The current crop of car stereos is as notable for what’s missing as what’s included. Pumpkin’s $370 “affordable” model, the KD-C0224, is typical in having neither CD player nor digital radio, but instead a large touch screen to control your Android cellphone.
The 6.95 inch display in fact is bigger than most phones, and works as a sort of giant remote control, streaming music wirelessly via Bluetooth and letting you adjust the sound on an inbuilt graphic equalizer.
It’s compatible with most Android phones, iPods, memory sticks and the like. The fact that it also sports an analogue radio is almost as an afterthought.
But the KD-C0224 really only scratches the surface. Further up the range, new and emerging models will offer connectivity with Google’s vision of the road ahead, respectively Android Auto. This platform combines communication, traffic information and music into a single unit.
The idea is that you install an app on your phone (only recent models will be supported) and connect it to a compatible car stereo using a standard USB charging cable. The phone then pushes information to the large LCD HD display on the dashboard.
Android Auto will connect to online radio services like TuneIn, and to music libraries such as Spotify, from where you can stream almost any song you can think of – whether stored on one of your other devices or in cloud. Depending which model you choose, you can also call up a conventional, inbuilt sat nav or Google Maps.
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FAQ for Pumpkin KD-C0223 Android 4.4 Car StereoQ1. Does it fit in a Nissan Xtrail 2011 ? A:Sorry, it doesn’t. There is another Pumpkin Car Stereo which fits Nissan Xtrail 2011:http://www.autopumpkin.com/pure-android-4-2-twin-din-universal-nissan-car-dvd-gps-navigation-with-6-2-inch-lcd-hd-capacitive-touch-screen-3g-wifi-bluetooth-support-obd2.html Q2.Does the Android operating system allow calls and txts from Google Hangouts and Google voice ? A:Sorry, the builtin mic of the Car DVD Player is specifically designed for the Bluetooth phone call. Q3.It says OBD2, but how does that work? Does it read engine error codes ? A:Here is an instruction video about it : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ9Cw-xvkx8&feature=youtu.be&list=UU5idhlXZfjcSV9KDp-gcCOw Q4.Can you make /receive calls while using the navigation ? A:Yes. A banner comes on at the bottom of the screen no matter what app you’re in. It has a few buttons, one is for answer, another is for ignore. Q5.Can this be tethered to a cellphone via Bluetooth for internet access ? A:Sorry, it can’t. But you can share your cellphone as Wifi hotspots, then use the radio to connect to the wifi signal from your cellphone and use the internet. Q6.What is the unlock code to get to the advanced options ? A:You can find it in the manual, which is 126. Q7.Can you control high and low pass filters with this unit? A:There is an equalizer in the music program. You can get apps that might better fit your needs as this head unit is running Android system.…
Basic Knowledge of Car DVD PlayerFeatures: As a replacement for CD player, car DVD playerhas been upgraded with more functions, such as GPS navigation and iPod/iPhone input etc. What’s more, it’s equipped with display screen and Win CE/ Android intelligent OS, which left a large space to expand and add more functions. Specification: The car audio playerwhich equipped with display screen is bigger than the traditional CD player. Currently, the double DIN car DVD player is quite common. Function:With the rapid development of electronic application technology in recent years, the car stereohas become a “integrated platform”. It not only supports Bluetooth, Wi-fi, but supports DVR and hands-free etc. Input:Generally speaking, CD/DVD, FM and DAB is the way to input audio and video. But nowadays, car audio player can read and play various audio, video and document files through USB/AUX/SD card and Bluetooth. Output:Choices for output include audio signal and RCA. To transfer the signal to DSP processor, few stereos would also support optical and coaxial output. Touch screen: More and more in-dash car DVD players are equipped with the HD touch screen. Therefore, the sensitivity and response speed of touch screen are important standards to measure the units’ Sound quality:Most Android car head unitis equipped with single DVD pick up head, which don’t perform as well as special CD pick up head. Thus, we’ll recommend users to buy DSP audio processor additionally.