The last week has bit of a hell trying to find the “correct” android headunit. There are so many options that turn up in the search results it’s a bit daunting. However, I have some of it sorted now. However, some models do not support wireless connections for Android Auto or Apple Carplay. Pay attention to the details in the description.
This android-based radio (model D6021A according to the manual) seems to use a different manufacturer than the 688A and 6288A, which share the same wiring plug.
The connectors are made in the back like NORMAL and the way they should. The unit comes with a small WiFi antenna preinstalled, but you could conceivably upgrade to a much larger SMA antenna since this unit uses a common SMA connector.
This stereo is similar to other “budget” android stereos in that it’s advertised as Android 13, but it’s actually Android 12. Touch screen also seems a bit slow and sluggish; probably because it only has 2GB RAM. I would have much rather had 4GB RAM and 32GB storage than 2GB RAM and 64GB storage.
The volume dial works, but it’s a half blessing. At 1/4 volume, it’s already so loud that my ear drums want to burst and the car next to me is look at me weird for listening to a podcast so loud. Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer the existence of the volume dial. At minimum, it’s a nice feature to have to, because you can press down the dial button to immediately mute/unmute. On touchscreen only units, you have to swipe
down to bring up the settings menu, then find your way into the settings, and then swipe on the slider or repeatedly press up/down on -/+ to change volume. You cannot hold down up/down to increase or decrease volume, which is far more annoying.
The placement of the PD USB-C port is a bit weird though. If your stereo unit is installed high or near eye level, this means running a charging cable will hang down be kind of in the way of the the volume dial/mute button. It’s also odd that this thing has a illumination connector that should provide a signal to dim the unit when the headlights turn on, but as far as I can tell, it doesn’t do anything. Then again, since there are no USB port or button lights, so it’s hard to tell if it’s suppose to do anything.
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