Single DIN Android head units

[NiceCupOfTea]

I was reading the double DIN Andoid thread and thinking that I rather liked the idea in my e36 which can't accommodate a double DIN.

A quick google shows lots of chinese single DIN units with flip up sceens at around the £250 mark.

Anybody have any experience of any?

On paper they look great but I wonder if they might be a bit rbbish...

Looking for:
recentish Android (at least 4.4)
decent speed and internal memory
bluetooth and wifi

[DennisCooper]

Hi,

You can fit a double DIN head unit into an E36;

https://ultraautosound.com/2012/02/06/bimmer-sport...
http://forum.motorsport-passion.com/topic/13361-do...
http://www.mybimmer.net/e36_carputer/Enforcer2/Img...
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1...

The cheap, chinese head units you see awash all over ebay aren't very good overall. You might get a fully working and crucially, longer term working unit, but chances are you won't. It's up to you if you wish to gamble with one!

There's two premium brand shallow depth head units, in the shape of the Parrot Asteroid Smart and Alpine iLX-700. The Alpine is Apple Carplay specific so must have an iphone in order to use it. Read through the various threads about fitting a double DIN into an E36 to see what's involved. Once done, the result looks far more integrated/cleaner than those flip out/up type units. I understand the flip ones are much easier to install, so if you do go for one, my suggestion would be to steer clear of the chinese units.

Cheers, Dennis!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Thanks Dennis. I had already discounted the double DIN as it seems to involve dremeling out the back of the airbox (but then they all seem to be full depth CD/DVD - I would be happy with one that didn't take a disc). If there is a shallow one that will fit with relatively easy relocation of the climate panel then I'm all ears!

The Chinese double DINs specifically made for the e46 and e39 seem to get a pretty good writeup. My previous experience of Parrot products was not great (last release of firmware for the carkit I have was full of bugs and despite promises to update they never did) and I'm not an Apple user...

I shall keep looking I think! How hard can it be!?

[snotrag]

Had any luck? I'm also interested in the same, a decent quality android based single-din unit. Pre not a flip out screen - just a small screen.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Sadly not. I would have thought there would be a big market for a generic one (especially as they seem to do ones specific to e39 5 series for example, which would have a far smaller market than one that will just fit in any single DIN...