Appradio 2 + Android (Razr Maxx) first thoughts

[Stickboy46]

Ok, so i picked up an AppRadio 2 last week to replace my AppRadio 1. Then Saturday I picked up a Droid Razr Maxx to replace my iPhone 4s. Here are my first thoughts.

 

Hardware: I just used a cheap HDMI to micro HDMI cable from Best Buy and plugged it into the back of the Headunit (into the HDMI port). Thats all it took, no special cable required. I actually ended up picking up an HD Dock for the Razr and i am mounting that on the corner of my dash so it will be a quick and easy plug and play for both HDMI and Micro USB (to charge). Other than that it took about 5 minutes to get the cables hooked up, and you can leave both the iphone cable and the android cable plugged in and it works fine.

 

Also the 2 way switch that i had for the parking brake wire works perfectly on the AppRadio 2, no change needed

 

 

Software: The initial setup was kind of a pain and it takes some getting used to. The AppRadio and the Android pair via bluetooth, and that can take 30 seconds to a minute to fully connect once you have plugged in the hdmi. Pandora causes the phone to disconnect via bluetooth but then works fine. You have to tell your phone to mirror your image via HDMI for it to work when you plug it in. I set it to "remember that setting" so once i get it my car, i toss it in the dock and i can leave the phone alone. There are no pop ups on the phone for you to press or open like on the iphone. You press pandora it opens, you press Apps and it opens the AppRadio app (which stays running at all times on the phone). Then from there you can select your apps. Downside so far is that only CarMediaPlayer and Auepeo work for Android (along with the contacts, calendar, maps). Hopefully eventually more apps will work (Rdio im looking at you). The plus side is that if you back out of the appradio app (using the back button on the headunit), you can mirror the phone screen on the headunit. So you will see your full home screen. Now you cant control it from the headunit but you can still use other apps and display everything up there. I have my phone mounted where i can touch it without being too much distraction. This allows you to use google maps navigation up on the headunit screen and bringing the sound through the radio, which is nice because that means a free navigation system. Also keep in mind since it mirrors the home screen any texts or anything will show on the headunit (you can actually see the status bar including battery and signal and all that). So if you are talking to someone you dont want your passenger to see, stick to Pandora because all other apps show it.

 

Overall it works well and for the price of the unit, it isnt too bad. I'm hoping that there will be more android apps made to be made functional, or maybe a 3rd party app to allow it to read ALL inputs from the head unit, even from the home screen, which would make it amazing. I have a feeling it is possible.

[kuj0317]

Can you use Google Maps Navigation for turn by turn directions? How well does it work? Can you control google maps navigation from the head unit, or do you have to do that from your phone?

 

Thanks for the review.

[Stickboy46]

Google Maps works on the headunit but it is not the "navigation" part, just the maps directions that update as you go. The Navigation part can be done but you have to set it up on the phone. Then it will display on the screen and play the prompts through the stereo.

[Slider162]

Why Pandora causes the phone to disconnect from Bluetooth is beyond me. The radios that I have in my motorcycle helmets take phone calls and play Pandora just fine. Pandora should not be streaming through the HDMI cable. The connection to Pandora is hit or miss. Sometimes it connects, sometimes it does not. I have yet to get to the App screen. I just get a black screen with a big white dot on it. I'm getting really frustrated with this unit. The first 3-5 minutes of every drive I spend screwing around trying to just get Pandora to work.

[ConanOBrien]

Thanks for the review, just had a few questions

 

When using google maps, is it a "pioneer-ized" version of google maps, or is it exactly like the android version from the phone? (Since google updates these often)

 

Does multi-touch work through the app-radio2?

 

Is there a separate input for iPod & android device? I have an iPod only for music, if I hooked up my android phone would these conflict?

 

The installation manual shows a GPS antenna, what is this for? Does it actually use the GPS on the head unit to grab location? (Can you verify this by disabling the GPS on the phone temporarily and seeing if it works???)

 

 

Damnit I just looked at the picture of the rear, there's no separate sub-woofer out port, it's combined with the rears ><

 

 

Why doesn't pioneer make an appradio version of their other DVD head units (I didn't say navigation since I'd like to use google maps anyway)

 

thanks for your time

[kman71]

I don't know if you are having the same problem, but I am using the Droid Razr Maxx too. My issue is every time I connect my phone to the headunit via hdmi, it tries to connect via bluetooth, I always get the pairing request on my droid, and you have to catch it and pair it quickly or it disappears. If you catch it and pair it, the app radio connects to the phone and it works fine. Most phones, once you connect and pair the first time, the phone should automatically pair the next time you connect but this one is not, you have to catch the pairing request and pair it each and every time, very annoying.

 

Anyone else had this issue and know how to fix it so it pairs automatically when connected?

[uribees]

A lot of people are also having this issue, currently there is no fix for it that I know of.

[abperiasamy]

I have same problem too. AppRadio2 is alpha quality product. Even after latest firmware update, nothing changed. I have Razr Droid Maxx. It keeps dropping bluetooth request. Pairing request pops up and disappears. Pandora or Appeo breaks within mins due to this problem. Only hope is normal FM radio. Otherwise I use it as my rear view console. I hope they keep releasing firmware updates or release it as free software (GNU GPL).

[vjaneczko]

With my Evo 3d, I don't have any bluetooth pairing issues, but it will take up to 30 or 40 seconds to connect. Is the Razr Maxx on the list of certified phones?

[damian015]

A lot of people are also having this issue, currently there is no fix for it that I know of.

 

 

With my Evo 3d, I don't have any bluetooth pairing issues, but it will take up to 30 or 40 seconds to connect. Is the Razr Maxx on the list of certified phones?

 

 

There is no fix for this yet and Its not related to Rarz Maxx...Mine was working fine until the phone got updated to ICS. So if you have ICS than you'll most likely have the bluetooth issues. If you have gingerbread then you should be ok.

 

BTW pioneer really needs to fix this. Since Razr is on the list of compatible devices and being unable to pair makes the head unit useless.

[korben007]

Pioneer needs an ICS compatibly update. Im about to take my appradio back to the shop and get a real stereo. Just really frustrating@!@

[Nerds 2 You]

I have yet to get to the App screen. I just get a black screen with a big white dot on it. I'm getting really frustrated with this unit. The first 3-5 minutes of every drive I spend screwing around trying to just get Pandora to work.

 

The reason you haven't seen the app screen is because it is waiting for your input.

 

The big white dot is part of the calibration process, press on it and you will see another white dot to appear, you will see a total of 5 or so white dots to press, once you have done that, you will see the app screen , this process only has to be done once.