G8 GT Android Head Unit

[EricB]

I've been conversing Adam Cooper from Ace Performance about his Android Head Unit. Adam is saying this is the second generation of this unit. Price isn't cheap, $875 without cameras.

Product Description

Features:

1.6 GHZ QUAD CORE PROCESSOR
IPHONE IPAD AUDIO VIDEO VIA USB SUPPORT
WIFI FOR INTERNET
BACK UP CAMERA/ AUTO ON (Camera Not Included)
FRONT CAMERA (Camera Not Included)
BUILT IN NAVIGATION WITH SATELLITE VIEW
2G BYTE INTERNAL MEMORY 32G BYTE STORAGE
HDMI OUTPUT TO EXTERNAL MONITOR
ACCESS EXTERNAL HARDDISK NTFS 500G, 1TB MOVIE ACCESS AVI, MP4, 3GP, FLV FORMAT
WIRELESS MOUSE AND KEYBOARD CAN BE ADDED
ACCESS EXTERNAL VIDEO AND SOUND FOR WECHA, MSN, SKYPE, AND ETC
LIVE WALL PAPER
PLAYS CD’S AND DVD’S
VIM ALREADY PROGRAMMED IN
STREAMS MUSIC VIA BT
BT CALLING

Input/Outputs:

Auxiliary Video In
Camera Video In
Front and Rear RCA Audio Outputs
Video Out X 2
Auxiliary RCA Audio In
USB
PHONE MIC

Included with the Head Unit:

Antenna input
GPS antenna with GPS included
Ext Mic
Canbus module
OEM harness adapter

According to Adam this does not require a SIM card to operate the GPS.



So here are my questions.

• Who here has installed this radio?
• Pro/Cons of installation?
• Does it work as expected?
• Any issues with the integration with the AC/Heater controls?
• Do you consider it worth it?
• Reliability? ACE Performance LLC does not warranty this product. The warranty is through the manufacture, Hicesan. Customers with warranty claims can contact the manufacture through http://www.hicesan.com/ and are responsible for shipping to and from the manufacture should it be necessary to be sent back for repair.

I started looking just for a rear backup camera. But what I have found cost almost half the price of this unit. I really don't care about all the computer fluff, but Pandora, SirusXM would be nice. I really like the idea of a built in GPS.


In one of my conversations with Adam he stated he now has a Windows Head unit that is cheaper but has not released it. I've been 'Windows' bigot years and would be more comfortable with that.

https://www.aceperformance.biz/produ...oid-head-unit/

TIA

[Bob the Noob]

With Android Auto/Apple CarPlay being more modern versions of this, I don't think it's worth it. Just my opinion...

[EricB]

With Android Auto/Apple CarPlay being more modern versions of this, I don't think it's worth it. Just my opinion...

OK, but how do they work with the factory radio? The main reason for changing to this for the auto backup camera. Do Android Auto or Apple Play support a auto backup camera?

The other plus is a builtin GPS, the apps PANDORA and SirusXM. Don't have the want to do gaming or watch videos.

[Bob the Noob]

Well, Android Auto sort of 'mirrors' your phone for things like Navigation. I imagine most modern head units allow a backup camera to be hooked up, but I'd have to look. Pandora works with it fine, not sure about Sirius.

I'd rather lose Sirius and the backup cam, but gain Google Nav. Who knows what sort of Nav system you're getting or when the Maps/roads were last updated with the other one.

[Napalm]

this headunit runs android in the base - thus is is native google maps.

also what are you going to put into a G8 so as to get android auto or Apple car play?

this is as close as you'll get for the G8 that also using the AC controls. Short of doing the whole folick controller and some other work. WHich costs quite a bit more

[EricB]

this headunit runs android in the base - thus is is native google maps.

also what are you going to put into a G8 so as to get android auto or Apple car play?

this is as close as you'll get for the G8 that also using the AC controls. Short of doing the whole folick controller and some other work. WHich costs quite a bit more

That's the dilemma, what works with the G8 and the AC/heater controls? This is the only 'anything' that I have found that might actually work without dumping gobs of money hoping for a good result and this isn't cheap.

Like I said before I started looking for just a simple backup camera for the G8 and that got complicated real quick. Everything I found seemed like 'hacks'. $500/$600 for a 'hacked' backup camera system that I would have to manually turn on /off is I not what I'm looking for.

This android system looks promising, but I have not been able to really find out just how well this integrates into the G8 system. I was hoping someone with actual experience with this unit would speak up about it. I am concerned on just how little information about this unit is available.

BTW just curious what is 'the whole folick controller and some other work' - I've read some references to that before. It sounds complicated and even more expensive.

[Napalm]

you buy a idevice and load some custom software on it - mount it in the car and that now runs your HVAC system - THat's the Folick controller bit as I recall it.

Part of the bits is you need a relay device that interfaces with the car and it's controlled by the Idevice - the relay install takes wires off the harness that is already in the car connected to the headunit.

THEN you're able to use pretty much any other normal headunit you wish - so another _______ dollars. and most people use a double DIN unit and the dollars go up
somemore.

IIRC the controller add on it something like another 500 to start with. Which again is why I think the android unit is a good deal over all - especially when it's setup to be put to a quality 4 channel amp if you wanted to