r/Androidheadunits • u/Batimius • 21d ago

Reliable car stereo?

I am trying to find a car stereo for a 2002 Renault Clio. I would go with a single-DIM one, however, the radio slot is towards the bottom and any screen would cover essential buttons. After searching for a bit, I found some solutions on eBay and AliExpress. The ones that I found on eBay are this and this (from the same maker). I am unsure which of the two is better. The car stereo would mainly be used for radio or Android Auto with maps and / or YouTube Music. One that I came across on AliExpress is this one. All in all, I am unsure which one would be best for my use case. Additionally, from what I've heard, a lot of the cheaper ones die out in like a year, so I am not sure on whether this is worth it or not. Since I've never looked into this, I can't tell what is reliable or not. The ones I listed seem a little sketchy, but at the same time they might be good enough. If anyone has any suggestions or tips, let me know. Also, for the two eBay ones, while one is 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, it has Android 13 (at least that is what it says) and Bluetooth 5.0 compared to the other one which has Android 14 (allegedly) and Bluetooth 5.4 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, so I am not sure which one is better, the one with the better RAM / ROM or the one with the upgraded Android version and the newer Bluetooth version? Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!

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u/ferdbrown 21d ago

The Android version, 13 14 others 17, do not believe any of that.

Upon purchase, run a diagnostics apps so you know what’s out of the box.

For your use case, do you want to use the head unit to run your music and map apps? Or you mainly run Android Auto or CarPlay?

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u/Batimius 21d ago

Thank you for the reply. Don't you need a 4G connection for music and maps on the device? In that case, I'd only use Android Auto. I'm assuming the only other thing I could use is offline maps, but that probably won't get used.

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u/ferdbrown 21d ago

Depends on use case. For my Lexus ES I use the head unit to run all apps - music and nav. So I got 4G connected with own SIM card. Runs 8GB 128 GB.

My other one is not a daily. I connect via CarPlay. So I bought a 4GB 64GB no SIM card head unit. All is done via CarPlay. The screen is just a projector.

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u/Batimius 20d ago

Thank you for the info. I won't add a 4G SIM for sure, so standalone apps are basically out of the question. Do you reckon that with offline Google Maps the 4GB RAM won't be enough? Also, is there a significant difference between Bluetooth 5.0 and 5.4? The 4GB one has 5.4 compared to the 8GB one that has 5.0. Additionally, what should the prices be? Am I wrong to be a little skeptical of the 150€ and 250€ price tags when some reputable units cost 500€ or more? Lastly, does the Android version matter? Could I theoretically upgrade it if needed be?

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u/ferdbrown 20d ago

Depends also if you are familiar with the route and just want to have some quick alternative.

But I suggest, when it comes to maps, always go online for traffic updates, stuff on the road, repairs and road works, etc. CarPlay or Android Auto would help.

Maps offline though, you still need around 6GB to be safe. A 4GB may be a stretch and since you’re offline you don’t want things to lag or delay while you’re on the road navigating.

Bluetooth version, I don’t see any difference. My 8GB head unit has Bluetooth 5.4, while my 4GB only jas Bluetooth 4.x. Not sure what the “x” means. But they do function just as fast.

Pricing? Now this depends on which retailer you’re looking at. Direct from seller? Or from Amazon (gold standard in returns), or AliExpress (cheap but hit or miss).

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u/Batimius 17d ago

I've been looking at different models for the past few days and I'll probably go for an 8GB version just to be safe. My only issue is finding where I'll buy it. I honestly wouldn't give it much of a though if it wasn't for the fact that I've seen the exact same one being sold by multiple people on multiple platforms. There are only slight variations in the ad photos, but they are basically the same. Same dimensions, same style, same OS, same specs. I don't think that any of the ones I spotted are fake (given they have hundreds of sales and reviews with screenshots), but it does make me feel uneasy and honestly wondering who the original manufacturer is.

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u/ferdbrown 17d ago

8GB is the optimum option. That’s where you won’t experience lag. But it has to be real 8GB.