Radio is a basic but must-have function in the car stereo. However, you may get in trouble with the poor signals, phase noise, and slow tuning. Now, most of the car stereos support RDS function, this can solve the above problems.

RDS is Radio Data System, in which digital signals are transmitted with normal radio program to effect automatic tuning of receivers and other functions. This system has gained a considerable amount of popularity and is widely used in Europe. While in the US, its official name is RBDS(Radio Broadcast Data System).

The car stereo supports RDS can receive traffic reports more easily. It provides much information to be displayed on the radio, including time, station identification and program information. Which are of great use to all radio listeners, particularly to those radio listeners in cars.

RDS has 30 program types, such as current affairs, science, or popular music. Besides, a listener who is driving can arrange to have special traffic bulletins break into programs automatically.

Therefore, RDS can elevate user convenience and enhance driving safety, because it lets the driver pay attention to the road instead of to the radio controls.

BTW, all Pumpkin car stereos support the RDS radio.

Android and WinCE are different kinds of operating systems. Android is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. WinCE is an operating system subfamily developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows Embedded family of products.

Android car stereo supports to install the apps whatever you want, like the media players/streaming apps (Pandora, Google Play Music, etc).  PUMPKIN Android car stereo also supports phone mirroring, so you can control your phone on the car stereo.

WinCE OS can easily adapt to the hardware and it will not update any time soon. WinCE OS is relatively stable and there is little scope for problems and bugs.

The hardware of Android car stereo is often more powerful than WinCE counterparts, which makes the general cost to build is higher. That’s why the Android car stereo is often more expensive than the WinCE car stereo.

Four accessories here to talk: reversing camera, OBDII scanner, Android Auto/CarPlay dongle, DAB+ box.

Aftermarket backup reversing camera is the least accessory that people feel regret after buying, it is also the most wildly purchased head unit accessories. Both wireless backup camera and wired are diversified in the market, few things need to be noticed for user convenience. 1. Night vision and resolution (higher the better). 2. View angle (larger the better). 3. IP rating, the ideal number would be IP 68, number 6 stands for the highest level of dust-proof performance, number 8 stands for the waterproof performance of 1 meter depth at least. 4. Park line marking. If the camera you bought reached higher numbers of the above performance, congrats.

OBDII (on-board diagnostics) scanner has over 50 years of history, no doubt everyone cares about driving safety. Before check on the support system and years and brands of car models, think which type of OBDII reader you are looking, handhold one that can display the real-time data on its screen, or the popular cost-efficient WIFI/ Bluetooth OBDII reader which requires an extra APP to display the data on a car stereo screen. If you pick the last one, please be sure the APP in your car stereo is supported by the OBDII scanner. Bluetooth scanner runs faster and stabler than the WIFI one in most situations.

These two devices are about increasing driving safety, the rest two are about elevating your driving experience.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay won their fame for a new creative technology being applied in our daily life in a really handy way, but little car stereo manufacturers found the right path to link them with the car stereo, and here comes the dongle to play as the media. Two main factors to be alarmed in case the dongle you bought didn’t end up in your garbage can. 1. Check the support operating system it fits in, Android? iOS? And which version exactly. If your car stereo is the classic WinCE system, extra attention cannot be wrong. 2. Check the car model it fits, too many car brands in the market now, no supplier can confidently say their dongles fit any cars. If it fits your car stereo and phone well, then no reason this media will not work well.

38 countries can receive DAB+(Digital audio broadcasting) service with more radio stations, better reception quality, and less unlicensed stations disturb. If you are looking for a car stereo with DAB+ radio, watch out for those “DAB+ optional” and “support DAB+” which means extra DAB+ box required. Some head units have built-in DAB+, such as PUMPKIN VA0402B, AA0447B.