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The first Android Auto head unit for boats is here, and it's only $290
It's the weatherproofing that allows Boss Audio to claim that crown
Boats use the same double-DIN head units that cars do, but it turns out that nobody had made an Android Auto unit for marine applications... until now. Boss Audio has just released a fully weatherproofed 6.75" 480p head unit capable of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and it's actually pretty affordable at $289.99.
Alpine has returned to CES to expand the breadth (and width, and height) of its Halo line of Android Auto-compatible, digital head units. Expanding on its previous 9-inch models, the iLX-F411 features a massive 11-inch screen — seems pretty wild, but luckily the Halo line features a Tesla-like "floating" display and installs via a single DIN slot to save dash real-estate.
Android Auto hasn't changed much since last year, which means that the revised double-DIN head unit models being revealed by car electronics companies this year won't be all that interesting. Case in point: Kenwood's three new Android Auto head units, which are being revealed at CES, are pretty uninteresting. One thing, however, is rather intriguing: the flagship model's stunning $1,599.95 MSRP.Let's start with the two cheaper models: the $599.95 eXcelon DMX7706S and the $649.95 eXcelon DMX706S. Both have 6.95-inch resistive touchscreens, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support (no wireless functionality is mentioned), 1.5A USB outputs, and two camera connections. Audio-wise, the duo each has three sets of 4V, low-level outputs for amps, internal amplification of 22x4 watts RMS for speakers, support for FLAC and WAV files up to 192kHz/24-bit, and a 13-band equalizer with something called Digital Time Alignment. The $50 extra you pay for the DMX706S gets you "tuned audiophile-grade components," as well as an adjustable 3-way crossover. These two will be available in April.
In theory, Android Auto is a fantastic idea. It brings a unified UI, Google's class-leading Maps, and seamless integration with your music, notifications, and calls to any car or head unit that supports it. But aside from the various bugs and issues that seem to continually crop up, I'd argue that Android Auto's biggest downside is having to plug and unplug your phone whenever you enter and exit your car. As a result, many people, including myself, were pretty excited to see wireless Android Auto debut at CES this year with new head units from JVC and Kenwood.A few months later, Pioneer announced two of its own wireless Android Auto head units: the 0 AVH-W4400NEX and the ,200 AVIC-W8400NEX. The former, which is the cheapest wireless AA unit on the market, is the one I'm reviewing today. While I love that this head unit was single-handedly able to put the latest and greatest tech in my 10+ year-old car, there are quite a few bugs that desperately need to be ironed out.
Android Auto is handy to have in your car, but one of its main caveats is the requirement to have your phone plugged in at all times. Wireless Android Auto aims to solve that problem, and JVC and KENWOOD have collectively announced seven units that support it. KENWOOD's five units, all of which are understandably pretty pricey, are now shipping in the US.
Android Auto-compatible head units aren't too difficult to find these days, but they cost a pretty penny and usually won't fit properly in older cars. A developer created a solution called Crankshaft to address both of those issues, and all you need to make it a reality is a Raspberry Pi 3 and a touchscreen.
Alpine is on hand at CES to roll out yet another Android Auto head unit, but this one might be more appealing to those with limited dash space. The iLX-F309 has a big 9-inch LCD, but it doesn't need that much space available in your dash thanks to a wacky floating design. Yes, the image above shows CarPlay, but just pretend it's Android Auto.
There is no shortage of Android Auto-capable head units on the market, but as of right now, there is only one of the single-DIN variety: the Pioneer AVH-3300NEX. Considering that a lot of people are still driving around in cars with single-DIN slots, that's pretty incredible. Now you can buy an AVH-3300NEX for just $448, $152 off the MSRP, from Amazon and Abt.The AVH-3300NEX sports a 7.0" 480p clear resistive display that folds out from the compact single-DIN body. In addition to Android Auto, it can also run Pioneer's own software and Apple CarPlay. Of course, it can still function as a standard head unit, with its AM/FM tuning, AUX input, and so on. If your car has a single-DIN slot, this is one of the nicest models you can buy.Abt is offering the AVH-3300NEX for $448, and Amazon is as well for an extra five cents. Shipping is free from both retailers. This is the lowest price we've seen for this unit (okay, fine, it was two cents cheaper a couple of days ago on Amazon). Let us know if you decide to pick one up.Source: Abt, Amazon
Android Auto is great, but paying $400+ for decent head units (even when they're on sale!) is a bit ridiculous. If you don't mind the lack of most physical buttons, one of JVC's Android Auto-compatible units is just $298.99 right now on Amazon, $51 lower than the usual price.The KW-M730BT is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so if you decide to switch smartphones down the road (pun intended), you won't have to buy a new unit. It has a large 6.8" WVGA screen, support for two simultaneous Bluetooth connections, an AM/FM tuner, a 13-band audio equalizer, and a 1.5A USB port for charging your devices.I recommend using Crutchfield's car compatibility tool to make sure this will work in your vehicle. If you want to buy one, you can get it from the source link below.Source: AmazonVia: Wirecutter Deals
Android Auto makes the in-car experience a lot nicer (at least when it's not bugging out), but it's tedious to have to plug your phone in every time you get in the car just to use it. We've been hoping for a wireless solution for some time now, and it seems like it's finally becoming a reality. JVCKENWOOD will have two receivers capable of wireless Android Auto on display at CES 2018.
When Android Auto was first introduced, your only option for using it was to buy a brand new car. But soon enough, third-party head units (like the lovely Sony one pictured above) started showing up. Now that you can run the full Android Auto interface on your phone, you don't strictly need a compatible head unit, but they're getting cheaper anyways.Now you can get the Sony XAV-AX100 and XAV-AX200 head units for $50 off the usual prices. The AX100 was released last year, but is still an impressive unit. It has a 6.4" touch screen, full support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10-band equalizer, and a rotary dial for distraction-free functionality.The AX200 is a bit fancier. It's pretty similar to the head unit it replaces, but with the added option of a built-in DVD player. So when you get bored during bumper-to-bumper traffic, you can stick in your favorite movie. Just don't do it while driving.You can buy both units from the links below.
Pioneer is one of the most active manufacturers in the Android Auto head unit game, and that hasn't changed for 2017. The AVH-3300NEX, AVH-2330NEX, and AVH-2300NEX were all announced earlier this year, but they haven't been available for purchase until now. Interestingly, the 3300NEX is actually a single-DIN unit - a first for Pioneer's Android Auto lineup.All of these are more budget-oriented than, say, the 8100NEX that we looked at back in 2015. The 2300NEX and 2330NEX both come in at $500, and the 3300NEX goes for $600. They all come with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, as well as Pioneer's standard interface.
A couple of days ago, Google revamped the Android Wear website to make it more interactive and today it's rolling out an update to another website: Android Auto. This time though, it's not the whole site that's getting completely overhauled, just the section at the bottom for supported manufacturers.
Seeing which manufacturers will bake Android Auto into their latest models is cool and all, but I'm looking to see which third-party options start appearing on store shelves. After all, I bought my vehicle in 2013, and I'm not looking to replace it in the next couple of years. Fortunately Kenwood has come to CES with one that supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the DDX9902S.
Parrot usually arrives at CES with a swarm of consumer-oriented drone aircraft, but this year it's also showing off the RNB6. What is the RNB6? It's an in-dash head unit running its own version of Android 5.0, but it also has support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.