If you want to modernize your car without spending thousands on your upgrades, you may want to consider an update to your car’s head unit.One of the biggest reasons to take the plunge is the integration with smartphones, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road and take calls, send text messages, and choose your favorite music without physically interacting with your phone.If you’re an Android user, you’ll want a head unit that supports Android Auto. These are the best Android Auto car heads available today.
Q: Can I Use Android Auto Without USB?
When you indulge in a Kenwood Excelon DNX997XR, you’re getting more than just a 6.75-inch HD touchscreen display. You’re also getting three free years of Garmin map updates, a two-year warranty, and premium sound quality from the Kenwood brand.The 720p display is excellent, offering high-quality images even in bright weather conditions, along with the motorized tilt functionality for you to find the perfect viewing position.The built-in WiFi means you can enjoy Android Auto with Google Assistant and your favorite apps. If you don’t want to use Android Auto, you can opt for screen monitoring via USB so you can control the stereo via the phone and vice versa.The HD radio tuner offers improved AM/FM sound quality, or you can play your favorite CDs and DVDs with multiple input options for audio and video sources.
The iLX-F309 supports Android Auto, which works seamlessly with Google Assistant. Simply say “OK, Google” to get driving instructions, play your favorite music, or reply to text messages. You can also connect your phone via Bluetooth for additional features. It’s possible to pair up to five phones via Bluetooth. The novel design means you can place the display over or in front of the dash, positioning it in the perfect way to avoid obstructing car features like air vents or buttons.Alpine’s sleek and stylish car stereo offers a sturdy fit and allows for additional features and modifications to be made to your vehicle without adding annoying buttons and switches. The iLX-F309 boasts a rear camera input and is compatible with the iDatalink Maestro Module, which displays vehicle information like tire pressure and engine codes.
Although ATOTO is a less well-known brand than other car stereo receivers on the market, it offers incredibly affordable prices, which is an attractive feature.The dual simultaneous Bluetooth connection is incredibly useful if you have more than one main driver in the car. There’s a whopping 16GB of internal storage and support for microSD cards up to 256GB.The ATOTO is easy to use with a simple interface that rivals some of the more prominent brands and offers a regular firmware update meaning you’ll always have the latest features whenever they get released.You can connect up to two monitors with the built-in video output feature, which is perfect if you have kids in the car who want to watch movies while you drive.
The shallow chassis of the JVC KWM75BT offers weight reduction and easier installation to allow you to enjoy your Android phone in the car safely.The 6.8-inch touchscreen display is neat and simple and allows you to optimize your sound quality with ease. It comes with some awesome features like time alignment, so you can digitally delay speakers to offer the best listening position.Suppose you have multiple people regularly driving your car. In that case, you can connect two devices permanently to the Bluetooth receiver or up to five devices simultaneously for a road trip with friends.The Android and iPhone automatic pairing removes any manual intervention to connect your device and offers HFP 1.7 wideband speech for improved Bluetooth voice recognition.
The Pioneer AVH W4500NEX is an affordable touchscreen digital display with multiple connection options to listen to your favorite music, send text messages, answer telephone calls, and lots more.Pioneer’s integrated wiring harness fits most car make and models making the installation process simple. There’s plenty of extra tools in the box too that allow you to extend the capabilities of the Pioneer AVH W4500NEX later down the line.One of the big bonuses is the fact you can play older media like DVDs and CDs. Similarly, you can use Bluetooth to pair mobile devices for quick media streaming or connect devices via USB.The car stereo received comes backup camera-ready; if your car already comes with the camera, the process is straightforward.
The Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX features a single-DIN chassis meaning it will fit in most cars, even older vehicles. So, if you’re looking to upgrade your car stereo receiver, this is a slim fitting option with an expansive 10.1-inch touchscreen display.You can adjust the screen to where you need it with the floating display to move it in all directions and forward and backward. The wireless Bluetooth connection makes it easy to take calls, listen to podcasts, and play high-res music files along with a 13-band equalizer to maximize your sound output.If you want to install a rear and front-view camera, the receiver’s built-in parking guides come in very handy, along with the adjustable parking lines.
The Sony XAV-AX5000’s seven-inch flatscreen display offers stunning visual quality and color clarity, making it one of the sharpest displays on the market.In the box, there is a wired microphone. The closer to the driver’s seat you install it, the better callers can hear you when connected via Bluetooth. You can also keep the convenience of your car’s steering wheel controls without having to install extra software.To access your parking brake and rear camera, you’ll need a wired connection. However, this is quite common with most aftermarket car stereos.If you want to enjoy your favorite music via your Android device, you can play music directly from Spotify or Pandora.
Android Auto is available to use without a USB cable if you connect wirelessly via a local Wi-Fi connection. Still, some head units require you to connect your smartphone via a USB cable if they do not support the wireless mode on the Android Auto app.
Q: What Can Android Auto Do?
Android Auto lets you use specific apps from your phone to your compatible car display. Android Auto is designed to keep your eyes on the road so you can access features like navigation, calls, and music hands-free.
Q: Which Head Units Support Wireless Android Auto?
To connect wirelessly to Android Auto, an auto head unit must support Android Auto and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Any smartphone with Android 6.0 and above can connect to Android Auto wirelessly.
