Phoenix Android Radio 12" touchscreen

14cris · January 15, 2019

The bose system sounds to peaky. Like the amp is trying to work to hard. And it not being the best amp thered a lot of distorsion. Iam a sound quality competitor. Ive done this for years and years

Im not saying youre wrong. But ill put money on on my non bose vs the wifes bose i bet if i were to bring both to an iasca event my LT would score higher

Less distorion and more balanced

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

So your non bose non modified would score better than the bose?
Hmmm interesting

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Nasty · January 15, 2019

So your non bose non modified would score better than the bose?
Hmmm interesting

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Right now i think so. It sounds much more balanced and less distorted

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ford5of5 · January 17, 2019

Here's a few pics of my setup.

PAPER · January 18, 2019

3 hours ago, ford5of5 said:

Here's a few pics of my setup.

looks good ...

lectrician7 · January 20, 2019

On 1/17/2019 at 6:48 PM, ford5of5 said:

Here's a few pics of my setup.

How did you get this on the screen? I just installed one of these in my truck and I like that launcher. Also do you use waze? If so have you been having trouble with it at all on ur unit?

ford5of5 · January 20, 2019

Lectrician7, that's the Agama car launcher. It's on the Google Play store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=altergames.carlauncher The logo in the middle can be several things from a compass to a clock and even an info center for other apps. I had to change the theme and colors a little to make it look like that but it was real easy. To be 100% clear, neither this launcher or any other launcher I've tried on my device works correctly.

I've never used Waze. I can tell you that the Google maps that ships with the device works fine. The problems start when you upgrade the old Maps and the new Maps will not scale correctly. It works but the upper green bar is way bigger than it should be. I use the default Here nav app and it so far it works great.

Did your unit come in a box marketed as a Phoeinx device? Is it the fast boot 7.1 model? There are only 2 or 3 manufacturers and many, many sellers. Some of them come with android 4 and others android 7.

***READ THIS PART***

My unit has become useless in the last week. The lag times on the volume are getting to be around 30 seconds. I had this issue when I first installed the unit. I pulled it out and THOUGHT the issue was caused by a loose wire connector. The climate control lags too but only on the display changes; for actual function there is no lag. About a week ago the issues came back. I checked the wires and they are all tight. Another issue is that the upper left climate button doesn't work anymore and it seems like the second button down is starting to have an issue. Yet another issue, is that the device will not release audio focus from the Console. So what that means is when I switch from Console to Music the radio continues to play.

An issue I had from the start is that when in Console mode the factory emulated screen is off center. The seller told me I had to run through all the parameters in one of the menus and find the right one. I've been through that twice now. The seller isn't terrible helpful, so far. Their engineers have been on vacation for the last few weeks. I MIGHT hear something from them on Monday.

Are you having issues with your unit? Is your truck I03? Please let me know. Are your issues only with Waze? At this point, I can't decide if I want to push for an exchange for another unit or a total refund. I'm not sure how far I'll get with either one.

Edited January 20, 2019 by ford5of5

KJS Sullivan · January 20, 2019

That's a whole bunch of issues, go for an exchange ASAP, if the next unit doesn't do well just get a refund and forget this you're going to be plagued with problems when the thing gets old instead of just out of the box.

lectrician7 · January 20, 2019

1 hour ago, ford5of5 said:

Lectrician7, that's the Agama car launcher. It's on the Google Play store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=altergames.carlauncher The logo in the middle can be several things from a compass to a clock and even an info center for other apps. I had to change the theme and colors a little to make it look like that but it was real easy. To be 100% clear, neither this launcher or any other launcher I've tried on my device works correctly.

I've never used Waze. I can tell you that the Google maps that ships with the device works fine. The problems start when you upgrade the old Maps and the new Maps will not scale correctly. It works but the upper green bar is way bigger than it should be. I use the default Here nav app and it so far it works great.

Did your unit come in a box marketed as a Phoeinx device? Is it the fast boot 7.1 model? There are only 2 or 3 manufacturers and many, many sellers. Some of them come with android 4 and others android 7.

***READ THIS PART***

My unit has become useless in the last week. The lag times on the volume are getting to be around 30 seconds. I had this issue when I first installed the unit. I pulled it out and THOUGHT the issue was caused by a loose wire connector. The climate control lags too but only on the display changes; for actual function there is no lag. About a week ago the issues came back. I checked the wires and they are all tight. Another issue is that the upper left climate button doesn't work anymore and it seems like the second button down is starting to have an issue. Yet another issue, is that the device will not release audio focus from the Console. So what that means is when I switch from Console to Music the radio continues to play.

An issue I had from the start is that when in Console mode the factory emulated screen is off center. The seller told me I had to run through all the parameters in one of the menus and find the right one. I've been through that twice now. The seller isn't terrible helpful, so far. Their engineers have been on vacation for the last few weeks. I MIGHT hear something from them on Monday.

Are you having issues with your unit? Is your truck I03? Please let me know. Are your issues only with Waze? At this point, I can't decide if I want to push for an exchange for another unit or a total refund. I'm not sure how far I'll get with either one.

Thanks for letting me know what launcher that was.What version is the google maps are you running? Mine came updated to a version that has the HUGE green bar. If yours doesn't have the green bar I'll install it and not let it auto update. The issues I had with Waze was no audio commands ( I fixed this somehow) and now the audio player won't connect to TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, and Pandora, but I thin k it's an issue Waze needs to correct in an update.

I think (but I'm not sure) it came marked as a Phoenix product. It is a fast boot version with 7.1 on it. I did do the update for it that phoenix had posted in their drop box account. They have a video on their YouTube channel that explains it and posts a link to the file. I've heard that some launchers cause them to slow waaayyy down, so maybe that's the issue? Mine came with the original screen portion way to the right but the touch wasn't offset with it. I had to adjust the parameters on mine and 7 works perfectly. I believe my truck came with I06. It had the 8" screen that has Bluetooth and factory NAV since it's a loaded SLT.

The only other issue I have is, in order for it to connect to WiFi I need to go to the WiFi settings page then it connects to my phones hotspot, but it won't automatically connect until I do that. These radios are clearly not a simply plug it in and go kinda thing, they require some setup and work.

ford5of5 · January 22, 2019

Lectrician, sounds like you already have the upgraded Maps. The version mine comes with still has the robotic voice but works well. When I update it to get the modern voice, then I get the green bar. Other than the green bar taking up a bunch of space and the search bar being a few inches too low Maps technically works. I've had occasional issues with voice guidance on Here and Maps. I think it comes down to the audio focus of the unit. I'll give Wazes a shot and report back what happens. I've heard good things about it from others but never tried it cause I was a big fan of Scout and had Maps as a fallback.

I bought my unit from Kirinavi, a reseller, but it's a Phoeinix 7.1 fast boot. Kirinavi's engineers have been trying to help but there's the language barrier. They told me to go Pheoinex for an exchange; I'll reach out to them later today. There was a 30 day money back guarantee on the unit but I'm way past that. I can deal with software issues but the climate control buttons not working is a total deal breaker and now I want an exchange. I did the Phoeinix MCU upgrade but it did not fix my off center issue.

I've tried 3 launchers now. So that's probably why I'm having so many issue with lagging. Have you checked out XDA Developers? It's an Android modding site. There are people out there ironing the bugs out of these units. There is a way to reset audio focus and to reassign the top bar icons. Unfortunately, a lot of the info is from a Russian site and I only got a C in high school programming so I don't know how far I'll go down that avenue.

I did have Google voice working but it was SLOW! It allowed me to make calls, search the net and choose music through voice commands.

I thought I was all set when I found the Agama launcher because it put EVERYTHING on a single page. I have the same issue with wi-fi but only when the device reboots. I have mine set to stay on for 48 hours.

ford5of5 · January 22, 2019

You know what really stinks about this entire situation for me? I'm 43. I've been careful with money most of my life. I'm not even close to being well off, but if anything goes sideways I'll be ok for awhile. I could have went the MVI I06 route or bought a highly optioned truck, but I'm still stuck in that "be careful with your money" mindset. I guess this is what happens when you try to save a buck when you don't have to.

g2full · January 22, 2019

On 12/20/2018 at 5:40 PM, Penguin VII said:

Do not get this unit. I have no experience with it directly but a handful of reasons why:

The tech is based off a cheap consumer android tablet. Generally these tablets have degrading performance over time much more severely than the OEM tech. You won't notice this the first few weeks but you will most surely notice after a few months.

You really don't want all your controls on a screen. It may seem nice because you can use the extra space but it's going to be annoying over time when you try and adjust the A/C and can't get it right because its a touch screen. This will be more painful once the tablet starts to slow down.

Boot time is horrendous on these things from what I've read.

The volume and fan are switched, which is annoying.

Good call on the volume and fan knobs, I noticed something looked off but couldn't pin point what exactly. lol .

ford5of5 · January 22, 2019

@lectrician7, I just tried Waze. WOW, it's pretty great. Thanks for giving me a reason to try it. On my unit, I can only get voice directions on any nav app if I'm using a music player. When I use Console, it will not release audio focus for the nav app. I've had good luck with using split screen for nav and music players but it takes some practice to do it while driving.

As a side note, the lag issues went away. A reboot may have fixed the issues. I got a funny feeling that they'll be back.

@g2full

-Most android head units are consumer grade and that's reflected in the price. A lot of what you're buying with these particular units is the system integration and the huge screen. These units are lack-luster but do not judge all Android head units by this one. Some are better than others. For the cost, I wish I invested in one of the smaller, cheaper units with an independent stereo attached that did not integrate with the GM systems. The big issue you run into with Android based units is that the bezels never fit perfectly without a little modification.

-Most of the climate controls are not on the screen, on these units. We have hard buttons and a knob. Lag time is with the displaying of the climate settings change, not the control of it. Ironically, this is reversed with the volume controls. It will lag in turning it up or down in both control and display. As discussed, this may have been caused by using alternate launchers.

-Boot time is horrendous at about 40-50 seconds, I can confirm this. The unit will only need to be rebooted if your vehicle hasn't been started in 2 days.

-The volume switch doesn't bother me and, I swear I'm not sticking up the guy that came up with idea because I think it's silly too but, the heat knob on the left is working out for me very well. I always end up playing with it a lot when on a long trip. I also play with the home thermostat a lot too, LOL. I was planning on using a remote like the one in the pic below. Now, I may have a chance to get my steering wheel controls to work. Either way, I will not be trying to get any remotes to work until I have a functional head unit.

***At this time, I do not recommend these units to anyone. I purchased mine because I'm a tech geek and can handle playing around with them. Also, I can technically afford the hit should I turn the unit into a brick or maybe, a clay pigeon. I have a WT with I03. My opinion for people looking to upgrade would be to look into the Alpine 110x/i209 or an MVI upgrade. If you're on a budget or like me, just plain cheap, then a $200-300 Joying unit would be an ok choice.

lectrician7 · January 22, 2019

9 hours ago, ford5of5 said:

Lectrician, sounds like you already have the upgraded Maps. The version mine comes with still has the robotic voice but works well. When I update it to get the modern voice, then I get the green bar. Other than the green bar taking up a bunch of space and the search bar being a few inches too low Maps technically works. I've had occasional issues with voice guidance on Here and Maps. I think it comes down to the audio focus of the unit. I'll give Wazes a shot and report back what happens. I've heard good things about it from others but never tried it cause I was a big fan of Scout and had Maps as a fallback.

I bought my unit from Kirinavi, a reseller, but it's a Phoeinix 7.1 fast boot. Kirinavi's engineers have been trying to help but there's the language barrier. They told me to go Pheoinex for an exchange; I'll reach out to them later today. There was a 30 day money back guarantee on the unit but I'm way past that. I can deal with software issues but the climate control buttons not working is a total deal breaker and now I want an exchange. I did the Phoeinix MCU upgrade but it did not fix my off center issue.

I've tried 3 launchers now. So that's probably why I'm having so many issue with lagging. Have you checked out XDA Developers? It's an Android modding site. There are people out there ironing the bugs out of these units. There is a way to reset audio focus and to reassign the top bar icons. Unfortunately, a lot of the info is from a Russian site and I only got a C in high school programming so I don't know how far I'll go down that avenue.

I did have Google voice working but it was SLOW! It allowed me to make calls, search the net and choose music through voice commands.

I thought I was all set when I found the Agama launcher because it put EVERYTHING on a single page. I have the same issue with wi-fi but only when the device reboots. I have mine set to stay on for 48 hours.

I'm not sure you tried this stuff yet, but if I were you I would check out the Phoenix YouTube channel. They have videos that can help with everyone of these steps I would take.

1. Verify you do in fact have 7.1 installed, just cause it says it doesn't mean it is. Some of these Chinese manufacturers have been know to spoof the specs on the units.

2. Do the PX3 update, I've seen in many places that after the update parameter 7 should be selected.

3.Verify you have the right vehicle selected. There are many setups in our trucks and some have auto ac some don't, some have steering wheel controls some don't etc. This will make sure your ac settings are what they should be.

Also I think when these units were setup fir the 14-18 trucks they did it with the vehicles that have the radio controls on the steering wheel and the the color display in the gauge cluster in mind. Having these options is really helpful for making sure the right output is selected sometimes. If step 3 isn't done right the android tablet may not have some of the controls displayed or programmed properly. Like I said if you already did this stuff sorry wasting you time.

I just got google voice working today, so far so good. Fingers crossed it doesn't get slow. No I haven't checked out XDA Developers yet, I will. What did you search for to find the threads about these units. One thing I wish could be done is hide the icon bar at the top. With the Agama launcher I don't need it and on some apps it blocks the top part of the screen like Pandora where I can't access the top bar for searching and settings. Another thing that would be nice is like you mentioned having the NAV apps interrupt the actual radio like my phone does over Bluetooth. I was able to fix my wifi issue I think, thanks to you. Mine was not set to 48 hours it was the lowest one (can't remember what that is now though). I changed it and it seems to be functioning right now. If yours is soooo slow maybe try a factory reset and start over without installing the launchers you don't use.