8.4 vs 12 inch screen

[LaxDfns15]

For those complaining about the comfort control buttons, I don't know if you back into wherever you park all the time, but that's my default when the backup camera comes on. I just put it in reverse (I pull forward into my driveway), pause 2 seconds instead of mashing the gas to gtfo of my driveway, and hit the buttons to turn on whatever heat I want.

Cost to fix? $1700 for an 8 year/125k mile warranty from Ziegler. Hopefully it fails around the 100k mark, and I have a new radio before the warranty runs out.

Finger prints? You'll get finger prints on the 8.4 unless you get a good screen protector. Bought one from a vendor on here that was more expensive, but it's nice and no more finger prints. I haven't cleaned my screen in weeks.

My biggest complaints are that I can't move Android Auto to the bottom half, and that the radio doesn't have a dedicated Spotify app.

 

[50Front]

Love the 12". Almost 3 years and no problems. I agree with some of the comments above that the myth that there are no physical controls seems to live on. Maybe its the fact that many of the buttons blend in with the bezel. Another thing to consider is in five years the 8.4" is going to look more dated than the 12". By then the 12" will seem small at the rate screen size is increasing.

 

[Fatherof3]

I have the 12” screen because that’s what they had on the lot for the price I was willing to pay . Now that I have it I love it . I use the nav on mine all the time because in Canada it would cost a fortune to run maps off the phone .

 

[Le_Slacker]

I have the 12” screen because that’s what they had on the lot for the price I was willing to pay . Now that I have it I love it . I use the nav on mine all the time because in Canada it would cost a fortune to run maps off the phone .

So true!!!
And if cell service is spotty, which a lot of the off the beaten paths places are, that would suck some more!

 

[silver billet]

I have the 12” screen because that’s what they had on the lot for the price I was willing to pay . Now that I have it I love it . I use the nav on mine all the time because in Canada it would cost a fortune to run maps off the phone .

As a fellow Canuck I feel your pain. However maps doesn't use a lot of data. Estimates are about 5 mb per hour of driving. Which is about the same amount of data in 1 hour as viewing a few webpages these days.

It also pays to check in on cell phone plans everyonce in a while, for example Telus was offering unlimited internet for $75/month recently; first 20 gigs were at full speed, after that at reduced speed and I snapped that up in a hurry.

 

[jdmartin]

This is going to be a preference thing for everyone. I do not like - hate is probably too strong a word - the way the 12" screen looks. I think it looks ridiculous, like someone glued a tablet to the dash. The proportions look totally stupid to me. But some people like pink houses, too. So it's all what you like. I prefer the smaller screen because I rather have some knobs for the heat, fan speed, etc so I don't have to look at the screen, and I find the glare distracting enough on the 8.4 that sometimes I just turn it off.

Some of the other complaints are probably trivial - you get fingerprints on either type; either type will be expensive to replace.

I have not once wished I had the 12" screen. And I have a well-outfitted truck.

 

[Ramjeep]

You can use Waze on the 12". Just have to connect via phone connector/charger wire. At least you could do that with the 2020. Not sure yet on on 2021.

It's not full screen like the factory NAV. That's my biggest gripe. RAM has to fix the software to allow apps to take full screen. I doubt they will ever do this as they are moving on to Uconnect5. Side not Subaru has enabled full screen car play in their 12" screen and it looks amazing.

 

[Ickabod]

Only reason I wish I had NAV was because of the wifi hotspot which I think is only available on the NAV version? I could be way wrong though.

Any the ability to chose color themes for the dash.

 

[SpeedyV]

Does anyone who has a 12 inch screen regret it and wish they had an 8.4?

I initially thought an 8.4 would be better for me because I like physical buttons and don’t like mashing a screen all the time. I am also skeptical on how a screen this large will perform over say a 5 yr period. All tech gets glitchy over time.

But so many of you seem to love the larger screen and I am wondering if an 8.4 would lead to regret.

I'm a big fan of the 12" screen. Ram could have done more to take advantage of it (beyond nav), as others have mentioned. But there's no way to make an 8.4" screen compete with two 8" screens stacked on top of each other. The 12" screen is one of the highlights of the interior.

 

[HAL9001]

Any the ability to chose color themes for the dash.

Yes, you can easily choose several color schemes named after the various RAM models, at least you can on my Limited.

 

[jastevenson]

Does anyone know the exact dimensions of CarPlay when it is displayed on the top of the 12" screen vs. the 8.4" screen?

For me, the usable CarPlay area is the only thing that matters. On the 8.4" you lose some real estate on the top and bottom of the screen due to built-in Ram menu bars. Anyone know if it is like this on the 12"?

If you still lose that real estate on the 12", and also lose the width, then that would make CarPlay on the 12" inferior to the 8.4" screen, and the choice would be easy (cheaper + more CarPlay real estate + slightly better ergonomics on the 8.4) unless the wow factor of the 12" was essential.

 

[SharkLazer]

I love the 12" but if you get it make sure that you notice the little home button. I didn't use it for the first month and wished it was easier to do both my audio and climate at the same time without switching screens. One I read the manual (who does that? ) the 12" became amazing instead of just pretty.

On the subject of Nav... where I live Nav doesn't even have all of the streets. Sure I live in a rural rapid growth area, but some of the missing streets are several years old now. And it has basically none of the dirt roads into the mountains. Also nav super hates it if you suddenly take a slightly different route (gotta stop for coffee!) and sometimes just simply stops showing your the guidance.

The one weakness of using non-nav is that if you have the HUD, it only shows route info from nav. End result, I often run both nav and google so the HUD shows the nav and if it fails I can use the google screen for actual directions.

On the semi-related subject of the HUD... with it showing speedometer I basically never look at my dash at all when driving so the 12" is mainly for better view of the surround and backup cameras, for which it is most excellent. If you have the HUD I'd recommend the 12" even more since the rare times you look at it it'll be even more important to have more screen.

 

[SharkLazer]

Does anyone know the exact dimensions of CarPlay when it is displayed on the top of the 12" screen vs. the 8.4" screen?

For me, the usable CarPlay area is the only thing that matters. On the 8.4" you lose some real estate on the top and bottom of the screen due to built-in Ram menu bars. Anyone know if it is like this on the 12"?

If you still lose that real estate on the 12", and also lose the width, then that would make CarPlay on the 12" inferior to the 8.4" screen, and the choice would be easy (cheaper + more CarPlay real estate + slightly better ergonomics on the 8.4) unless the wow factor of the 12" was essential.

Except for the shortcuts / options header at the top, it takes up half the screen... so maybe smaller slightly? It's probably individual preference whether having CarPlay up at the same time as climate control / audio / nav / etc is important.

I strongly suspect that either is fine as a matter of practicality but the 12" is more likely to get a "wow" out of people that get in your already surprisingly swank vehicle

 

[tom318]

Going for the 8.4 with NAV was one of the biggest reasons i ordered vs. getting one off the lot. Most Laramies on the lot have the 12'' screen which looks cool but not for me. I prefer buttons and knobs i can operate without even looking or while I'm wearing gloves. I know many of you say the 12'' screen also has buttons and your correct, they just aren't my style. Buttons I and my passengers use most, heated/vented seats. I hate finger prints so doubling the allowable area for that didn't sound great. 12'' screens are cool and i think help sell the truck but its pricey and for me after a few days it wasn't that cool anymore. Very happy I didn't give in and take a Laramie with a 12'' off the lot. Different strokes for different folks!

 

[Ramjeep]

Does anyone know the exact dimensions of CarPlay when it is displayed on the top of the 12" screen vs. the 8.4" screen?

For me, the usable CarPlay area is the only thing that matters. On the 8.4" you lose some real estate on the top and bottom of the screen due to built-in Ram menu bars. Anyone know if it is like this on the 12"?

If you still lose that real estate on the 12", and also lose the width, then that would make CarPlay on the 12" inferior to the 8.4" screen, and the choice would be easy (cheaper + more CarPlay real estate + slightly better ergonomics on the 8.4) unless the wow factor of the 12" was essential.

This my issue with my 12 " screen, the actual carplay real estate is actually smaller on the 12 inch screen because it's narrower and RAM doesn't compensate for that and extend the CarPlay downwards.

 

[Darkrt]

I have the 12 in the Ram and the 8 in my SRT Jeep. I prefer the 12.

 

[coolidge]

Does anyone who has a 12 inch screen regret it and wish they had an 8.4?

I initially thought an 8.4 would be better for me because I like physical buttons and don’t like mashing a screen all the time. I am also skeptical on how a screen this large will perform over say a 5 yr period. All tech gets glitchy over time.

But so many of you seem to love the larger screen and I am wondering if an 8.4 would lead to regret.

I HATE touch screens because I have large hands and have to touch the buttons 2-3 damn times or the wrong function activates due to the small buttons. Hence I had no interest in the 12 inch screen but found a Rebel on a lot I could not walk away from and it had the 12 inch.

Wait for it...after 2,000 miles I love the 12 inch. The touch screen works awesome, 1 press always registers and the screen buttons are large and well laid out. You also get physical buttons for several functions down each side of the touch screen so there's a balance between physical and touch screen buttons. If I had it to do over I would absolutely opt for the 12 inch over the 8.4.

 

[Turaco]

I would not buy a Ram without the 12” screen. Items that are considered upgrades when buying a vehicle are called upgrades for a reason and you have to pay extra for these nicer things....
The main thing when getting a truck with the 12” screen, you must get familiar with its controls as it can be a bit overwhelming trying to find you’re looking for while driving. The 12” screen is just spectacular and IMO one of the best features and upgrades in the Ram.

 

[broken_vet]

I have the 8.4 in my 2014 and 12 in the 2021. I still drive the 2014 often, but I've gotten to where I like the 12 a lot more than the 8.4. I very rarely have passengers, so it's certainly not because of the WOW factor for others to be impressed, like someone mentioned earlier. Moronic comment, but then again, someone made a comment in another thread saying vehicles that have more parts, means there more stuff to break.....Really??? JFC.

 

[SkittleRam]

Only reason I wish I had NAV was because of the wifi hotspot which I think is only available on the NAV version? I could be way wrong though.

That was the only reason I wanted NAV, WiFi, not sure why Ram packages it that way.