Hello everyone,

I picked up an Appradio 2 for my car on the weekend but they didn't have the Android connectivity kit in stock so I haven't been able to try the connection yet.

I am wondering if anyone out there has tried to connect a phone that has Android 4.0 ICS on it and if they are successful or not. If you have tried it what model of phone was it?

I have a Galaxy S2 with ICS and am really hoping it works because so far the iPhone hasn't worked very well for me since it doesn't really do multi tasking properly.

I found an MHL adapter at a local computer store today and will give it a try this evening, I will update in case anyone else has an Android 4.0.x device that they want to use with AppRadio2

FYI if you don't want to dish out the $100 for the Pioneer Kit you can buy an MHL adapter from http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=mhl&x=0&y=0 for $10.20 + Shipping

You may also need a micro USB extender depending on where you will be mounting your phone, several lengths available at http://www.usbfirewire.com/uextendmicrob.html starting at $12.95 Keep in mind that when I spoke with the online techs at monoprice.com they mentioned that the cable from the phone to the MHL adapter should be as short as possible or it may not work, the one that comes with the Pioneer kit is almost 3 feet long though...

The only other thing you will need is to be able to supply micro USB power to the side of the MHL adapter so that your phone stays charged. I plan on either moving or installing a new 12V outlet behind the dash and plugging in a micro USB car adaptor and plugging it into the MHL adapter.

Total cost with shipping is about $40

It works!

It works better than the iPhone!

Everything but calendar works actually but the overall experience is better so far than with iOS.

If you have a Galaxy S2 and upgraded to ICS this will work for you and I suspect any other Android with 4.0 and either mhl or hdmi out will also work. I am sure it will work even better one official support for Android 4.x arrives.

Yeah, I'm running a galaxy s2 as well with the ics "beta" releases from xda. Working great so far!

I want to do this with my galaxy nexus (android 4.0), and am just waiting for hardwire micro usb kit to come in. This thread is good news to me.

When you say it works, can you briefly give me some more detail?

I'm mainly looking to mirror google maps and google nav onto the appradio. Can you control the phone (for example launch maps and then navigation from the pioneer unit), by only interfacing with the appradio and not touching the phone once its hooked up?

The fact that this unit doesn't have a sd or micro sd slot and no front aux input are big drawbacks to me, but as far as I know this is the only head unit that has any type of compatability to use apps like pandora on screen with android phones. Everything else only works with iphones ( which I never plan to get).

I want to do this with my galaxy nexus (android 4.0), and am just waiting for hardwire micro usb kit to come in. This thread is good news to me.

 

When you say it works, can you briefly give me some more detail?

 

I'm mainly looking to mirror google maps and google nav onto the appradio. Can you control the phone (for example launch maps and then navigation from the pioneer unit), by only interfacing with the appradio and not touching the phone once its hooked up?

 

The fact that this unit doesn't have a sd or micro sd slot and no front aux input are big drawbacks to me, but as far as I know this is the only head unit that has any type of compatability to use apps like pandora on screen with android phones. Everything else only works with iphones ( which I never plan to get).

From my understanding you cannot use the AppRadio 2's touch screen interface if you are mirroring your phone. At that time you'll have to use the phone. You can only use the unit's touch screen when you are using the "Apps" that are compatible with the unit. So you can't use the units screen to control Google Navigation but you can use it to control Waze and Waze Navigation.

I am having problems with my bluetooth connecting and disconnecting so I haven't had the time to really play with this bad boy yet. Hopefully I'll get a replacement soon.

If I am wrong, someone please chime in but based on my brief interaction with the unit I feel like I'm correct.

From my understanding you cannot use the AppRadio 2's touch screen interface if you are mirroring your phone. At that time you'll have to use the phone. You can only use the unit's touch screen when you are using the "Apps" that are compatible with the unit. So you can't use the units screen to control Google Navigation but you can use it to control Waze and Waze Navigation.

 

I am having problems with my bluetooth connecting and disconnecting so I haven't had the time to really play with this bad boy yet. Hopefully I'll get a replacement soon.

 

If I am wrong, someone please chime in but based on my brief interaction with the unit I feel like I'm correct.

Thank you, this is kind of what I expected. I've never heard of waze until now, but it seems like it could be an ok replacement for google maps and would definitely be easier to use sine you wouldn't have to use the phone screen to control it. (although I'd ultimately prefer using google maps/places/nav since its what I'm used to) I could still do all of this as long as I use the phone screen to search and set a location, correct?

I read the sticky on parking brake bypass and it seems like a pain in this ass (vs the old way of just grounding the ebrake with older AVICs) so thats really the only other thing holding me back from trying this unit out.

You can control Google maps but it won't let you get to the navigation, you have to use controls on the phone but once the Google nav starts it appears on the screen of the AppRadio and nicely mutes music playing from the phone when it tells you directions, it works well and will be better if Google upgrades the maps/navigation app to properly integrate with Pioneer.

Waze works well, it's full navigation with crowd sourced traffic warnings including red light cameras, photo radar and live police warnings. The user interface is quite good and even can predict where you might be planning on going, this morning after driving for a minute to the office a message popped up on the screen asking if I wanted to navigate to work, I clicked yes and it set the route.

The parking brake bypass is no big deal, you just get a 2 position switch, that same kind that comes with remote starter systems as the valet switch, hide it somewhere convenient under the dash and flick it off, on , off and then click OK on the screen, it won't bother you until the next time you start your car.

The only issue I am having with ICS is the calendar does not work for me and that might be more because my phone uses the Samsung calendar, but it also could be an ICS thing.

I have a Samsung galaxy s2 with ICS 4.0 and having trouble with appradio 2. The picture keeps on disconnecting. Has anyone else had this problem? It will work for a bit but then sporadically the picture will disconnected and I'll have a black screen. I've checked the hdmi cable and it's connected fine and I'm powering my mhl adapter via the ciggy lighter.

I just hooked up my AP2 yesterday. I updated to the new firmware as well I am running on a Galaxy Nexus that I also updated to 4.04 today. Everything seems to be running pretty good I must say although my GPS cable must have fallen off because it's not working and I still have to hook up a switch for video viewing.

Just finished installing my AP2. Seems the professionals don't know how to install anything so I had to tear the dash apart to get the hdmi cable plugged in. They just taped it up and stuffed it in behind the stereo. Yeash! The stereo usb is powering my mhl connection.

Now that its working, everything seems to be doing what was advertised. My phone lost data tonight (go figure) so I wasn't able to test waze, but music, videos, worked fine. Phone calls worked fine as well. I never tried calendar...

I have a Galaxy Nexus running 4.0.4

Hi All,

I used an MHL adaptor from amazon - cant work out how to post links but it was £12, it got one that had the adaptor built into the hdmi connector itself - this way i don't have the annoying box bit and short cable to attach to the phone. I installed a second cigarette lighter socket behind my dash and am using a mucky pups 2.1 amp usb charger to feed the MHL adaptor power. I would recommend getting a decent car charger - the Belkin 1 amp one I had could not charge the phone fast enough so even though it was charging - the consumption rate when using an app like Waze or DashCommand was higher than the input, the higher output 2.1 amp charger does charge the device.

Hope this is useful!

Also thought I would mention I also have my iPod classic connected (30gb - works great), both cables fed into my armrest - did think about just sticking the iPod in the glove box as I never need to touch it - but thought if I ever get an iPhone I wont have to bugger about taking my dash apart again - future proofing!

Also thought I would mention I also have my iPod classic connected (30gb - works great), both cables fed into my armrest - did think about just sticking the iPod in the glove box as I never need to touch it - but thought if I ever get an iPhone I wont have to bugger about taking my dash apart again - future proofing!

How does playing music compare between the android and ipod? I haven't tried my apple stuff (iphone 3g and a couple old ipods as I figured they wouldn't work) and I am loathe to give apple any more money to buy a new ipod just to play music when the android phone works fine...

It works!

 

It works better than the iPhone!

 

Everything but calendar works actually but the overall experience is better so far than with iOS.

 

If you have a Galaxy S2 and upgraded to ICS this will work for you and I suspect any other Android with 4.0 and either mhl or hdmi out will also work. I am sure it will work even better one official support for Android 4.x arrives.

On a side note, do these come with a regular USB cable? I couldn't find any mention of it on Pioneer's website...

Google Maps works with full touchscreen, but Navigation does not allow touchscreen.

Hi outcastrc,

Playback on iPod vs Android is very similar - I do prefer the iPod though simply because I leave it in my car all the time and when I do short journeys, I don't have to mess about connecting it up like I do with my phone. If I am doing a short journey somewhere I just keep my phone in my pocket. Also - iPod music starts playing almost instantaneously where as it takes a while for the phone to connect then select the media player app... The iPod I am using isn't officially supported but it works with nor problems - including playback of apple lossless files!

Very interesting! Which version of Ipod do you have? I'd be interested in picking up something used possibly if I could. I do have some older 4 or 8 gb Ipods I could try but they are beyond old. Should dig them out and see if they will stilll hold a charge.

I tried plugging in my iphone 3g but I got an error when I tried to open it. Used to that thing not being compatible with anything.

Tried it, was an ipod mini 4gb. The deck just saying can't connect. Way too old I guess....

Google Maps works with full touchscreen, but Navigation does not allow touchscreen.

I take it from other comments that there is indeed a USB cable separate that people are using to plug in their MP3 players.

I don't suppose Pioneer would offer the maps upgrade of the 140BH only for use with the 130BT?

Ah. I imagine this is purposeful to force people to buy their navigation head units. Does it at least show the navigation, but simply doesn't allow you to use the touch screen?

 

I take it from other comments that there is indeed a USB cable separate that people are using to plug in their MP3 players.

 

I don't suppose Pioneer would offer the maps upgrade of the 140BH only for use with the 130BT?

The deck will display anything your phone will, but only control approved apps. So you need to use the phone tough screen to control non approved stuff.

Waze app is free full navigation. so the choice is there. I think the real issue is google navigation is a different app to google maps, and navigation doesn't have the required mod to the code. It does seem odd that maps does. You'd almost think that Pioneer just allowed it rather then force Google to modify maps to work with Pioneer.

The usb cable doesn't allow mp3 players or usb sticks with music on them, just firmware updates. I find that very frustrating as I don't always want to have to plug my phone in just to listen to music. Going to try to see if I can find a older cheap ipod that would work with the deck that I can leave in the glove box.

Even with its faults its a fantastic deck, no regrets... Just hope that over time it will get even better...

The deck will display anything your phone will, but only control approved apps. So you need to use the phone tough screen to control non approved stuff.

 

Waze app is free full navigation. so the choice is there. I think the real issue is google navigation is a different app to google maps, and navigation doesn't have the required mod to the code. It does seem odd that maps does. You'd almost think that Pioneer just allowed it rather then force Google to modify maps to work with Pioneer.

 

The usb cable doesn't allow mp3 players or usb sticks with music on them, just firmware updates. I find that very frustrating as I don't always want to have to plug my phone in just to listen to music. Going to try to see if I can find a older cheap ipod that would work with the deck that I can leave in the glove box.

 

Even with its faults its a fantastic deck, no regrets... Just hope that over time it will get even better...

I've had a nightmare getting my Galaxy Nexus with ICS to work on AppRadio2. The cable i got from the store had a model number 'CA-ANW-200'. I don't get any display coming up on the unit with this cable.

Pioneer tells me that although this is the right cable, it for some reason does not work with certain phones, including mine. I'm waiting to get this CD-AH200C cable, hoping this will work.

I already feel like throwing this unit out the window! Haven't reached the bypass stage yet!

Is anyone facing a similar issue? Something to be aware of, if you're having similar problems.

I was lucky enough that my cable from Ebay worked just fine, biggest thing I was worried about was whether it was going to fit and luckily it did. Just remember that you have to power the cable if you don't already know. I have the decks usb plugged in to the mhl cable to give it power.

http://www.ebay.ca/i...0#ht_3342wt_939

That was the cable I purchased. 17bucks shipped (tho I think he screwed up the price when he re-listed it, lol).

I've been using a PNY MHL adapter with my car charger and a 6ft HDMI cable. I don't like that solution because the MHL Adapter has about a 1.5 inch long cable leading to the phone and that means that it's putting all of the weight of the heavy HDMI cable plus the charger's cable onto the micro-usb port of the phone.

I tried a micro-usb extension plug and it didn't work either.

I didn't see that cable you linked when I was looking for my solution. Looks like a GREAT option!

Mind you, the price on the ebay link you provided is $1600!