TJL

😂if it wasn’t for you i never would’ve had the contact! So thanks Shoodieshoo

Audiobahn20

@TJL :
Can you post a few pics from the sides of the unit (installed)?

I am curious about what the dash transition looks like between the factory opening and the new HU.

TJL

I think it looks great personally. There is a big glare but the view from the exterior looks as clean as any OEM screen in modern luxury cars imo

Audiobahn20

I agree!
I think it does look pretty clean and OE.

Do you have any issue of seeing the display in the sun or in certain conditions? I ask due to it protruding from the dash rather than having the shielding that the OE unit had.

DashLynx

wouldn't recommend upgrading to these tablet screens. Here are a few things to consider about them, whether you pay $100, $1000, or $2000. They all come from the same factory overseas, mainly in China. Most of these screens use very cheap LCD panels, and since they sit on top of the dashboard, they weren't designed to handle direct sunlight. They also run on low-quality processors that use the Android system, similar to what's found in high-end tablets. Trying to run that software can make these screens unreliable, especially since Android isn't a real-time operating system. That's where a lot of glitches come from in the car.

You already have everything you need in your car if you just want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Just get a wireless CarPlay and a backup camera. There's no point in changing your screen for a bigger one that constantly glitches, needs resetting, and usually fails within six months.

We can offer you a product that comes with a lifetime warranty, made in the USA, where you can speak to a real person. Do you have any questions before buying, during installation, or about changing your screen for that particular car? Because you already have a beautiful digital display in the car as it is.

Audiobahn20

I didn't really come here for a sales pitch, in fact I find your approach incredibly uncouth and unprofessional.. You don't try to gain a sale by condemning the entire purpose of an informational thread and criticizing mods other have done. I would add also that it is really not anyone else's job to dictate or opine what "I need in my car". Maybe you do not "need" anything more, but the needs of others may differ.

I have been involved in the 12volt audio industry (MECP certified for over a decade, over a decade ago) since the early 90's, I have built hundreds if not thousands of audio/video system for tons of various needs from the Comp level down to service vehicles. My career has focused on EE for the last 20 years and I have been in business longer than that yet. I think you have a lot to learn about the power, ability, and resourcefulness that can be gained from a full Android deployment inside of a vehicle and the importance of it being a primary interface and not an add-on or secondary control logic. If anything it makes much more sense to gain the features and capability of a good quality full Android deployment than just adding a module to be able to use your phone. Sure if you want zero options, no extended vehicle capability, horrible sound quality and to fight with the hopes that Android auto will connect everyday just to be at a phones mercy... Then go with an add-on interface that mimics the real thing! I would rather have it done right.

DashLynx

Let's discuss this. We've tested a bunch of those android screens, and they all failed the thermal testing and didn't show any thermal shock reliability. The screens sold from China as replacements aren't running on the correct android version. They're all running on the android tablet version meant for regular tablets, not for car use. Just so you know, android isn't a real-time operating system like android automotive OS, which are in some 2023 GM and Volvo vehicles and others. These screens aren't equipped to handle this type of software; they only run the android tablet software, which isn't suitable for car use.

Also, these screens don't offer anything good. They actually provide terrible sound quality when they run Apple CarPlay on top of the android ecosystem. Apple never designed CarPlay to work on top of android; it's meant for Linux OS. That's why these devices are much lower in quality compared to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the factory or Add on interface. You can't run Apple CarPlay on top of android OS as an application; it's a Chinese hack that doesn't work properly, unfortunately.

So, these screens you're talking about aren't built to handle the heat that comes through the windshield on sunny days, and they don't have the right software for cars. None of that is suitable for automotive use, and people should be aware of it. If you look up those so-called "Tesla style" screens, most people have nothing but problems with them. That's the reality of buying these products; there's not a single quality one. Why do you think companies like Alpine, Pioneer, Sony, JVC, Kenwood, etc., don't make radios that run on android?

No matter if you're shelling out $100, $1000, or even $2000 for ice cream, it all comes from the same factory that makes it for around $100. Everyone just slaps their label on it and sells it at their own price. There are only a few factories making this stuff. But if you want a screen that can handle direct sunlight and heat from your car's windshield, it's gonna cost you. Even big car companies like Ford probably pay a couple hundred bucks each for those screens when they buy them in bulk. Most screens out there are made for controlled climates, so they don't do well in the heat of a car. They can lose color or get lines across them as they start to fail. Check out the pic below for a typical user of these screens. And I mean typical.

Do you know that more than 97% of people who read this forum never sign up or post anything? Even if they buy a screen and have a problem, they never come here to make an account and talk about it. Most people just read the forum and buy stuff based on recommendations., as I'm making this post there are 228 user and over 8000 guests on this site now, So, approximately 2.77% are registered users

We've been doing this for over 20 years, so of course we're gonna tell people exactly what kinda issues they might run into when they buy these products.

Here's a picture of a regular user with this type of screen, I mean, like, just your average person.

Audiobahn20

There is nothing to discuss.... You are making blanket statement that spans an entire industry (several actually) based off of non-controlled R/D testing on a few cheap COTS displays. You guy's apparently did not know what type of display to test, just based on your comments. You're talking to someone who has been on an engineering team that has brought LCD displays through a full DEVOPS cycle, on two different product lines! You're comments scream that you are not even aware of what you do NOT know about this topic, and you did not understand the entire point! I must say, that's dangerous not only for you but for any customer that relies on you for accurate information and not just a sales pitch.
You really need to educate yourself about the market space that you are in. Please stop giving people bad advice, for the sake of the forum community. This is why I stopped using forums, because bad info has prevailed due to the modern masses demand for instant satisfaction instead of thorough research and education on a topic.

But hey what's an EE (that means Electrical Engineer by the way) like me, with a lifetime of experience specific to 12v audio/video know about anything.

I do apologize to the OP and those using this thread for the right reasons, to know more about the product mentioned in the title.

DashLynx

If you want to talk about this industry specifically, the industry was built by companies like Audiovox, DEI, Sony, Pioneer, Clarion, Panasonic, and back in the day, Clifford was a separate company. Alpine is obviously one of the top brands in the industry, along with companies like K40 with the radar detectors. Now, it comes down to screens, or if you want ot call them displays, that are not made by Toshiba or LG, etc. Most of the screens that come on so-called replacement Android-based screens that come out of China unfortunately don't use any quality products. They usually use cheap PCBs and cheap ICs that overheat and stop working after some time. Because we manufacture our products, we have thermal testing chambers, and the screens with built-in Android devices that currently come from China don't pass any of the tests.

But then, just simply asking why companies like Alpine, Pioneer, Sony, JVC/KENWWOD, and similar do not make radios based on Android? These companies are currently manufacturing some of the best radios for aftermarket application. Do you think there is a reason why they don't have it running on Android? The answer to that question is because Android is not a real-time operating system and not really suitable for radio. You have issues like very long loading times, etc. That's just some of the few things outside of connecting a backup camera to display properly and fast. In case you didn't know, in the USA, there is a law by NHTSA regulation which states live rear camera video must be displayed in less than two seconds after the driver places the vehicle into reverse gear.

We talk to lots of customers every day, and many of them have issues with those Chinese radios that come with built-in HVAC controls and run on Android. Since Android isn't a real-time operating system, upgrading the HVAC systems can be a real headache. It's a really common problem. Another big issue is the steering wheel controls not working, which happens a lot too. That's why most shops in the United States don't like installing these radios. Customers often come back complaining that important features like the backup camera aren't turning on or the HVAC controls aren't responding. I'm not sure why you're defending this product so much. So far, there isn't a single good radio out there, especially the ones that integrate HVAC controls.

Also, when people replace the screens in their cars, like in a Lexus ES, getting a bigger screen doesn't really give them anything extra. The factory screens are already very high quality, and they have physical HVAC buttons that are much easier to reach compared to the screen, which is kind of high up on the dashboard. Why would anybody need Android-based HVAC controls when there are physical buttons already in the car? Plus, if you want to get Apple CarPlay, this is the worst way to do it because you have Apple CarPlay competing with the Android operating system.

Just think about it: why doesn't anybody else do it this way? Do you think Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, Pioneer don't know something about android?

Like I said before, 97% of folks read this form as guests, and I think if we have info as industry insiders, we ought to share it so folks are in the know.

Here are the reviews of the standard screens that this company produces. They want to make same systems as manufactured by multi-million or billion-dollar companies and get the same results. That's why companies like ours aren't aiming to provide people with a whole new radio. We're just trying to offer them one feature: Apple CarPlay, using the factory radio, screen, and controls. We want to give them one simple feature, but building the head unit with a screen, amplifiers, Bluetooth, etc., is a completely different task from just adding one feature.



If you're MECP certified and you've been in this industry for a while, you should know that these kinds of products are why many customers opt not to go to their local car stereo shops. Distributors flooded the market with these devices at one point, and a lot of shops and customers got burned.

DashLynx

Hey, just a heads up for anyone checking this out: I saw a video on the official Lexion channel where they mentioned that if you're thinking of getting Android screens from another brand, they might not work properly. But here's the kicker – turns out, their screens have the same issue as well, of course that did not make a video showing their screens are not loading they just showed a competitor.

You can check it out on their official YouTube channel:
Why should we in the USA be backing cheap overseas products and shipping our jobs elsewhere? We need to focus on creating jobs and producing goods right here at home.

TJL

Im just going to ignore dashlynx...

No issues with seeing the screen! The brightness is adjustable, too so you can turn it up or down as needed (though it does work "automatically" and switches from day to night mode).

DashLynx

We're not saying you should only believe us. We're just explaining what happens when you switch out the radio. Apparently, the company itself posted a video on their website explaining that only their module works with all other models. But how long will their module last? You'll have to let us know.

But then again, if you just want to get Apple CarPlay, why you're swapping out a high-quality screen in your car for one of lesser quality? Even if you're satisfied with it, it doesn't function like the factory screen with the sun sensor. Swapping out a quality screen just to add CarPlay, which runs on top of Android, doesn't really make sense. I want people to know that there are other options that let you keep your factory high-quality equipment in place.

tomscot2

DashLynx is useless for my 2016 ES300, when they only thing I want is a box that enables wireless Apple Carplay.

DashLynx

That's exactly what we offer is the box that enables CarPlay on your factory screen

shoodes

I get where you are going with this. I really do. A lot of the times these headunits can be misleading or spoofed. Poor quality depending on the seller. But the way you keep describing your product offerings vs a "cheap low quality Chinese" reeks of Sinophobia. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

What head-units did you test? Were they FYT-based? MTCB-based? MTCD-based? There's a whole other side of the planet that has been using these solutions for quite some time. I'd like to see some more information regarding the tests you have done. I've had a Pioneer AVH-240EX display fail due to overheating. Does that mean all Pioneer products are crap? I'd like to see more information on what type of units you have tested.
Many of these headunits that you can buy are purely trade-companies that take ODM units and resell them with their own branding/support. This doesn't mean that they are all the same though. There are different SoC offerings amongst the various ODM/OEM's. These all have different designs internally. Did you test a UIS7862 based unit? Did you verify the hardware specifications? Making blanket statements like this doesn't help with your credibility.

Volvo's Android Automotive. The Polestar 2 uses an embedded Intel x86-based Atom A3900 which is a quad-core CPU based off of Apollo Lake.
In contradiction to what you have said, the Polestar 3 is moving to an octa-core Qualcomm ARM based Snapdragon MSM8996 (SD820-derived) (Makers of ARM SoC solutions used in phones and tablets!) based platform running Android Automotive.

The reviews you posted for that Lexus IS screen is by listed by Mekede. It's most likely a rebranded YZG unit. NOT a Binary unit.

I've had my unit for about two years now and haven't had any of these major issues you are describing. Any issues I did have was solved quickly by support. OEM backup camera works, all the parking sensors work, audio quality has not changed at all. It rocks a QCM6125, which is based off of the Snapdragon 665. 4GB of RAM. They aren't falsifying or spoofing any of their specifications at all.


I'm not trying to turn this into one of those infamous forum debate or anything. Just wanted to provide my own input on this.


Happy to hear! The pictures you posted of the unit from the side look very clean. I was kind of worried about how it would look from the side and the dashboard integration, but it looks leagues better than I thought it would.