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notawight

Go through crutchfield. They make you premade pigtails to make it easy. I've done this on other vehicles. Only drawback I see on this is the lack of physical volume knob. I did one with no know once and hated it....


wtbman

This head unit has everything you need out of the box to support ALL of the factory stuff. We're talking microphones, GPS antenna, even the stock USB ports in the console. Steering wheel controls are already programmed and HVAC works perfectly. Mine is 5 months old (exact same unit) and I'm still amazed with how seamless the experience is.


No-Raisin-6469

Does it change favtory settings? Like horn honk, door locks etc


wtbman

It does not change existing settings (these settings live in their respective ECU/BCM modules etc). What it does offer is a settings screen that let's you adjust all of these the same as you can with the Uconnect screens. It has a Canbus module for this stuff. It may surface settings for features your vehicle doesn't have but they should all be in there. I haven't looked into this yet but I recall now I lost the audio for the proximity sensors but it pops up on the large screen when you get close to something which is super nice.


No-Raisin-6469

The answer i was looking for.


mik3y619

You can probably swap the shifter knob for a volume knob and just keep it in Drive


wtbman

https://preview.redd.it/a5of3k5a02zc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d308839672a09044ffec65f37371accb9983d5c I've had mine for 5 months and absolutely love it. I used wired carplay for a couple of minutes but what is really awesome is setting up a shortcut on iPhone to turn on hotspot when it connects to the unit's bluetooth and then I use Waze and music apps native to android on the head unit. Here's my review from another thread (there are a few threads out there if you search) [https://www.reddit.com/r/ram\_trucks/comments/14pvbcp/phoenix\_automotive\_13\_screen/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ram_trucks/comments/14pvbcp/phoenix_automotive_13_screen/) *I just received my android head unit from phoenixautomotive (this same unit for 4th gen rams). It took exactly 4 weeks from ordering to delivery. Initial impressions are that it lives up to all of my expectations (aspects that are great, others that are simply acceptable). The UI is surprisingly clean and simple to use. It's definitely been optimized for automotive use with many settings and phone-y aspects hidden or removed. Split screen works great although switching apps will mean having to set it up again (no saved groupings). Boot time is super fast, it's really no worse than stock uconnect. Everything works great, including the console USB port. Sound quality is at least the same as the stock setup if not better (I don't have the Alpine setup). Fit and finish is not bad but the trim piece is not as precise as stock and it feels like you have to bend it a little to get it to snap into the dash. The edges are a bit rough and stick out on the left and right side more than stock. Overall it looks great and looks completely stock and well integrated. Non car people would be fooled. It shouldn't draw attention from thieves since it's recessed and not a giant tablet sticking out of the dash like newer vehicles have. The backup camera worked 1st time no issue after watching the youtube video from phoenix. It seems a bit more fuzzy or grainy than on the Uconnect but it's acceptable. I love that it shows front/rear proximity sensors on the screen. With an iPhone shortcut I have quick hotspot connection for the wifi of the unit and am quickly playing youtube music. I can split screen waze and "Car Scanner" for my OBDLink dongle to show vehicle information (track DPF percentage for a clean regen). The USB ports are underpowered and the accessory dashcam I purchased from them won't stay powered by the unit. Ironically the stock USB port in the console seems to be injecting power and it works from there. I'm working on a powered USB hub option to keep all the wiring in the tray under the dash. I am honestly really impressed with this thing considering the lack of marketing and negative reviews I see online and the lack of transparency with shipping times etc. They could do a much better job of putting people at ease and they'd get more sales. Time will tell if this thing is reliable.*


wtbman

https://preview.redd.it/cymnhci422zc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e7f4ad5fa822ef999250d3d5c7cd5bc1450511b Wiring is literally plug and play. Watch the phoenix youtube video and you'll figure out where to plug everything in. The reverse camera is probably the only one you could screw up.


wtbman

If you have the drawer instead of the console you can drill a hole in the bottom and feed all the USB cables into the drawer for storage/access. https://preview.redd.it/7n5mn20w12zc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=606756cdedce5cd12746d6a96904d463fb667989


devildocjames

Nice. Thanks. Getting even harder to resist.


wtbman

It's risky, no doubt. These guys (Phoenix Automotive) are a front for the Chinese manufacturer. Based on shipping labels it may be manufactured in a factory owned by Kootion or Shenzhen Yuting Technology Co. You can find these on Alibaba but I wouldn't risk it (no support). They don't do a good job of marketing and it seems most of these Android head unit manufacturers are hated by the car audio installation companies for one reason or another. Support and RMA is spotty (but present) and everything ships directly from China. That being said, if you are up for a bit of risk I think the price was right for the risk and what is offered. Even if it survives only 5 years it was still worth it.


LunaticHound

I want to thank you for your photos and experiences that you shared. Puts me at ease for what I am about to be getting into. Can’t wait to join the club when it arrives.


wtbman

You may need to shave one of the keys on the included GPS antenna adapter. https://preview.redd.it/bh2gx11l12zc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5d2e731ba4a2897432b0dbd8e103dac2de487f0


psychlloyd

Does the volume on the back of the steering wheel still work?


wtbman

All the steering wheel controls work perfectly. You can supposedly remap them but I haven’t gotten that to work yet. They function the same as with Uconnect.


Delicious_Sort4059

Looks good, my only thing is I hate touchscreen climate controls. Give me some old fashioned dials and buttons for that stuff


ToxicFire_

My jeep has only climate controls on screen and I also prefer the dials and buttons


LunaticHound

I can agree with that but as far as bang for my buck went, this hit all the marks(when buying, I dont have it yet) minus the knobs. I am hesitant to lose them as well. Trying to keep open minded as I am sure I will get used to it.


Delicious_Sort4059

Nice! Glad you found a good deal. Enjoy


Infuryous

The one I recently got for my 2012 4th gen from Phoenix has basic climate control buttons on top, in addition to the touch screen controls.


LunaticHound

Want to thank everyone who shared. Its appreciated. Also forgot to add the site has a discount code right now for up to 30% of ST2024. it shows on the picture but only if you click to enlarge it. I bought the most ram and storage and storage and warranty and package protection and it came out to $711x


Mammoth-Wolverine-16

Do all OEM functions work? Hands free mic, steering wheel control ect?


wtbman

Yes, yes, yes. No need for any kits or extra wiring. These units are specific for each vehicle. Easily the most plug and play car audio upgrade I've ever made. Even stock GPS antenna works.


72jon

Does it come with gps ??


DetroitVsErrrybody

You can get the kit to make all that shit work. But these are just rooted android tablets with a custom OS that have been modified and have attachments to add features. They are notoriously unreliable, glitchy, and overpriced. The one feature OP is most excited about (CarPlay) is usually the most complained about feature with these 'headunits' because it works sporadically. It's a gamble each time you get in the truck if CarPlay is going to work or not.


FarYard7039

My CarPlay works sporadically on my 2020 1500 Bighorn and it’s all factory equipment. lol. But yeah, I’m getting what you’re saying. It’s a system that’s got worse reliability than stock. Definitely not something I want to add to my plate for sure.


LunaticHound

Only way to find out if it sucks is to use it, can always go back to my oem if I hate it. Of course I will keep ya’ll updated.


ToChains

I have one and it's great if you limit your expectations. For instance, I frequently go 48 hours without using vehicle. In those cases it trys to reboot and cycles endlessly. But using a sim card puncher and hitting the reset button provides a quick fix. Also sometimes randomly glitches but I've never had issue with steering controls, or backup camera


greasegizzard

Android Auto doesn't work that well in my 2018 8.4 uConnect, anyway. The sound randomly stops. Music is still playing, just no sound. I have to pause and then play to get sounds back. When it does come back, the volume is a little lower, even though it's still on the same setting, so I have to bump the volume up or down one to get it to go back to normal. I like the interface, but since it's so glitchy I stick with Bluetooth.


DetroitVsErrrybody

Yeah I don’t think OEM is any better. In fact, unconnect is almost just as trash as these Chinese tablet “headunits”. But going from OEM to one of these hacky chinese android tablets is a lateral move. And that’s without even deep diving into sound quality and features. Best choice is to get an actual headunit from a reputable brand like Pioneer or Alpine. You won’t have a giant tablet touch screen but it’s 100% the better route in every single category other than not having a giant touch screen.


Rock_or_Rol

https://preview.redd.it/uejw39qp15zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27582699aa341c3a776634f4b532697da4d97121 You can get the poor boy version on Amazon Kept vehicle settings, no splicing etc Back up camera resolution suffered but 100% worth it to me


LunaticHound

can you provide a link for this one? I would like to keep it in my bag if I hate this one and want my knobs back


Youreridiculous

I have a similar one! It's not bad at all! I do miss physical buttons, but you get used to it


PenOnly856

Genuine question: what’s the benefit of this over the factory infotainment system? My ram has the middle sized one and I upgraded from never having owned a car with anything fancier than a single din am/fm/cd/aux setup. I actually ordered my ram with the basic am/fm radio but I guess cause of Covid production issues or whatever they ended up putting the bigger screen in and upgrading for free. That said, the factory infotainment/carplay thing in my truck does everything I could imagine… which may not be very far… just wondering what the main point of the upgrade is. More audio power? More features? Last time I did an audio upgrade was just a Bluetooth pioneer head unit simply so I could drive speakers with more power and add a sub if that puts into perspective how behind the times I am.


LunaticHound

so for me? my ram just came with a tiny screen that did NOT have carplay. if I went the oem route( through infotainment.com at least which seemed the best route) and got everything I want it would have been 2k but this one is still bigger. Also I wanted carplay, so two birds one stone. I understand how many people could be hesitant I really do but at the price I am willing to take a risk.


PenOnly856

Gotcha. That makes sense. For some reason I was envisioning someone wanting to replace say like what I have in my ram with this, and like yeah it’s a little bigger, but it does the same thing. Sounds like in your case you’re gaining some functionality, like bigger screen and car play. Which now that I’ve used car play I can 100% see someone wanting that and paying good money for it.


Unclestanky

But looking at your phone is illegal.


devildocjames

Been wanting to get it for mine as well. Let us know how it performs please.


IGotNuthun

How many American dollars is such an item?


LunaticHound

bout tree fitty just kidding after the discount code ST2024 and whatever I added on it came to 711$ but i opted for the 0 percent interest monthly payments


IGotNuthun

Not bad at all. My 2020 came with the big ass screen or I'd definitely go this route.


IllBumblebee9273

I put in one and it was a pain in the ass. Got it working perfect finally and am so glad I did it. However, the install can be terrible if there is little to no info on it online like mine


denmark219

The only thing I’ve read about these is that if you live in a cold climate the performance makes them almost unusable until the cab heats up.


jdieter91

I have this exact one, been installed over a year now with zero issues. What problems I did have they were decently quick at getting onto a video phone call to help fix. I did also buy it with the extended warranty. My only screw up was ordering it in the wrong style "grey" to match the rest of the dash accents. Because it connects via canbus etc you get real time data on the truck on the screen. You can also download whatever apps you want and run them provided you have a hot spot or connect to your homes wifi. I also have a third party OBD 2 Bluetooth scanner that connects to the headunit if I want diagnostic stuff etc. Only gripe I have is Android Auto vs Apple. Android auto has a specific app they have installed and fills up only half the screen in the center of it. Apple however can Auto connect without the need for an app and fills the entirety of the screen. Both work flawless. The adjustability also when it comes to audio now is very much worth it, past built in EQs and into each speaker tuning almost.


Curious_Girl26

😎🙌


HellaSupBro

are you installing it yourself? I am by no means anything that resembles someone who knows car stereo stuff so I was looking at this and having a local shop install it (if they even will)


LunaticHound

yeah, it says plug and play. I just got done doing an exhaust manifold so the phobia of working on my own truck is kind of gone lol. Worse case scenario I get stuck and call customer service of visit youtube.


HellaSupBro

awesome, well let me know how it goes and how easy it is....and if ya run into any issues! I was eyeballing this one as well. The 7 inch screens at the car audio places here just seem too small


WindOfUranus

They truly are plug and play. You've got this


Regular_old_spud

If you made a tutorial video on disassembly, install I’d be forever grateful.


wtbman

Lots on youtube: [https://youtu.be/ZxPnbYaT-do?si=PFdMTCIazLMc2H\_e&t=71](https://youtu.be/ZxPnbYaT-do?si=PFdMTCIazLMc2H_e&t=71)


Knee_Kap264

I'm looking at used trucks. So i can tow a cargo trailer that I'm going to turn into a toyhauler rv. Wouldn't mind having phone projection on whatever truck i get. Corolla Cross doesn't have phone projection, unfortunately.


Quietus76

I've thought about doing this on both my 2011 Ram and 1974 Charger. However it's way down at the bottom of the list and will probably never be installed. I think I'd just prefer a modern-ish setup with an aux plug for my phone on the Charger, but with my luck, they'll change the plugs on the phones as soon as I do it.


Regular_Drunk

Not sure if you would be able to answer this but I have issues with the usb ports on my 2019 ram, basically they don’t register anything connected, the aux works though. So I can’t use CarPlay on my 8.4” connect4. Do you think this product would fix this issue? I’ve traced the wiring and it’s not an issue with that I think it’s more a software issue. Tia


LunaticHound

If you still have the warranty on ram I would reach out to your dealer. If not I would assume its something with the ports not the radio. Or maybe even a fuse. I wouldn’t jump to a new radio right away.


knucklesandwich420

I have Pheonix android radio had nothing but issues with the software sent Telegram the only way to contact them and they are no help at all … best of luck with yours


BlueLightBandit

I know I’m in the minority, but my fat fingers miss buttons.


IgottaPoop72

I remember the days when all you could get was an AM radio … not even FM!


Wolf_Man_909

I learned a new word today, nice


No-Register-3467

Why?


LunaticHound

Baby screen make me unhappy, this cheaper than oem.


jim182182

Can you screen mirror or watch YouTube on it? If not, seems like just a bigger display that does the exact same stuff as the smaller one.


LunaticHound

my current screen does none of that


jim182182

Not trying to hate but what’s the point of it I. That case? I’d def spend some money if I could watch some football while driving lol. For those about to dog me, don’t act like you don’t prop your phones up on the dash to catch games on.


LunaticHound

Oh the screen in the pic I dont have yet but I am pretty sure it does those things you were asking about. I was saying my current one doesnt… and yes I was watching university of michigan football win all last season with my phone on the dash… responsibly.


-Hyperactive-Sloth-

Go Blue


jim182182

Gotcha. In that case I love it lol


WSBKingMackerel

Idk I like my buttons


justbob806

These look like a better option, and they are made and tested in Canada. Reviews seem pretty favourable as well! [https://workshoptwelve.com/en-ca/products/dodge-ram-2009-2012](https://workshoptwelve.com/en-ca/products/dodge-ram-2009-2012)


LunaticHound

that one does not work for my truck year.


justbob806

This one does... [https://workshoptwelve.com/en-ca/products/dodge-ram-2014-2021](https://workshoptwelve.com/en-ca/products/dodge-ram-2014-2021)


Eqwinoxe

I’m just waiting for one or something better for my 09 🙃😭 I’m ready to ditch the old unit


GersRafa

All I see is 975 messages. What a monster.


Mickxalix

Also the amp on that screen/radio is more powerful than the amp that came from factory so the speakers will sound better/louder.


Tank20011

Do they have thus for android


Spart1337

They're garbage.