Android Head unit

[Daverave]

Hi guys,

I'm wanting to buy an android tablet unit to replace the generic stereo in my car.

June 2011 Focus Zetec Tdci 1.6.

Can anyone advise how this is done and what type of part would be required. Would any android car tablet from eBay be compatible or would I need one with a head unit panel?

Talk to me like a noob please :)

 

[JW1982]

You need an Android headunit. An Android based headunit basically consists of 2 main parts. The android based (touchscreen) system and the MCU. The MCU basically interacts as a gateway between the vehicle and the android system. The MCU also contains the amplier and FM/DAB+ radio receivers. 

[mrmetallica]

ive got one had 2 years not put it in yet lol i will do

as said get an android head unit simples

[matt77303]

My experience with android headunits is they are very hit and miss.

The ones I've fitted for people seem slow to startup and sometimes crash alot.

My advice would be a decent head unit from alpine or pioneer.

Matt

[JW1982]

The time that all Chinese products were low quality is far behind us. China is currently the world's leading manufacturer. Lots of high end / high quality products of big European brand names are produced in China.

In my opinion the quality of car Brand / model specific android based car audio systems improved drastically within the last few Years. Of course there are still manufacturers that produce low quality products but on the other hand there are also quite some manufacturers that produce really good quality products. Some of the Chinese Android based car audio systems actually outperform the stock Ford audio systems.

The biggest issue when selecting a Chinese Android based car audio system is to determine which product is actually offered. There are about 25 different manufacturers in China that produce these audio systems. The systems may look (almost) identical but every manufacturer usually has its own hardware, software and (most important) build quality. Apart from this there are litterally hundreds of Chinese and European sellers that offer these products under their own brand name. This makes it very difficult to determine which product is actually offered.

When selecting a Chinese Android based car audio system it is recommended to look for the specifications of key components such as amplifier and radio receiver IC's. The better quality systems usually have branded components (Philips/NXP TDA7851 amplifier and Philips/NXP TEF6686 radio receiver) while most lower quality systems have usually no name components. Avoid systems with older Android versions or less powerfull hardware. The latest octa core  processor system with 4 GB RAM memory and 64 GB storage memory offer more than enough performance for most users.

[JPW]

Also if you want DAB double check as most say it supports DAB but it's not built in, you have to buy an additional box for it to work.