Phoenix Android Audio retains Sync 3

[TX3Gun]

That is a long and interesting list of issues.

 

[Guy]

I’m going to respond within the body of your text to comment on my experiences.

I've got a little more playing around to do today, and I'll be taking a longish trip with it tonight, but I'm pretty sure mine is coming out and getting sent back. Here's a more comprehensive list of my gripes that I've found so far:

1) The tablet is very sluggish compared to my 2 year old LG V30 phone when it comes to opening apps, loading different screens, or registering touches.

=== Mine doesn’t have this issue. It’s not like an iPhone but I have no major usability issues. It’s certainly faster than the OEM tablet in my $84,000 Volvo suv. It’s also a radio, I’m not using it as a productivity device.


2) The interface is not what I would consider to be user-friendly at all. I know how to work it, but chances are if I let someone borrow my truck they'd be driving around without music.

== Not my experience. It’s fairly easy to use and I wouldn’t consider myself to be a tech genius. My young children seem to have no trouble operating it either.

3) The Android interface is crippled and very little can be changed without in-depth coding experience and likelihood of bricking your unit.

=== It’s a Radio with benefits. The interface is optimized to be able to interface with the stock sync brain and it ensures that you are always able to easily get your sync open and it also ensures you always have access to your HVAC controls.



4) Netflix requires a workaround to install (it's not hard, just won't install from Play Store) and won't let me download videos.

== I don’t know much about this other than I’ve had this on other tablets and such with the same issue.



5) Netflix has zero user interface controls when playing and doesn't fit the screen properly.

== I don’t use Netflix on it.

6) Bluetooth calls through the tablet come through the add-on speaker and sound horrible, so SYNC is the way to go for that.

== I don’t have this issue. I hit Bluetooth on the tablet and it comes through all the speakers like the sync system. Sounds ok and the other party can hear me fine. Sync probably sounds a little better overall.

7) The HereWeGo navigation that is included also comes through the add-on speaker and the voice sounds terrible.

== again comes thru the speakers while in the app. That nav speaker is only in use while you have the console sync open so the voice prompts will work.

8) Waze can't be split-screened, nor can most other apps that I've tried to use.

== Waze interfaces perfectly with Spotify and pandora and allows you to run them split screen on top. It would be nice if it could window with sync 3, but for technical reasons it can’t. You can have your aync playing music and toggle to Waze however.

9) A lot of apps will kill whatever music you have playing when you open them.

== this is the nature of android. The same thing will happen with the iPhone. I haven’t run into a situation where I’ve been upset that my music stopped because I opened another app.


10) There's not an easy way to customize the shortcut menu at the top of the screen to only have what you want up there, or add things as I want it to show a Chrome icon, not Explorer, even though it opens Chrome. I also have no need for the CAM, AUX, DVR or several other of the icons up there, but since they're there, it requires frequent swiping to access the ones I want.

== would be nice to have some custom launch bar stuff going on.


11) Google Contacts can't be used. You can install it, but it won't let you log in and view your contacts. Because of that, Waze doesn't have access to all of the addresses you have saved in your Google account.

== haven’t noticed any issues

12) The included Music Player app (which is the only thing the Music icon will open) has a lousy interface and won't display any of my album art from my music on my USB stick. The SYNC interface is far better for navigating and displaying the same stuff on the same USB stick.

== you can use any music player you want from the play store. I stream thru above said apps.

13) The 360 camera can't be called up when parked unless you're in Console mode, at which point it's only displayed on the smaller SYNC screen portion, and the resolution is still screwed so it looks even worse. The tablet only brings up the cameras when in reverse, so the large front view can also only be viewed on Console mode.

== I have no image quality issues. They are working on having the camera button be full override. That will be nice. It takes one extra button push to get the 360 camera up right now. First world problems for sure.

14) You don't get normal app notifications on the top status bar like you normally would on a tablet. ie, when an email comes in, you hear a little chime but that's it and then it's gone forever. There are no persistent, visual indications.

== not a productivity device


15) Due to the Android interface being heavily limited, you can't change notification sounds for apps (at least none that I've tried).

== not sure I care about this.

16) The phone mirroring app looks horrible, not sure why anyone would ever use it.

== not my experience. Looks perfect

17) Since I have no reason to connect my phone to the tablet via Bluetooth, I have to look at the big red notification at the bottom saying "Bluetooth is not connected".

== I don’t get this notification issue.

18) The temp readout always reflects Celsius, despite having *F after the number when set to Farenheit and this having been a problem on every version of this unit from the first generation.

== mine says Fahrenheit.

19) When you stop and turn off the truck, then turn it back on, it doesn't remember what you had on the screen and you have to set everything up again. You can tell it to always start whatever app you have set for Navigation when it powers up, but that's about it.

== nope. All my apps stay in memory. If I turn off with sync open. I start up with sync open.

I'm sure there are more things I'm overlooking, but so far this radio has been a pure novelty, and one that wore off VERY quickly and has turned into more of a constant annoyance that it's not doing what I want or expect. I REALLY wanted to like this, and I still do, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

== sorry it hasn’t worked out for you. Hasn’t been my experience.

 

[mata]

its always nice to have both sides of the story

 

[Herkguy]

I’m going to respond within the body of your text to comment on my experiences.



== sorry it hasn’t worked out for you. Hasn’t been my experience.

I agree, I think people are trying to use this like a current gen ipad or android tablet and are dissapointed. If you use it as a radio/nav device it is badass and looks awesome.

How do you get split screen spotify and waze? Not sure how to do this...

 

[Raptor18Actual]

I guess for Danlong - have you installed all of the latest updates for the tablet that BIGDJE has posted in here?

 

[danlong]

Yes, my unit is up to date as of yesterday or the day before... as for the unit not being a productivity device, that's exactly what it is, yet it's been crippled and stripped of most of the features that I wanted from it.

I started looking at these when the Gen 1/2 came out, but wasn't willing to lose my SYNC interface as it works so well and controls other features in the truck. When I saw the Gen 3 retained that, and should have been able to split-screen and keep that up all the time, as that's what I primarily use for my audio, I was sold. Unfortunately, the integration of it is poor from what I've experienced over the past week.

You can't truly split-screen Spotify/Waze, but Waze does have Spotify integration (and maybe Pandora) built-in if you enable it in the settings and they operate within Waze along the top.

 

[ColoradoBoss]

I feel like Phoenix has quality control issues. Guy is the only one who hasn't had complaints... If things get sorted out more I'll reorder but I feel like maybe now isn't the best time for me. I can be pretty **** when it comes to screen resolutions and such. Phoenix also needs to be more truthful about shipping/processing obviously takes more than 8-10 days. Before I cancelled, today was the 12th day since placing my order and after I got radio confirmation, not a single update from them.

 

[Guy]

See I look at it entirely differently.

I have sync 3, exactly as I had it prior to the upgrade. Nothing has changed.

I’ve gained integrated streaming music, full screen Waze navigation, tremendous aesthetics, dvr capability, and web capability. I can use whatever navigation software I want. I don’t have to worry about plugging in a phone.

There are minor quirks with the tablet, but they certainly don’t offset the multitude of gains by having it. Myself and BigJDE haven’t had any quality issues and I have had no usability issues and My screen is bright and crystal clear.

I had low expectations and this unit easily is something I’d have paid $2000.00 for without blinking an eye.

 

[BIG TIME BALLER]

See I look at it entirely differently.

I have sync 3, exactly as I had it prior to the upgrade. Nothing has changed.

I’ve gained integrated streaming music, full screen Waze navigation, tremendous aesthetics, dvr capability, and web capability. I can use whatever navigation software I want. I don’t have to worry about plugging in a phone.

There are minor quirks with the tablet, but they certainly don’t offset the multitude of gains by having it. Myself and BigJDE haven’t had any quality issues and I have had no usability issues and My screen is bright and crystal clear.

I had low expectations and this unit easily is something I’d have paid $2000.00 for without blinking an eye.

Guy,

Perhaps you or others who are happy with the unit could post short videos of the device in action... as you would typically use it. Primarily, I think most of us are concerned with ease of use for:
1. music (radio, satellite, USB, or through phone)... changing sources, changing channels, volume
2. navigation (with/without music playing)... preferably though the truck speakers.
3. cameras (auto reverse/overhead cam, how to bring up the front and 360 cams)
4. phone integration (voice control, sending/receiving calls and texts)... preferably all through the truck speakers
5. all the other "tablet" stuff should be expected to take more effort and likely should only be accessed when parked anyway.

Preferably how these things function without use of cellular data through the truck. I think most people consider that additional cost prohibitive and not worth it.

 

[K1llD4shN1n3]

Guy did you Bluetooth connect the tablet to the Sync system?


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