I was intrigued by the Android head units that came out a few years ago, but I think they were not refined enough and had many problems with them. Customers either dealt with the minor issues or they returned the head unit for something different.

Since then, these Android head units have come a long way and are much better than they were years ago. They are still knock off China Android head units, but they are priced very cheap when compared to Alpine or Pioneer head units.

Android Auto is a good option for some people, but I don’t like it. We have it on our new to us 2016 Ford Escape, and I find it undesirable to use. It adds some apps from your phone to the display in the dash, but not all. It removes some features from the display in the dash, but not all. It is not there yet as far as I am concerned. Even the more expensive Pioneer and Alpine units are just now getting to wireless Android Auto, but the interface and features are remaining the same. At least I was able to rule out and expensive option and now focus on the budget friendly option.

I am sure these new China Android head units did not have near the audio precision or power of an $800+ Pioneer or Alpine, but that was not my focus anyway. I usually drive with the stereo off, but have been known to listen to podcasts or old country on Pandora.

Back to it…

I bought a Jensen VX-7020 head unit 6 years ago and installed it and have been using it since. It came with a offline/locally stored GPS navigation software that is big in Europe, but not so much in the USA. Another main reason why I bought this head unit was because it had DVD playback capability. At the time, my wife and I were riding in the truck together while traveling cross country, but things have changed and we take a chase car with us for many reasons. We stay in touch via 2 way radio and this method works very well for us while traveling as well as while we are at our destination.

The Jensen head unit has things like bluetooth (BT) phone connectivity, rear camera, Pandora, etc. It does not have FORScan, Google Maps or other apps that are commonly found on an Android device or in the Play Store.

It works, it works well and I have no complaints about the head unit itself or the navigation.

Since these Android head units have been out for a few years now, they are much more refined and are all over the place if you start to look for them. It seems there are literally dozens of choices and the specifications and limitations can be cumbersome to fight through.

@rs51085 recently brought these newer generation Android head units to light for me in his thread that details his 160/0 AC injector success story.

A friend of mine, @SkySkiJason had installed an ATOTO A6 Pro in his truck a while back after getting a steal of a deal on an open box sale from Amazon. I think, between these two gentlemen I made the decision to keep my PMS at the gate with an upgrade to an Android head unit this winter.

I would really like the ability to use FORScan Lite, Pandora, live Google Maps, rear camera, phone connectivity, etc… Being able to add other apps like Victron Connect for my solar equipment on the 5th wheel, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, etc is all a bonus. So, if my wife was to ride with me, she could still watch a movie or listen to a podcast and I could have my OBDII and other apps I like to have.

I have an OBDLink MX that I use with my Samsung S7 phone and my Samsung tablet for data logging and watching my FUELPW go through the roof while hauling the 5th wheel around. Although, I think it would be nice to have a dedicated OBDII adapter to connect to the Android head unit, so I have selected a somewhat tried and true cheap version.

I have selected the BAFX OBD scan tool to stay in the truck and stay connected to the Android head unit. This will give me the ability to use the OBDLink MX on other vehicles with my tablet, or if I find that the BAFX is not performing as desired.

This will also give me the ability to have a dedicated OBD scan tool in the truck at all times instead of reaching under the dash to plug in or unplug each time I wanted to use it there or someplace else. This does not happen a lot, but convenience is worth a few dollars and I am a big fan of convenience.

This brings me to the selection process of the Android head unit. Taking into account that all of these are capable of installing the apps I mentioned above and features like backup camera, USB connections and what not. I was looking very closely at things like RAM, ROM, screen type, BT, button type, volume control **** or buttons, USB in front, etc.

I started with the older Android head unit that paved the way for this a few years ago which was the Joying. This was a newer version of the Joying, but I felt it deserved a place on the spreadsheet as somewhat of a baseline.

As I looked at more and more Android head units, one thing stood out to me about the ATOTO A6 lineup, that was the dual BT feature. This is a key feature in my opinion because without the dual BT I don’t think that a connection to the OBDII BAFX adapter and my Samsung S7 at the simultaneously would be possible. I could be wrong, but I don’t see how that a connection to two different BT devices can be made from the Android head unit when there is only one BT antenna/receiver in the head unit.

I still looked at many, many Android head units, but this “must meet” criteria was not present on any other devices except for the ATOTO A6 and S8 devices. So, I filled in the spreadsheet with three other popular Android head unit choices and then shifted focus to the ATOTO A6/S8 devices.

As you will see from the spreadsheet below, there are several different devices from ATOTO. I cannot fully recommend this device or brand to anyone simply because I have no experience with them, but based on reviews and forums around the internet, they appear to be one of the top tier devices available in this price point.

I settled on dissecting the features on the following Android head units.

• ATOTO A6 Standard
• ATOTO A6 Premium
• ATOTO A6 Pro
• ATOTO S8 Standard
• Hikity-10
• Hikity-7
• Pumpkin
• Joying

Again, the ATOTO brand devices became my primary focus due to the dual BT connectivity. Some of the others were considered, but not listed once I started looking at BT connectivity as the primary feature.

Secondary features I looked at were things like buttons or **** for volume, where were they on the unit, screen size, screen type (TFT or IPS), etc. You can see from the spreadsheet below that I did a fair amount of research in order to satisfy my curiosity about which Android head unit I wanted to purchase.

I settled on one of the ATOTO A6 varieties, so I then needed to dissect each of them and throw the S8 into the mix even though I was sure that was out of my budget scope for this project.

The A6 Standard is the bottom of the line at $169. I almost immediately ruled out the A6 Standard because the RAM/ROM were half the capacity, but the savings did not reflect this downgrade in my opinion.

The A6 Premium was next on the list at $219 and was the unit I was set on purchasing for a while. But, I found a couple of things about it I did not prefer for the dollar increase to the A6 Pro.

The A6 Pro was looking like a winner at $249 when looking at best bang for the buck. The reason why it is worth the extra $30 over the A6 Premium to me are the following reasons.

• IPS display instead of a TFT display
• BT 5.0 on BT1 & BT 4.2 on BT2 instead of BT 4.2 on BT1 & BT2
• Rear USB is capable of “fast charging” phones with a 2A fast charge feature

The big winner for me is the IPS display and worth the extra $30. The fast charging is nice, but I have that already in a USB hub installed in the dash. The BT 5.0 is whatever to me... An IPS display can look so much better than a TFT display. I know this first hand as we bought an IPS display for my wife to have in her craft room and I was very impressed.

The ATOTO S8 is the newest line of devices from ATOTO and have some decent upgrades and features, but even the S8 Standard at the bottom comes in at $339. That is just more than I am looking to spend for the features it has over the A6 line of devices. Things like a QLED screen and 4G connectivity, both of which don’t matter a hill of beans to me.

After reading many, many hours about these China Android head units, I found some good nuggets of information. It seems that a RAM capacity of 1GB is sufficient in most cases to run multiple apps. Upward of 6 apps can be running before performance is degraded a bit. So, 2GB is plenty of RAM and 4GB is probably overkill. Just another reason why I stayed away from the S8 line with the boosted RAM.

The Android head unit goes to sleep or in standby mode when the truck is off, it does NOT turn off like a traditional head unit would. It is like your PC or laptop goes to sleep and you wake it by moving the mouse, but deeper than that. This is how the Android head units are “booting” in 2 seconds or less. All of the antennas turn off, the display turns off, the processing turns off, everything except turns off in order to keep the power draw to a minimum. All vehicles in the modern age have a power draw when the vehicle is off and this addition is insignificant. Because the operating system is refined and runs on low resources, it is ready to use in under 2 seconds. This was not true years ago, but it is pretty standard on all Android head units now. There appears to be a battery that will hold the sleep/standby mode for about a month, but if the onboard battery is discharged, then a full reboot/initial boot may be required. Based on the information and videos I saw, it takes about 30 seconds for a full boot sequence to go from ignition ON to apps ready to use.

The ATOTO A6 line has a phone mirroring/casting feature. Basically, you are taking your phone display and moving it to the display on the Android head unit. This is NOT like Android Auto, which is limited in apps and features. This is having 100% of your phone on the Android head unit display where all features and functions are accessible from the head unit. Phone calls, text messages, FORScan, etc… Just know that in this mode, you Android head unit takes a back seat to display your phone features and functions. I don’t see myself using this feature, but if my wife wanted to put her phone display on the Android head unit because she knew her way around it better, that is easy to do.

All of the Android head units appear to have firmware/software updates available to them. So, when looking at the spreadsheet and seeing Android version 6 – Marshmellow you might think, well that is out of date and I don’t want that. I can confirm (based on what I read on the manufacturer websites and forums) that the Android head units can upgrade for FREE to version 8 – Oreo or version 9 – Pie simply by updating them through the settings.

If the ad or listing says "offline maps available" or "offline navigation", it is referring to a third party app like iGo or Sygic. Google Maps has a downloadable and offline feature, but you must be online to download your route and then the GPS antenna will track your route. With the 3rd party maps, the data is stored on the device locally, but will not provide live data (accidents, detours, speed traps) like Google Maps will.

I learned a great deal about Android head units over the past few days and I know a couple of other people showed interest in what I may have learned. I will send them a PM and let them know this post is up and they can do with the information as they see fit.

 

Nice spread sheet and very informative. For the cost these things are really nice to have. It almost eliminates the need to have a phone stuck to the dash somehow and just makes our 20 year old trucks look nice inside. I have been looking at some of the same ones you listed to upgrade my setup and can't really decide myself. The spreadsheet is very helpful in that respect. It definitely looks as though PMS has got a firm grip on you....

Cant wait for install pictures.

 

Subscribed to this one......

 

Great write-up Sous. Thank you for taking the time to do this!!

I just took someone else’s word for it and took a chance. Looks like there is a reason the A6 Pro is popular!!

Another consideration I just thought of is rear camera options. I think some units require a brand-specific (not RCA) camera. I bought the ATOTO rear camera because I wasn’t sure - but I’m pretty sure we can use a better camera. The resolution with ATOTO camera as well as rain and night vision leaves a lot to be desired.

Also, there is a dash cam option from ATOTO - but I’ve decided I’d rather have a separate device for this because of better options for resolution and operating parameters. I stopped looking after getting overwhelmed with what’s available. I need a Sous Dashcam Spreadsheet!!!

I will say this headunit requires more bezel trimming than the other headunit I’ve installed. Not a deal breaker for me, but definitely a consideration for some. I still need to trim my bezel and finish installing mine - so I’ll take pics and share here.

Another thing to toss in the mix and muddy the dual BT water, there are USB OBD2 dongles. That would free up BT for phone calls, etc. No experience with these and this was just at the top of a quick search... (the BT version of this brand did not work for me -several years ago anyway)




$165 - I would roll the dice on this. (My A6 Pro was just a little more from the jungle (open box/return) with full warranty, etc. So keep your eyes peeled if you’re not in a hurry!!)

https://www.ebay.com/i/224095594286?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=224095594286&targetid=93091452139 0&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9011011&poi=&campa ignid=10456154074&mkgroupid=100467641741&rlsatarge t=aud-762207186714la-930914521390&abcId=2146000&merchantid=6296724&gcli d=Cj0KCQjwvb75BRD1ARIsAP6LcqurzqbAx0xKpxDmDvUypffe 8xywoVwICVT2fTCHSedbAnyPuynbC_8aAozQEALw_wcB

 

Just jumping in here for a moment...

The dual BT on the ATOTO A6 is designed to use BT1 for phone voice and music. BT2 is designed to be used for data such as TP or FSL. I don't know if the USB OBDII adapter works on an Android device like it dies on a PC.

If it does, that would free up the BT connection on a head unit that only has one BT antenna/receiver.

BT2 can also be used as a tether to a cellular device like your smartphone. The ATOTO A6 has the capability to receive internet from a Wifi hotspot on your phone or through a BT tether from your phone. I hope that makes sense... Basically, your smartphone vocab provide an internet connection to the ATOTO A6 via WiFi or BT. BT is less resource hungry and will not use battery as fast. Although, the ATOTO A6 has fast charging as well, so there are no worries there.

On all of the Android head units I looked at, they all had RCA video connections for the backup camera. Even if the head unit does not have a dedicated input for the backup camera, the video input can be used. In both of these situations, the camera can be accessed at all times as long as 12v power is provided to it via the accessory circuit instead of the reverse lamp circuit.

As I progress through this purchase and install, I will post pictures and thoughts.

 

Looking forward to the install Sous. I have the BAFX OBDII scan tool that I've used with Torque Pro. It has worked fine with no issues. I did just order and receive the ELM 327 device that SSJ pictured above. I was going to try it using my Laptop and Forscan. I did use the BAFX unit with Forscan the other day to run the injector buzz test which worked fine. I'm new to Forscan and trying to learn it since it seems to be the latest choice over TP.

I'm curious on the extra dash modifying required for the Android as SSJ mentioned. I've been researching the double din setups and what has to be trimmed on the dash. So curious how much more with the Android, and to be sure that the dash installation kits make a nice clean install. I've seen some installs on youtube that looked kind of crappy (you could see the hacked up dash even with the radio installed) where others still look clean and professional.

I was looking at "name brand" double din units, but after further reading I did find that the Android Auto is not the same as actual Android head unit like you mentioned. NO experience with either. So don't know much about either. So this is why your research is appreciated.

 

Excellent writeup Sous. I just wish you'd done it for the fruity version instead. Does the rear camera capability include switching to a trailer mounted backup camera?

 

I just finished installing the Atoto A6 in my bus. So far I am very happy with it. Torque pro on the screen is a huge plus.

 

I think the dash kits are dumb AF. Attaching the radio to the bezel is retarded. I’ve told people I would not change their cluster bulbs because it’s tooooo hard to remove bezel without breaking something.

My headunit will be attached to the dash and the bezel is separate. It’s possible this is not clean enough for everyone.... I’ll let y’all decide when I get my finished!!

Thinking out loud, I wonder if someone could 3D print a bezel for the headunit that fits into the cut out factory dash bezel that would be super clean?

 

I had the Joying unit for about 2 years....I ripped it out for a Pioneer 4200 NEX. I "rooted" it as well. I miss the speed sensitive volume of the Joying and the volume ****. The AM band reception SUCKED...and the FM tuner wasn't so great either...Pioneer spanks it in both.

 

My experience with the older Joying was, once you turned the key to start...it had to reboot. Perhaps I could have wired it differently though.

 

Other than stock radio, I didn't even know it was possible to attach an aftermarket radio to the dash. I've only ever seen them installed with the install kits which have you attach with the bezel that clips into the dash surround. I do have to agree about the bezel piece on the install kits (if we are talking about the same thing). They do break very easy if ever having to remove. I broke mine when doing the Sous 2wd Low mod since I had to separate the dash surround to install the switch. I was debating then installing a double din stereo while I had everything apart since I didn't want to have to mess with removing again, but just didn't have the funds at the time for the different radio.

 

Wow... Just finished writing a response over at the PID Charting Tool thread...

Good to hear about the BAFX! I am a firm believer in the OBDLink MX, but feel a dedicated and reliable scan tool would be of some benefit to me and it is worth the $25 it costs to purchase one in my mind. Not for everyone though...

FSL is so much better than TP in my opinion, but that is just me...

SSJ has said he will be sending me some pictures of his head unit mounting method. He is right, the current mounting method is stupid AF. I have always thought that and I am looking forward to using the SSJ method.

There is nothing wrong with the name brand units like Pioneer and Alpine if that is your thing. I don't like Android Auto though and don't use it in our Escape, so paying $800 for a system that I don't use seems silly.

Thank you sir!

I don't do Fruit devices... This stems from my military time as well as knowing that they are the same hardware pieces as found in an Android, just has a different style dress on. I saw just as many hardware failures in Fruit devices that I did in PC devices, but the Fruits are much more expensive in my experience. I don't like them, but I don't fault others for liking/loving them.

So, most of these units have a rear camera input and at least 1 other video input. The rear camera input does not matter where it is mounted, just that it has a connection to it. If one wanted to, they could have a rear camera, a trailer camera and a dash camera. Some of the units have DVR capability and will record camera footage to the microSD card in the front of the head unit. I did not get too far into that as it was not a feature I was looking for.

There is a pre-loaded app called "FCam" on the ATOTO A6 that allows the user to view the backup camera at all times, as long as there is power to it. The other video inputs are easily selected as well through the UI.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence!

I kept going back to the ATOTO line because of the dual BT. I just don't know if the USB to Android option could/would work for FORScan or TP. I might do some research on it in the coming days while I sleep on the ATOTO A6 Pro as my decision. I am looking to install the head unit in the winter anyway, so I have some time.

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I agree, they are dumb AF. Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your install method, when you have time to get the pictures.

My 3D printer contact is off into the wind traveling through Canada and AK... I am open to the idea of having a bezel created for the SSJ mounting method, but will hold my judgement until I am staring at it in the dash. My brother has done some fiberglass and molding work with his dashboard and various other projects, I might be able to talk him into mentoring me and making a custom fit bezel. @FordTruckNoob works with carbon fiber from time to time as I understand it, maybe he has some pointers for us.

Going to another platform... Our 2008 Subaru has an outdated GPS and infotainment center. I thought about pulling the system out and creating a custom bezel for an ATOTO head unit, but again, I would need to have a solid plan laid out first or my wife might kill me.

​​​​​​​I agree that we cannot compare a Pioneer unit to a China Android unit. They are not the same piece of equipment. But, for my use and intended use, the Android wins in every category. As you indicated and as I mentioned, I think the Joying was the ice breaker into this platform, but it was not refined or ready for the market. These Android head units have come a long way since the Joying and I am looking forward to the features they offer.

​​​​​​​Dan, you are right! That is the way it used to be, but not any longer. As I indicated in my original post, they go into a standby/sleep mode that takes less than 2 seconds from ignition ON to being able to use it. They can and will go to a full boot sequence required after a long period of being in standby, but that is about a month on the ATOTO units based on what I read and saw in videos. Even then, the full boot sequence is about 30 seconds, so not a big deal for me or my intended use.

The Joying was not designed with the standby/sleep feature that the newer units are. I don't think there is anything you could have done differently.

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Without seeing the SSJ method, I am envisioning a thin and wide L-bracket of sorts that attaches to the front of the dash metal, behind the bezel. In order to get my bezel off, I have to come at it from the passenger side and use a 14" screwdriver to remove the passenger side of the head unit mounting bracket, then the bezel can come out... Silly... Like you though, I didn't think of or know of another way to accomplish this.

 

What is ‘AM and FM’??

I feel the antenna radio does not work that well on the ATOTO A6 Pro in my truck - but where I live there is not a strong station. My shop stereo gets a station I play often to annoy the flying squirrels that want to move into my attic (with a little static), but get nothing on the A6 in my driveway.

I’ll try to remember to scan radio stations the next time I drive my truck to town. It’s always possible Pandora might not work and I want to hear more than just the song my 7.3 plays.....

 

Seems like the reviews for the screen protector for A6 were less than stellar.

Curious if there is a good option??