My 'goal' is to buy a cheap/damaged iPhone4 off eBay and just keep it in the car for the AppRadio2.

I mostly need it to operate the WAZE and provide music and interface/display DashCommand.

I would buy air time minutes as required - I don't use the WAZE very often...

So...

1. If I buy a phone with cracked screen/bad digitizer and just use the laptop to set it up (with apps and load music) - does that work? Or will I need a functioning screen?

2. I want the iPhone to 'always' connect with the AR2 (without having to touch the phone). Can I do that? How?

3. I assume I need a jailbroken phone to use the pay-as-you go prepaid minutes, eh?

4. If I buy a broken-screen phone - how do I get past the slide/unlock feature to start the process? Do I have to know the passcode first?

Thanks all!

If you buy a phone with a broken screen make sure its on ios6 for starters as extensions only works with this, most screens still function when they are cracked/broken. so you should be able to jailbreak, install appradio/etc.

once bluetooth is turned on and phone is plugged into radio you shouldn't really need to touch the phone. The only flaw in your plan is that unless you are going to divert your main phone to this phone whenever you get into your car, you're not gonna be able to use the handsfree from your main phone.

Excellent input!

Thanks!

So... I can set up the phone to not require a swipe and code to unlock and/or permission to 'accept link' with radio?

Excellent input!

Thanks!

 

So... I can set up the phone to not require a swipe and code to unlock and/or permission to 'accept link' with radio?

If you are jailbroken you can use activator so set phone to unlock when docked

This is very possible, but I highly suggest one with a functional screen. Can be cracked and mangled, but functional is preferred.

Jailbreak it and Download activator. Set activator to turn on and off wifi and to enable and disable screen auto shut off depending on whether or not the phone receives power. That way the phone will maintain charge when you aren't in the car. Set activator to open the appradio app whenever the car turns on, since mike has yet to be able to update appradio extensions yet.

Finally you can set the device to auto connect to your phone for tethering via Bluetooth. Do all of these things and you'll have a very functional self sufficient car radio.

^Perfect response!

Thank you!  - exactly what I needed!

I have decided on getting an iPhone 4 /8MB from Cricket...

^Perfect response!

Thank you!  - exactly what I needed!

 

I have decided on getting an iPhone 4 /8MB from Cricket...

Now is the perfect time to do it too, since the jailbreak just came out, and the iPhone 4 will never get iOS 8, so it will therefore never be unjailbroken. 

ahm onnit!

(thanks for all the help/great forum!)

I'm going down this road and am downgrading my spare 4s to a 4 so I can run ios6 with app extensions.

What's killed me in ios7 is the Apo radio would like to connect. I can switch apps without having to touch the phone. Do stupid.

Personally everything I have is Mac. I prefer the s5 over any new phones but thats my problem now. My s5 won't connect to the radio for mirroring. Which iPhones are compatible for mirroring onto the 8000NEX? also which iOS should it be running. Im considering buying a dedicated phone and just adding it to my verizon plan. Only $10 extra a month with shared data so no biggie. 

Personally everything I have is Mac. I prefer the s5 over any new phones but thats my problem now. My s5 won't connect to the radio for mirroring. Which iPhones are compatible for mirroring onto the 8000NEX? also which iOS should it be running. Im considering buying a dedicated phone and just adding it to my verizon plan. Only $10 extra a month with shared data so no biggie. 

If you have a NEX, CarPlay will be out in about 6 weeks.  I'd wait.  AppRadio is so tempermental, especially for a dedicated glove box device.  I cant get it to work reliably without having to touch the phone at least once a trip-- which is useless.