Phoenix Android Audio retains Sync 3

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BoostinFD

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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.
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.
3) The Android interface is crippled and very little can be changed without in-depth coding experience and likelihood of bricking your unit.
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.
5) Netflix has zero user interface controls when playing and doesn't fit the screen properly.
6) Bluetooth calls through the tablet come through the add-on speaker and sound horrible, so SYNC is the way to go for that.
7) The HereWeGo navigation that is included also comes through the add-on speaker and the voice sounds terrible.
8) Waze can't be split-screened, nor can most other apps that I've tried to use.
9) A lot of apps will kill whatever music you have playing when you open them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15) Due to the Android interface being heavily limited, you can't change notification sounds for apps (at least none that I've tried).
16) The phone mirroring app looks horrible, not sure why anyone would ever use it.
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".
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.
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.

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.


This is what I was worried about... Initially, when Guy mentioned a few things, I thought... eh, I could overcome that... but now, after what danlong's post... i'm really thinking about canceling it. It's been 18 days since I ordered it and it still hasn't been shipped.

I'm very **** when it comes to techy things, and if it glitches or hangs/delays, It'll bug me. I think sync3 works just fine... Like Guy mentioned, all you're getting is a tablet as an addition to sync3... so I could see that being a positive. But, if that thing is a cheap Chinese tablet that acts like one of the first android phones, this will be a huge disappointment.

I guess, i'll sleep on it and decide weather to go along with it or cancel it. Last update I got from phoenix is that they'll ship it next week. So I have this weekend.

Keep the updates coming guys. This can only help most of us who had high hopes for this thing.

Thank you Danlong for an awesome review. Wish we had more like that early on.
 
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Guy

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Took 4 weeks to get mine.

It’s a top 5 upgrade to my truck.

1. Tune
2. Custom audio
3. Phoenix android
4. Deavers
5. Level

I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I’m parked waiting, I can watch YouTube. I can email, I can stream music...

To those who cancelled... all I can say is... you’ll never know what you’re missing so you won’t lose too much sleep, but man I’d never go back to the garbage factory screen again.
 
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Guy

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It uses a px3 quad core arm cortex. It’s not equivalent to a first generation phone. It’s perfectly fast enough for what it does.

It’s about 2016-2017 level processing... but again.... I have a $1500.00 phone, a laptop, a tablet, a pc... it isn’t s productivity device. It’s a cool radio.

Perspective
 

K1llD4shN1n3

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Since I still plan on using car play for my music via Sync I the only thing I care about is that the sound system works normally with Sync. Everything else is just added capabilities for me.

Since I work on mobile software as my day job I’m kind of excited to dig in and start hacking on this thing [emoji3]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

amp

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It sounds like more of an issue about managing expectations. I think I'm in the same camp as Guy, and not really expecting a top end tablet with full functionality, but rather a larger touch screen upgrade than what we have. The NAV map on SYNC3 is reason enough for me to keep my order going. Aside from Tesla, a lot of other high end cars also don't have the touch screen smoothness as you would from even an average android tablet.

Both agreed that it's not a top end tablet. Some of the issues that danlong had were not the same as Guy's experience (bluetooth not connected notification at the bottom, etc.). If they're both running the latest drivers, then something like that might be a configuration or install issue.

I wish someone could post a video of the typical usage so we can see how the device operates, and judge the lagginess for ourselves.
 
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Guy

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You need to run your Spotify on top of your Waze!

It’s a beautiful screen. Once you have your apps open too... it switches between them pretty quick. As you saw him go from Waze to Spotify and back.
 

GCATX

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Still waiting on mine, ordered 2/12. From what I have seen, I will use it. Hopefully it's not all haywire like the person's above.
 
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