually have to cut away some of the plastics behind the OE stereo so there’s no going back. You’ll need to find a spare fuse that for switchable power too.
The easiest install if you have the dash top storage box is the top mounted screen; there’s no cutting required.
Thankfully i dont have heated seats etc so i just have a blank plate in that area where i wont lose anything. My only reservation with the double dins is that theyll be too low but most of the ones ive seen include the facia and look quite integral.Double din units are good but expensive by the time you buy the fascia, adapters and the unit itself. The trouble is there is no where to relocate buttons for the heated seats, front PDC etc on some fascia’s. Which is a bit crap. You usually have to cut away some of the plastics behind the OE stereo so there’s no going back. You’ll need to find a spare fuse that for switchable power too.
The easiest install if you have the dash top storage box is the top mounted screen; there’s no cutting required.
Originally i was quite set on the dash top as it looked very OEM with the software and originally i only wanted a Pro unit to go with it, but after doing a mock up with a bit of cardboard (lol) i found i was reaching forward quite a bit to touch the screen. Shame as if i had an IDrive controller i would have grabbed one straight away.
As i side note id be quite interested to see what set ups others have gone for outside of the android ones.
E82_125i said:
Thankfully i dont have heated seats etc so i just have a blank plate in that area where i wont lose anything. My only reservation with the double dins is that theyll be too low but most of the ones ive seen include the facia and look quite integral.
Originally i was quite set on the dash top as it looked very OEM with the software and originally i only wanted a Pro unit to go with it, but after doing a mock up with a bit of cardboard (lol) i found i was reaching forward quite a bit to touch the screen. Shame as if i had an IDrive controller i would have grabbed one straight away.
As i side note id be quite interested to see what set ups others have gone for outside of the android ones.
The double din installed on my wife’s old 116i worked really well. It is low down, but in practice it was easy to use.Originally i was quite set on the dash top as it looked very OEM with the software and originally i only wanted a Pro unit to go with it, but after doing a mock up with a bit of cardboard (lol) i found i was reaching forward quite a bit to touch the screen. Shame as if i had an IDrive controller i would have grabbed one straight away.
As i side note id be quite interested to see what set ups others have gone for outside of the android ones.
It was easier to use the touchscreen function than on the dash top be purely because it was so close.
Court_S said:
The double din installed on my wife’s old 116i worked really well. It is low down, but in practice it was easy to use.
It was easier to use the touchscreen function than on the dash top be purely because it was so close.
The double dins im coming across look quite a bit different to that as they seem to be higher up but move the HVAC stuff down. It was easier to use the touchscreen function than on the dash top be purely because it was so close.
On another note i encountered something that might be a solution to my concerns re the dashtop unit and the idrive controller. Quite amusing but actually quite clever and would possibly sway me towards that if itd work well
https://hifimaxnavi.com/en-gb/products/aftermarket...
vladcjelli said:
My son has a 2005 116 in poverty spec.
As a result, it has a shallower dash centre.
I wanted a setup like above, but can’t fit it in.
Anyone found a similar type of setup for the shorter dash?
Would a single din style unit with a tablet on the front of it work. As a result, it has a shallower dash centre.
I wanted a setup like above, but can’t fit it in.
Anyone found a similar type of setup for the shorter dash?
Alpine Halo 9 springs to mind!
vladcjelli said:
My son has a 2005 116 in poverty spec.
As a result, it has a shallower dash centre.
I wanted a setup like above, but can’t fit it in.
Anyone found a similar type of setup for the shorter dash?
The very first 1 series had the shallower dash which rules out the double din installations. If a single din is out of the equation, the only real option will be a dash top screen which will involve cutting the dash to form an opening. As a result, it has a shallower dash centre.
I wanted a setup like above, but can’t fit it in.
Anyone found a similar type of setup for the shorter dash?
E82_125i said:
Very interesting thank you and actually quite helpful if i go ahead with an Xtrons. This Xtrons one from another forum peaked my interest as it looks quite OEM.
Theres another similar one to this with more BMW-esque buttons but i dont think they make that anymore but this one looks like it has more up to date specs. Do these type of units keep all the BMW chimes, PDC noises ect as thats what im hoping to keep ideally.
Are there also any reports of DAB issues on these too? I dont have DAB installed currently so would need an aftermarket receiver.
im not sure if you will be able to install the one with buttons like the one from the link you provided. like you said, looks like we dont make them anymore. now we only have the dash screens like this qsb1287un-l and that fits when you dont have OEM screen.Theres another similar one to this with more BMW-esque buttons but i dont think they make that anymore but this one looks like it has more up to date specs. Do these type of units keep all the BMW chimes, PDC noises ect as thats what im hoping to keep ideally.
Are there also any reports of DAB issues on these too? I dont have DAB installed currently so would need an aftermarket receiver.
Keep me updated if you have any more questions
Mario-XTRONS said:
im not sure if you will be able to install the one with buttons like the one from the link you provided. like you said, looks like we dont make them anymore. now we only have the dash screens like this qsb1287un-l and that fits when you dont have OEM screen.
Keep me updated if you have any more questions
Thank you for confirming. So that I understand is the one that sits upon the dash?Keep me updated if you have any more questions
Also in your experience with installations with double din units in the past, are there particular wiring adapters that you need to retain parking sensor’s and bmw warning chimes. I see many fitted with some horrible high pitched beeps for each warning once fitted so wondered if there is a way to retain them?
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