Hi Ray - interested in the headunit - when are you expecting the next shipment?

 

New shipment is expected to arrive in about 5-7 days. You can order now if you would like and I will have your unit shipped the next day after I receive the shipment.

 

Hi Ray,
Perusing the forum and considering getting the android head unit for my 2016 RR sport up here in Canada.
There is talk of a forum discount code but I can't find it anywhere.
Appreciate the help!

 

Hi Ray,
Perusing the forum and considering getting the android head unit for my 2016 RR sport up here in Canada.
There is talk of a forum discount code but I can't find it anywhere.
Appreciate the help!

PM sent

 

quick clarification. Is the interface with the usb cord or bluetooth?

 

What interface are you referring to? The 10.25" Android screen is not an interface...it replaces your factory screen and the 9.0 version uses AUX or Bluetooth to connect to your Range Rover for audio. The CarPlay dongle connects through the Android USB port.

 

you answered my question. Through the factory USB port. Right?

 

I'm not clear on what you're asking or what you're trying to do. The factory USB port is unchanged and unaffected by the Android upgrade. Your factory USB will function the same as it did before the Android install. The USB port from the Android unit is what you plug the CarPlay dongle into. Audio from the Android unit is heard through AUX or Bluetooth. There's no part of the Android harness that plugs into the factory USB.

 

for clarification. I bought the aftermarket add on from NavisWorks. It required a new USB unit to be installed. It also deleted the native nav along with some 4x4 information. I was thinking of a wireless charging pad to be installed in the console. But if the factory USB is the input and as you have noted in many of your replies, all factory functions remain, then I would just use the factory USB interface to charge the phone and keep it connected to the infotainment system.

 

Yes, with the Android unit installed, you can still use the factory USB to charge your phone and/or listen to music through the USB audio source. Your factory Navigation and 4x4 information will also remain the same. The Android unit allows you to toggle back and fourth to/from the factory display at the press of a virtual button on the screen. Please watch the videos that are posted on my website to see a demo of how this works.

 

Where have you been putting the new gps reciever without it standing out like a sore thumb

 

I have mine hidden under the trim at the bottom of the A pillar...if you have the heated windshield then you just have to make sure it's in a good spot where the heating elements don't block the signal.

 

Ray, I saw a video you posted on your YT channel recently from the android unit with built-in wireless carplay. Is that available for the L494? I don't see that in the description in the website. If it is, does it mean it doesn't require the USB dongle?

 

Yes, It's available for the L494...the units now come with the built in hardware for wireless CarPlay but you will still need the dongle for Android Auto.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you LOSE by switching to this head unit? I know that the instrument cluster will always read “Auxiliary Input,” but what else? You lose factory Nav, but that’s replaced with the Android map and/or CarPlay, right? (This install still requires new antennae for GPS, a mic, and speaker, right?) Do the nav arrows still show up on the HUD, as if it were factory? How does the unit get data if your phone doesn’t have a hotspot? This is for a ‘16 Sport SVR. Thanks for any help.

Seth

 

So I just purchased a 2013 Evoque with this head unit in it. It's got Android 7.0 and it's horrible..unless you're hotspotted it doesn't work and there's no Android Auto. Am I missing something? I just want to figure out how to update/upgrade it's system and make it useable.

 

All Android units are NOT the same. Do you have any other information on this unit that's installed in your Evoque? Where was it purchased from, when was it installed and who installed it? Is it a Harman or Bosch system?

By the way, this is the L494 Sport thread for this 10.25" Android unit. The L538 Evoque forum has a thread on this unit as well so it would be best that you post your comments there.

 

How many of you guys use the 4G SIM card, and not a WiFi hotspot from your phone or external unit? My phone doesn’t provide hotspot access, unless I change my plan, and I’m trying to think through the use cases for this unit before I buy.

1. Without data going to the Android unit, through a SIM or hotspot, I’d basically only gain CarPlay? Is that right? The Android unit’s GPS wouldn’t get maps while I was driving, the apps wouldn’t work, etc. Don’t get me wrong, AirPlay functionality and the largest screen are likely reason enough to buy, but I want to be clear on expectations.
2. If anyone in the U.S. has gotten a separate SIM for the Android unit, what are you using? Which plan? How often do you use the data, and what kind of data usage do you get?
3. If anyone is only using the CarPlay, so no data going to the head unit, how does the calling situation work?
   1. If you don’t link the phone to the car via Bluetooth, and only do it to the Android unit, will it answer incoming calls? Steering wheel controls? What if you’re toggled to the “factory” screens and receive a call or want to make one? Any complications?

I’ve got some other questions, and I know that Ray is happy to help, but there’s a lot of info out there and stuff like this may stop others from asking the same questions in the future. I get that others are trying to steal Ray’s work, so it’s unfair to put everything into a document that they can steal, so I’m trying to go about this methodically without bothering him unless necessary for proprietary info. I don’t think any vendor is gaining anything with the above info. Thanks.

Seth

 

How many of you guys use the 4G SIM card, and not a WiFi hotspot from your phone or external unit? My phone doesn’t provide hotspot access, unless I change my plan, and I’m trying to think through the use cases for this unit before I buy.

1. Without data going to the Android unit, through a SIM or hotspot, I’d basically only gain CarPlay? Is that right? The Android unit’s GPS wouldn’t get maps while I was driving, the apps wouldn’t work, etc. Don’t get me wrong, AirPlay functionality and the largest screen are likely reason enough to buy, but I want to be clear on expectations.
2. If anyone in the U.S. has gotten a separate SIM for the Android unit, what are you using? Which plan? How often do you use the data, and what kind of data usage do you get?
3. If anyone is only using the CarPlay, so no data going to the head unit, how does the calling situation work?
   1. If you don’t link the phone to the car via Bluetooth, and only do it to the Android unit, will it answer incoming calls? Steering wheel controls? What if you’re toggled to the “factory” screens and receive a call or want to make one? Any complications?

I’ve got some other questions, and I know that Ray is happy to help, but there’s a lot of info out there and stuff like this may stop others from asking the same questions in the future. I get that others are trying to steal Ray’s work, so it’s unfair to put everything into a document that they can steal, so I’m trying to go about this methodically without bothering him unless necessary for proprietary info. I don’t think any vendor is gaining anything with the above info. Thanks.

Seth

I'm in the same boat as Seth. Want to pull the trigger on this one from Ray asap but it would be good to have an understanding of these points as well, especially data related

 

Hi,

I have been following this topic and have installed the unit I have purchased from Ray this week.
Has an android mobile user opposef of the majority here (Iphone users) I beleive my experinence can bring some added value to others:

1) Installation took aprox 3 Hours, I had already whatched all the videos posted in page 3 of this topic, they cover all the situations and it was not a bad experience you just need a little patiente.

2) Unit is a great improvement over the OEM one and the finish aspect looks smart on the dash of your car.

3) I bought the unit mainly for navigation purposes and YouTube audio/video access, as well as android auto integration.

4) with a third party application i was able to setup Android Auto wirelessly with my samsung phone it works like a charm, connecting the bluetooth to the car and the wifi hotspot to the unit, android auto works perfectly, calls are routed via the oem bluetooth using the oem mic and speakers , but all notifications still appear in android auto.

5) The bad:

A) The unit only works with your car ignition on, meaning if you are parked and want to see some youtube videos or listen to music you need to turn on igniton, the OEM system does not need it.

B) The audio buzzing, already discussed in here an yes it's annoying but not a deal breaker.

C) Google maps navigation instructions, for some reason this is the only app where the external speaker is used, i wish i could use the car speakers. Seems the audio is first routed from car speakers to the external one because i always ear a bip through the car speakers in the beginning of the instructions but then it switches to external speaker. Maybe someone already found a way around this?

D) Fingerprints: with the screen off there is a lot visible, but once on no issues.


Overhall I'm a happy customer, I would buy it again even knowing the 4 issues above that for me are the most annoying ones, for issue c) alternative is yo use google maps in Android auto but visually is not exactly the same.

Regards,
Helio

 

I will ask the engineers if there's a way to power the unit on without the ignition. It may be something that can be done to the wiring harness to allow power to the unit without the ignition on but I'm not sure if that's a smart thing to do because the Range Rover battery drains very fast.

The fix for the AUX audio buzzing is to just pair the Android unit to the Range Rover Bluetooth for audio...I think this might also solve the Google Maps voice prompt...

You can purchase screen protectors on Amazon that are finger print resistant.

 

Does this work with Android 10. I don't see the same Android Bluetooth configuration screen shown in the video on my android 10.

 

Has anyone figured out how to make the google map bigger for navigation, I know you can zoom in but then it seems to lose track of your position until you go back to origional size, I want to get away from having to put my glasses on to read the map icons ect

 

Google maps are a lot better from CarPlay or Android Auto...most use this option instead of using the navigation apps on the Android unit itself.

 

Hi to all,

Somebody has try to change background image/theme ?
Somebody has try to install a different launcher? i'm trying with Nova, but system don't save my personalizations and dont' set it as default launcher

 

Here in italy a user do this:

 

Here in italy a user do this: View attachment 291343

This thread is focused on units from Android Aftershock/Merryway. All Android units are not the same. The operating system may be the same but the manufacturers engineering and system files can be totally different.

 

Anyone with questions or concerns can just contact me and I will be happy to assist you. If you are outside the USA then you can use WhatsApp to contact me.

 

thank you Ray! Just placed my order 😁

 

I have read every single post in this thread. I just wanted to clarify regarding using this with an android phone.

It seems that even with the add on dongle, the only way to use android auto on the system is to physically plug my android phone into the dongle (no option for a wireless connection). Otherwise I would just use apps from the app store such as waze and spotify etc and use it like a regular android tablet that is now installed in my car?

Also, if I were not to install a data sim, will the tablet connect to the car via bluetooth then to my phone as a wireless hotspot? How does it handle phone calls on my phone? Can the vehicle connect to 2 bluetooth devices at the same time so I do not lose that functionality?

Thanks.

 

I have read every single post in this thread. I just wanted to clarify regarding using this with an android phone.

It seems that even with the add on dongle, the only way to use android auto on the system is to physically plug my android phone into the dongle (no option for a wireless connection). Otherwise I would just use apps from the app store such as waze and spotify etc and use it like a regular android tablet that is now installed in my car?

Also, if I were not to install a data sim, will the tablet connect to the car via bluetooth then to my phone as a wireless hotspot? How does it handle phone calls on my phone? Can the vehicle connect to 2 bluetooth devices at the same time so I do not lose that functionality?

Thanks.

Even though the dongle itself doesn't work with android auto wirelessly, there is a way to make it work wireless through a third party app called HeadUnit Reloaded (thanks to helio_neves) for the recommendation. My unit arrives tomorrow so I haven't tried it out yet but it does seem to work. You can find a few videos online if you search it on Youtube. I can post it back here once I have mine up and running.

 

Hi all,

First of all, let me make it clear that I did not buy this unit from Ray / Android Aftershock.

I'm in the UK an bought it locally to avoid customs charges etc. I have a fair bit of experience with these types of Android units but not with this version. In the past with a BMW version I plugged the unit into a 12v power supply and set it all up at my desk before installing it into my car.

I'm trying to do the same with this by connecting my power supply to the yellow and black cables on the power connector. I can hear the unit switch on with a quiet client and then a very quiet fan spooling up but the screen remains black. Is there anything else that I need to do to get this working on the bench, like install the OEM boards from the car into it, or have I got a faulty unit?

Appreciate any help or advice.

 

HAHAHA!!! I definitely have the answer that you are seeking but I'll wait...

 

I think you need the OEM boards to get it to power up

 

If you don't know for certain can you explain your reasoning as to why you think this is the case? Not that I mean to challenge your answer, it's just some context would be helpful and any additional info would be good whilst I'm trying to get a definitive. My car is currently in JLR having a couple of faults sorted and it would be good to have a play around with my new unit and get it set up whilst it's away.

 

How long does it take for the unit to be loaded from the time you start the car? (Let’s say I start the car and need the back up camera right away, because the car is fully loaded. How long will I have to wait?) Does the unit restart at the same screen that the car was shut down from? I haven’t seen any start up videos.

Speaking of the cameras, I don’t see in the videos anywhere where the camera is loaded (from the car being placed in reverse) directly from the “android view.” Every time it seems to be in factory mode, so I don’t understand the function if I’m using CarPlay and put the car in reverse. Does it go to factory mode with the camera, does the camera show up in the Android mode, or does my CarPlay stay unchanged unless I manually go back to the factory mode to see the camera?

Is there any video of any navigation program running via CarPlay? Does it take up the whole screen? Is it touchscreen?

How do the steering wheel buttons work? (Phone, Voice, Volume, and Previous/Next)

What is the recommended Bluetooth set up? Do you pair the phone to the car, or to the Bluetooth unit?

Thank you for any info, from anyone. Honestly, it’s not even the money. I just don’t want to do the whole install and be unhappy, after hacking apart the chrome surround making reversal that much more of a headache.

 

How long does it take for the unit to be loaded from the time you start the car? (Let’s say I start the car and need the back up camera right away, because the car is fully loaded. How long will I have to wait?) Does the unit restart at the same screen that the car was shut down from? I haven’t seen any start up videos.

Speaking of the cameras, I don’t see in the videos anywhere where the camera is loaded (from the car being placed in reverse) directly from the “android view.” Every time it seems to be in factory mode, so I don’t understand the function if I’m using CarPlay and put the car in reverse. Does it go to factory mode with the camera, does the camera show up in the Android mode, or does my CarPlay stay unchanged unless I manually go back to the factory mode to see the camera?

Is there any video of any navigation program running via CarPlay? Does it take up the whole screen? Is it touchscreen?

How do the steering wheel buttons work? (Phone, Voice, Volume, and Previous/Next)

What is the recommended Bluetooth set up? Do you pair the phone to the car, or to the Bluetooth unit?

Thank you for any info, from anyone. Honestly, it’s not even the money. I just don’t want to do the whole install and be unhappy, after hacking apart the chrome surround making reversal that much more of a headache.

If it's the same as other Merryway units I've had in other cars then the answers are as following:
1. About 20-30 seconds unless this generation is faster than previous versions across the board.
2. Regardless of whether the unit is still booting up or not, when you engage your back-up camera by putting the car in reverse it activates a hardware relay which then switches to your OEM camera so boot-up sequence does not affect the operation or availability of your camera display.
3. I've answered this above. Regardless of what is displayed on your screen, when you engage reverse, your factory camera is displayed and then it reverts back to whatever you were doing before.
4. Carplay navigation is in full screen but only the factory navigation system will display information on your HUD or your instrument cluster. Any of the other non-OEM navigation options will show on the screen only.
5. Once you're in Carplay everything is then down to your phone. it works exactly the same as all other Carplay units in terms of the interface. It's full screen and it's touchscreen.
6. Can't answer that on this particular unit but some will work as the do normally for volume, back, track skip etc.
7. Normally you need to pair the phone to the unit as if you pair to the OEM unit then you're basically by-passing the new unit. Wireless Carplay usually works with a bluetooth handshake between phone and Carplay unit to then set up a wifi connection.

All of my experience has been on programming and setting up the BMW version so I cannot 100% state that the above is absolutely accurate but my experience is that all of the Merryway units operate the same way but with difference Android launchers to suit each car so the behaviours described above should be the same whether it's a BMW, Mercedes or Audi unit.

Also. I suggest you watch Ray's videos on youtube as these pretty much answer most of your questions. The links are on the Android Aftershock website.

 

I just want to give a huge shoutout to Ray for the amazing customer service and support. Spent the entire day to install my unit today and must have sent Ray 50+ messages and couldn't have done it without the guidance. I too debated a lot about going to other resellers / aliexpress to save some bucks but at the end of the day the fact that Ray is based on the US and was able to get the unit to me super fast and the customer support were the selling points for me.

This is not my first time dealing with these units and was expecting a fairly easy install but there are a lot of small details that are not super clear until you get your hands on it and Ray came to save the day. I tried getting support from Chinese resellers in the past but it seems that they only care until they make the sale, afterwards customer support is non-existent (this was just my experience others may differ).

Didn't get to play with the unit at all yet but so far i'm happy with the results. The trim removal / install is by far the biggest pain point for me (as Ray described in the video) so do take your time. I ended up cracking a couple of clips when trying to remove. Definitely harder than I expected.

 

A reseller and a retailer are the same thing where I come from. Semantics...

How you portray yourself in response to any kind of criticism is consistently over the top, perceiving slights that don’t exist.

You’re not the only third-party reseller on the planet selling Merryway Products or providing them with feedback (or posting on forums and producing YouTube videos).

If you want to run a successful small business then I suggest you seek out some marketing advice.

Maybe even have a look at the guys at Powerful UK. I don’t see Simon moaning about folk using his videos without making a purchase or asking for Paypal donations on his site and I certainly don’t see him alienating himself to potential customers by attacking people on forums.

You have much to learn about how to cultivate goodwill on social media outside of those who have already purchased a product.

...and I know you have the answer because on one of your vids you have a unit set up on the bench plugged into a PSU but you chose to ignore my question because you’re too shortsighted to see beyond the immediate return. “I’m not a customer so why should you help me?” Rather than realise that continued snd helpful engagement online is what increases your conversion rate amongst the silent audience reading your posts to others.

I’ll have my answer next week when I get my car back. Maybe I’ll post up some guides and info to help ease your burden.

 

A reseller and a retailer are the same thing where I come from. Semantics...

You have a massive chip on your shoulder and it doesn’t do you any favours what-so-ever in terms of how you’re viewed by your potential customer base. Your attitude throughout this thread and how you portray yourself in response to any kind of criticism is consistently embarrassing.

You’re not the only third-party reseller on the planet selling Merryway Products or providing them with feedback (or posting on forums and producing YouTube videos).

If you want to run a successful small business then I suggest you seek out some marketing advice.

Maybe even have a look at the guys at Powerful UK. I don’t see Simon bitching and moaning about folk using his videos without making a purchase or asking for Paypal donations on his site and I certainly don’t see him alienating himself to potential customers by attacking people on forums.

You have much to learn about how to cultivate goodwill on social media outside of those who have already purchased a product.

...and I know you have the answer because on one of your vids you have a unit set up on the bench plugged into a PSU but you chose to ignore my question because you’re too shortsighted so only look for the immediate return. “I’m not a customer so why should you help me?” Rather than realise that continued snd helpful engagement online is what increases your conversion rate amongst the silent audience reading your posts to others.

I’ll have my answer next week when I get my car back. Maybe I’ll post up some guides and info to help ease your burden.

NICE! Everyone please give this guy some attention because he clearly needs it. I think you're the only one here with a chip on his shoulder so I definitely don't need any marketing advise from you. I'm sure anyone from this forum that has dealt with me directly will tell you that I'm an easy going guy and I've been very helpful to even some that didn't purchase from me...if they came with the right approach.

As far as me having a look at guys at powerfulUK or being more like Simon. Well, Simon and I are from 2 different worlds. Furthermore, powerfulUK has been in business for a long time and I have purchased many items from them to show support for the work that they put into making helpful videos. They also make a good profit from the videos that they produce. I also have to say that every Land Rover that I've owned over the past 10 years has had powerfulUK products on it...thousands of dollars spent over the years. Simon will confirm this for me.

My situation is totally different. I am a retired disabled veteran who works from home. I don't make any money at all from the videos that I post. I'm only committed to sell the Merryway brand units on my website right now due to an agreement I have with the owner of Merryway. I spend a lot of time communicating with the owner and engineers at Merryway along with numerous hours daily helping customers over the phone or via text. This whole business venture for me was not something that was planned. I actually just stumbled up on it by looking to upgrade the infotainment system in my own Range Rover. You can do a search on the L405 side of this forum to see how it all started. Before that, I was just a regular forum member doing my part to contribute helpful information to the forum...but after successfully installing the Android unit in my own Range Rover, I knew it was something that the Range Rover community would be interested in as much as I was. Being somewhat of a Range Rover enthusiast and being disappointed in the factory infotainment screen in my L405, I just knew this Android unit would be a success if I could sell it here in the USA and I was right.

Now in the beginning, I did not ship outside the USA but I started getting a lot of messages from the UK and other countries so that's when I figured that I need to sell globally. This also turned out to be a good decision because it seems that about 25% of the units that I sell are shipped to the UK, another 20% shipped to other countries, 40% shipped to other states here in the USA and around 15% sold here in my home state of California. Yes, I may have much to learn about dealing with people on social media but judging by the reviews on my website and even some reviews on this forum, I think I've done pretty well so far. But I've also learned that you can't satisfy everyone no matter how helpful you try to be. Sometimes I feel like I should just stop posting any information at all regarding the Android units and go back to being a regular forum member...but that wouldn't be fair to the forum members that have supported me throughout this process.

 

For those that want to do the same as me and set this up on your desk before install, you do not need to installed the OEM boards first.

Take the loose yellow and red wires and join them together and connect this to the +positive of your 12v power supply and connect the black GND wire to the -Negative of your power supply.

Merryway (the manufacturer) support very kindly supplied me with this info when I asked them.

I’m going to experiment and see if I can use the Android tools that have been developed for the BMW and Mercedes versions of this unit can be used to customise it. I’ll report back with any progress I make in a separate thread.

 

moonstone, you are more than welcome to post your findings here in this thread but let me just say that this particular information that you just provided is misleading. There's no way to set this unit up without installing the factory boards from the original screen and connecting it to the vehicle. Yes, there are some settings that you can change by powering it up on a test bench but it's pointless until you actually have the boards installed and connected to the vehicle. I'm sure you will find that out as you make progress on your install. I actually provide a setup guide to all of my customers.

 

I'm talking about setting up the preferences in the Android unit itself, installing and configuring apps, accounts etc. Basically the Android tablet side of things which I'm half way through doing as we speak.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't be concerned about that but I guess there's nothing wrong with doing that if it's important to you. Setting up your account and installing apps is the fun/easy part so I prefer to do that after I make sure that everything is installed and functioning properly.

 

Something interesting that I've discovered is that on the bench, if you keep the power supply connected to the yellow DVR/B+ wire (which is connected to all of the other yellow power wires in the loom) and GND but disconnect the red ACC wire the screen powers off but the unit maintains its current state so that when you reconnect the ACC wire, there's no boot-up, the system is already on.

On the main connector there are only four red wires:

1. ACC
2. A USB related red wire
3. Red wire coming from the splice connector that goes to the DVD unit
4. Red wire that's part of the Yellow phono plug wiring for the aftermarket camera inputs

So by elimination the only one that could be providing an ignition live from the cars wiring loom is the (3). If that proves to be the case (easy enough to check with a voltmeter) that means that if we remove (1) and (3) above from the connector and put (3) into (1)s original location that should replicate the behaviour above in the car. i.e. no waiting long times for the unit to boot up.

The possible downside is how much current is the unit pulling from the battery when it's in this sleep state? If it proves to be too much then there's a risk that it can run the battery down. But we could always wire up a small, rechargeable 12v 5a battery inline to protect against this (much like they do with dashcams).

 

Something interesting that I've discovered is that when you keep the power supply connected to the yellow DVR/B+ wire and GND but discconect the red ACC wire the screen powers off but the unit maintains its current state so that when you reconnect the ACC wire, there's no boot-up, the system is already on.

I wonder is there's scope for modifying the connections to replicate this behaviour in the car. Depending on how much current it draws in this mode, you could have it wired to 12v5amp rechargeable battery to protect the vehicle battery from the load when the car is asleep.

I notice that with the ACC wire disconnected there is still power going to the main connector that powers the OEM board. Can't be that difficult to wire it up to a constant live and an ignition live surely.

Have you waited a bit to see if that changes? I’ve seen some YouTube demos where the installer claims “we just had this on, which is why it boots right up and isn’t showing the logo this time.” On that note, how long did it take for your first startup?