Best Android-based head unit replacement for 8.4" Uconnect 4 w/ Navigation?

[stevecon]

I have the 8.4" Uconnect 4 radio w/ Navigation. I also have a portable Ottocast P3 Android device that connects via USB and seems to work well for the most part. I have my apps loaded in the device's 128GB memory (accepts an additional 256GB TF card too) and have no need to connect my phone. The P3 has 8GB of dedicated RAM and is quite responsive. The P3 is available on Aliexpress for about $150 (sometimes even less) and is a nice upgrade allowing access to Netflix, Youtube, Prime, (great to watch while waiting for the wife to come out of some craft store) and just about anything you can load on your Android phone.

I've noticed a number of Android devices designed to replace the 8.4" screen with a 12" (or greater) screen - which is what I'm after. Waze and other maps programs do more for me than the factory navigation app. Some head units do not support multiple cameras - my truck only has a back-up cam - which all seem to support. None provide SXM tuners / Guardian services and beyond using an FM modulator (no on screen support); I'm not sure there's a way to connect a SXM tuner with the Android radios I've seen. The other thing I've noticed is that many of these replacements have a barely acceptable rear-view on screen display of the camera (the factory display is outstanding!). Many customers have complained about the poor resolution too. The connector is a standard RCA type composite video plug which indicates it should provide a 480 line image. Now a 480 line image on a small screen should look pretty good from 2 feet or so, yet complaints do seem to show up for many.

If you installed one of these Android Head Units - Which did you choose? What do you think of the radio overall? What do you like / hate about it?

 

[GNRam1500]

Stay away from Chinese products. They looked good on their website but functionality wasn't there. According to Crutchfield, no one has made something to replace the UConnect system which is disappointing

 

[1791]

cheap Chinese units are all over feebay that really are not cheap at 750+. i would not trust them. with the factory 12in i plug my phone in and i have android auto that gives me google maps controlled from voice or the radio screen. i go in the store with the wife if it's going to be a minute (quality time) with her. XM sux imo not worth the money. amazon prime members get free amazon music streaming so i use that.
i suggest just upgrading to the factory 12in the 8.4 with nav i believe it's the same tuner.

19-21 RAM 1500 Radio Display 12" Touch Screen GPS Navigation AC Climate Control | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 19-21 RAM 1500 Radio Display 12" Touch Screen GPS Navigation AC Climate Control at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[LouNY]

I like my Sirius XM, have it in my pickup and my wifes car.

 

[stevecon]

I like my Sirius XM, have it in my pickup and my wifes car.

My wife & I enjoy SXM too; but not at their full price. I've negotiated their price down for 3 vehicles to less than the cost of a subscription for one vehicle.

 

[stevecon]

cheap Chinese units are all over feebay that really are not cheap at 750+. i would not trust them. with the factory 12in i plug my phone in and i have android auto that gives me google maps controlled from voice or the radio screen. i go in the store with the wife if it's going to be a minute (quality time) with her. XM sux imo not worth the money. amazon prime members get free amazon music streaming so i use that.
i suggest just upgrading to the factory 12in the 8.4 with nav i believe it's the same tuner.

19-21 RAM 1500 Radio Display 12" Touch Screen GPS Navigation AC Climate Control | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 19-21 RAM 1500 Radio Display 12" Touch Screen GPS Navigation AC Climate Control at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

There's more than one issue.. the fact that Android Auto decides what you can and cannot display on the Uconnect screen is the most glaring. An Android-based radio allows you to use it like an Android tablet with the radio serving as a screen. Add a Bluetooth keyboard & mouse (if desired when parked) and you're ready to do nearly anything you could at a desktop. If you add a SIM card (or hotspot from your cell) and you can stream audio / video to the dashboard - uninterrupted. Even if I didn't mind those significant limitations; and got the larger 12" Uconnect screen - the cost of that radio is prohibitive. :-( . SXM can be had in the vehicle other ways (aka their streaming app) so it's not a deal breaker. My wife's idea of "a minute" is ok; "a couple minutes" however really means that I should get "comfortable" as it's going to be a little while.

 

[1791]

i have a few thousand tied up in stereo upgrades and XM or really any radio can't provide the sound quality i'm looking for. it is better through the app.
the issue new vehicles have is the radio is integrated into the bcm that is how it control's all the settings of the seats, headlights and so on.you can get really cheap one's on ebay for 750ish if you call that cheap. i assume your looking at something like this.

Navos RAM 2500 Gen 5 12.10-Inch T-Style Radio TS-DGPU12-1RR-5S (19-24 RAM 2500) - Free Shipping

FREE SHIPPING! Navigation/Entertainment System. Upgrade the factory radio found in your 2019-2024 RAM 2500 to a state-of-the-art touch screen navigation/enterta

www.americantrucks.com

much cheaper but not really a brand

13.6" For Dodge Ram 1500 2500 18-24 4+64 Car Gps Navigation Stereo Radio Carpaly | eBay

All units include a 1-year warranty. After we send out your parcel, you can check the order status.

www.ebay.com

 

[stevecon]

i have a few thousand tied up in stereo upgrades and XM or really any radio can't provide the sound quality i'm looking for. it is better through the app.
the issue new vehicles have is the radio is integrated into the bcm that is how it control's all the settings of the seats, headlights and so on.you can get really cheap one's on ebay for 750ish if you call that cheap. i assume your looking at something like this.

Navos RAM 2500 Gen 5 12.10-Inch T-Style Radio TS-DGPU12-1RR-5S (19-24 RAM 2500) - Free Shipping

FREE SHIPPING! Navigation/Entertainment System. Upgrade the factory radio found in your 2019-2024 RAM 2500 to a state-of-the-art touch screen navigation/enterta

www.americantrucks.com

much cheaper but not really a brand

13.6" For Dodge Ram 1500 2500 18-24 4+64 Car Gps Navigation Stereo Radio Carpaly | eBay

All units include a 1-year warranty. After we send out your parcel, you can check the order status.

www.ebay.com

I don't expect audiophile quality sound in any vehicle really - it'd be nice - but likely way outside my financial reach LOL. SXM is doable on an app - but navigating it on my phone while driving is a PITA. The factory SXM Uconnect puts it all on a nice sized screen. Of course, an aftermarket replacement can only put the app on screen so it is 'workable" (though I'm not a fan of how the app screen is organized). I also feel that controlling many of the truck's options thru the Uconnect screen is a weak link - but otherwise you'd have a ton of buttons and knobs sharing the space with the Uconnect. I'm not sure there was a way around this for Stellantis (but I don't know how GM and Ford are doing it). Many of the replacements (in your example too) are very slim on the amount of ROM and RAM installed. Memory is not that expensive; yet manufacturers know that savvy customers will pay extra for 8 (or more) GB of dedicated RAM and 128 (or more) GB of ROM (not to mention a slot to add a 256 GB TF expansion card). They provide a slick looking interface but cheap out "behind the screen". This results in units that prematurely fail or give underwhelming results once installed and used (poor camera images, knobs & buttons that stick or feel cheap, etc.). I agree, $750 is not "cheap" for a "radio" and it should not have the previously mentioned drawbacks. A replacement 12" Uconnect 5 device costs well over $2,000 and I'm hearing complaints about it, too. A quality Android based radio under $1,250 is my sweet-spot; but it looks like my Ottocast AI Box P3 connected via USB to my 8.4" Uconnect 4 is my best bet thus far.