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As good as Android Auto is poised to be for the little bit it’s designed to help you do (control audio playback and help you get to where you need to go), there’s one sad fact: it required you to think about buying a new car. Thankfully there are more Android Auto products being announced that don’t require you to spend thousands of dollars on a brand new car.
Pioneer is bringing the goods in modular fashion with three new in-dash stereo units from their NEX line that can be dropped into a compatible bay. The only problem on your end is making sure your car allows installation of these things. The other? Well, coming up with cash in the range of $700 to $1,400 to buy one of these. Even with that, though, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than having to buy a brand new car.
Here’s the full suite of features you can look forward to:
- HDMI® Connectivity
- Wideband Speech & A2DP AAC Bluetooth® Connectivity
- Android Auto Compatibility
- Apple CarPlay™ Compatibility
- MirrorLink® Connectivity
- HD Radio™ Technology
- iDataLink® Maestro® Technology
- Dual Zone Audio/Video Playback
The Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX ($1,400), AVIC-7100NEX ($1,200), and AVH-4100NEX ($700) will be available starting in March 2015. Let us know if you’ll be looking to scrape enough cash together to slap one of these inside the ol’ automobile.
[via Pioneer]
I’m interested in one for the wife’s car.
All my yes!! OMG!!
heck no. ill just put one of my old tablets in the dash first.
That’s what I did in my truck. built a console that houses a 7″ tablet and have permanent charging cable and aux line ran to my factory stereo. It is however missing a few features like handling phone calls (which is a big one for me). If they would release the Android Auto app that would run on the tablet then perhaps it could link via bluetooth to the phone and handle phone calls.
Thank you, I just purshased a nexus 7 2013 LTE for this purpose and the n they come up with in dash navigation. Meanwhile with $360 i get all the features and even more on the 7 inch tablet. what is the hdmi connectivity meant to achieve,?, i think you can use the bluetooth connection to link the tablet to your factory radio unless your factory radio does not have bluetooth capability.
Not sure on the purpose of the HDMI unless you want to connect some screens for the backseats.
Ok i see. Thats right
So I looked up ways to hook a tablet up and be the radio. The parts are as expensive as this radio, and that’s including the purchase of the tablet.
So if you know how to modify frames and things like that then I’d go the tablet route. Me? I don’t. It would be much simpler for me to go the radio route. This is what I’ll have to do in my new car.
Though I’ll have to find some videos on how to put one in a 2012 Focus. Its easy to change the radio, luckily. LoL!!
if your going that route, checkout the Parrot RNB 6
Oh? I know about the Pioneer ones. Hmm… I’ll just wait all this out. I’ll probably pick something up this Christmas when all the “sales” are happening.
bluetooth phonecalls , thats what android auto does
I’m sure you can find an assortment of apps to mimic this functionality.
I noticed the other day that my 2012 Nexus 7 would fit perfectly in the spot where my radio is in my explorer. Tempted to just do that once the radio dies in the truck.
It’s not hard to do. easiest way to get sound from tablet. is the headphone jack of course also i bet your N7 2012 will do more than Android Auto
I have replaced head units in cars (they still call them that lol). Usually you have to have some sort of harness to get all the functionality back. Will need a way to get the sound to the current system setup.
Dude!! I’ve noticed this as well. The N7 seems to be the length of a car radio.
Yeah it seems to be a perfect fit. Just need to find a way to fit it in there nicely. Would like to be able to take it out too if I wanted.
This is what I did in my old car. (1995 Cutlass Ciera for those that may want to try) I have a little case on it. There’s a 1-din radio underneath it. My slot was taller than a 1-din, but smaller than a 2 din, so there’s this gap if I don’t put the frame for the radio to sit in.
I just had my radio sitting there. But it was behind the groove, so it didn’t slide out. But hitting a bump would make it jump our and slide out. LoL!!
I like how everything had just fit so perfectly. The radio had bluetooth, so that made things even easier. I usually had a visualizer playing as well.
wish this was out a couple of years ago when I installed a Kenwood in my truck. Garmin maps are good enough, however.
What has me most intrigued is it has HDMI Input, for expandability. Only thing is, the resolution isn’t great. I’ve been so satisfied with using my Note 8 as my I.C.E. (In car entertainment) device, that I’m not sure if it really would be worth buying this. Resolution is worse than my Note 8. Only real benefit would be if it can work with steering wheel integration on my car, as well as the Fiber Optic Bose roadblock I’ve had for years.
Actually you have no reason to buy this. My old car was nice. It was a 1 din slot, but taller than a 1 din, smaller than a 2 din. However, it was slightly less long than the Nexus 7 (2012). What this means is that I was able to wedge my Nexus 7 in the gap (because I didn’t put the faceplate [My N7 had a small rubber case
]). I had no need to get any kind of touch screen radio at that point.
So its either find a way to have your tablet as a your “I.C.E.” or buy a radio.
Tempted, but I love my fully stock interior. Maybe if it dies I’ll do it. If it can support my steering wheel BT and audio controls it’d be good.
A harness will take care of that.
I thought after market radios came with wires to accept input from steering wheels?
Idk. I’ve never bothered with stereos that have Bluetooth stock.
It brings to mind my old Honda that had it’s remote lock receiver within the stereo and not the vehicle itself.
What I don’t understand is thast, for example, in my Infiniti my ‘head unit’ is much more than just an entertainment and navigation device. It provides settings to my entire vehicle including the AC/heat. So, if this were replaced, what happens to all of this other functionality you need from the existing u it. It seems most cars are going this way. So it doesn’t seem like it would be a clean transition. Is there information on this that I’ve simply missed?
While some manufacturers do this, have done this, or plan to do it again.. What your describing is a constant back and forth. The difference now is the unified front brought to manufacturers by Google and the OAA. Your Infiniti infotainment center will eventually be powered by Android (they’re a member of the OAA). This device is for everyone else, something like 20% of all cars on the road are less then 8 years old.. Besides solely age, there are many new cars without multi-integration units like yours.
Regarding replacement in a vehicle like yours, that’ll come easier now more then ever. Previously there was the necessity of third party harnesses or modules to control factory equipment.. This could be done through the aftermarket units or additional buttons. With these models they’ll be harnesses and controls developed to pick up where the factory will ultimately leave off. It might time some time, but once the OAA really picks up it should be a quick swap.
andddd its time to rip my NEX-4000 out in 3 months time. WOOT.
unless there is a way to flash the 4000 to a 4100 since it looks all to be the same.
TIL in 2015 you can still spend $1200 for a resistive touchscreen
You’d need gloves had it been capacitive. Also resistive touch screens require a bit of a harder press, which I prefer while driving. I be dang near about to knock my phone off the car mount when I’m changing a song. LoL!!
I’m less accurate since I quickly glance. IDK…
I was really excited about this, I’ve been waiting for a standalone unit since Android Auto was announced…. $1400 for basic navigation, really basic music, and Bluetooth calls? Really? My Note 4 can do way more than that and has a great screen. If I install a smaller tablet and amp I can hook it up to the speakers and spend half that money. I’m looking forward to seeing what this unit can fully do that’s unique and justifies that price tag, but for now it seems like a poor value.
I just bought a AVIC 7000NEX yesterday.
I’m glad that they have the $700 model with MirrorLink. I think this is worth it. I just need to see an actual demo and decide whether I’d buy it or not.