az3579
12-30-2014, 04:17 AM
Eonon GA5150 User Review
by Botond Pal
Introduction
The Eonon GA5150 is an in-car multimedia system running an Android 4.2.2 (Jellybean) OS that incorporates features more commonly found on newer vehicles. It brings functionality that may have been left out from the factory on older vehicles and integrates it into the systems of an older vehicle so its capabilities are closer to its newer counterpart.
Fitment
The Eonon unit is a similar physical size as the OE BMW factory navigation system. It fits perfectly into the slot where an OE unit may be installed. It also is a mostly plug & play retrofit for a vehicle that does not have factory navigation installed and requires very minimal alterations to make the unit function in such a vehicle.
For the purposes of this review, it should be known that the vehicle it is currently installed in did not have factory navigation installed prior to this retrofit; instead it had the OE BMW Business CD radio installed with a Dension Gateway 300 iPod integration kit.
Fit and Finish
The fitment of the Eonon unit is nearly identical to OE. It does seem to sit farther in the slot than an OE unit would. My guess is that it has something to do with the tabs that you're supposed to put screws in. The tabs can either be installed on top of the center vent tabs or behind them. If you install the unit with the tabs on top of the center vent tabs, you can't help but feel like you're bending the tabs when you tighten the screws in. The screws do not thread much if installed in this configuration, though the unit itself sits perfectly flush with the dash this way. If you install the unit with the tabs underneath the vent tabs, then the unit sits a little farther in the dash but the tabs secure perfectly with the screws. Personally, I installed it this way as my OE radio sat in a similar fashion prior to this install and I was perfectly content with it that way. One might not even notice the difference, so it is not really an issue.
The feel of the buttons is slightly better than the OE navigation. The buttons on the OE navigation feel slightly looser in comparison to this unit, though this may be due to the age difference in the units. The buttons have a nice solid feel to them, and require a little effort to push in properly. There are two knobs on the unit in the same locations as an OE unit. The left knob controls both volume and is a power on/off switch. The right knob is a rocker switch and does not have resistive clicks like the left knob does. This is only used to highlight items on the screen by twisting the knob left and right, and cannot be pushed in.
From a visual perspective, the unit overall looks better than OE, in my opinion. The only thing that would make one think that it's not an OE unit is the text on the buttons; they are a very slight mismatch to the rest of the buttons that have text inside the cabin. This is barely noticeable and doesn't bother me at all since it is close enough.
When the lights are turned on, the way the buttons are lit up is absolutely perfect. The color is exactly the same as the lighting for other buttons elsewhere in the interior. The color of the buttons on the Eonon can be adjusted from the unit, and is highly customizable. When the unit is turned off, however, the backlighting on all of the buttons also turns off, so it's as though it's just one big black hole in the middle of your dash while everything else, such as HVAC controls and window switches, stay lit. I feel this is a cheap look and wish they would allow the buttons to stay lit with the rest of the interior lighting when the Eonon unit is turned off.
The screen is a nice capacitive touchscreen. It is very responsive to touch and you rarely have to touch something twice for it to register. Scrolling works effectively as well due to the responsive screen. The screen is multitouch, so you are able to do things such as pinch zoom in and out of maps when in navigation mode. The screen does not have any automated brightness control; all brightness settings are manually controlled within the "Brightness" menu in the Android OS settings. This can get annoying since the screen does not adjust on its own at night. More on this later on in this post.
Functionality
This unit is capable of many functions that our vehicles did not have from the factory. For a full listing of unit features, please visit this page:
http://www.eonon.com/Car-DVD-Players/Android-Car-DVD/GA5150.html
Some of the functions I used during my testing period include:
* Navigation (GPS)
* iPod connectivity
* Third party app installations
* WiFi Hotspot connectivity (using built-in WiFi receiver)
* Bluetooth connectivity
* Built-in microphone
* Reverse camera (this was an option, not included with unit)
* Steering wheel controls
* Radio tuner
* Custom color for lit buttons
Features that I did not test due to never having to use them or not having a chance to:
* CD/DVD player (will test shortly and update this post)
* Screen mirroring (I do not have an Android-based phone and wouldn't use this feature even if I did)
* USB/MicroSD card music playback (will test shortly and update this post)
* Remote
The unit has 9 actual buttons:
* Navi - this is a shortcut button that takes you to whatever app you have set as your default navigation app
* Mute - this mutes all sound
* Band - I haven't tried this button - will have to test and update this post
* AMS - I do not know what this button does; I have not yet looked it up. It does nothing when pushed, as configured out of the box
* Eject (for CD/DVD)
* DVD - I believe this would take you to the app to watch a DVD, but I have not yet tested this
* Home - this takes you to the Home screen, same function as on an Android phone
* Back arrow - this allows you to take a step back, same function as on an Android phone
* Power on/off - this is the left knob when pushed in
Slots/connectors/ports include:
* CD/DVD slot (with LEDs on the sides of the slot to guide insertion of the disc in the dark, just like OE)
* (2) MicroSD slots, one for GPS navigation and the other for general storage
* Openings for the built-in microphone
* Mini USB for use with the supplied dongle
--- Functionality - Android Operating System
The OS is Android 4.2.2 Jellybean. Personally I am not a fan of the Android operating system as it has always been buggy with every Android phone I've owned. The OS on this device runs very smoothly and so far hasn't frozen on its own. I have had some weird and random errors come up on the unit, however. One started right from the start, where something would randomly crash in the background and give an error message. This error used to come up constantly the first couple of days I've had it, but has since subsided. Update: Since updating the unit to Kit Kat, I have not received the errors for a long time now. It has been approximately two months that I've applied the update with no issues so far.
One thing I am not happy about is that it has no Screen Off feature to turn the screen off. Since it doesn't have automatic brightness dimming, I need to shut the screen off at night as it is terribly distracting even on the lowest brightness. Unfortunately, I had to download an app to accomplish this. This is covered a little more under the "Third Party Apps" section. Update: I have found the hidden function to turn the screen off. Press and hold the MUTE button for 1-2 seconds and the screen will turn itself off while leaving on whatever audio is playing. To only mute the audio and not turn off the screen, just press the button once and let go immediately.
A full system boot from a cold start will take approximately 30-35 seconds. I am very disappointed in the boot time; this feels like an eternity in the morning when I'm in the car and ready to go to work. When the ignition is turned on, you will see the Android Jellybean splash screen for about 3 seconds. After that, you'll see the BMW logo flashing for the remainder for the bootup time.I believe units such as the Avin Avant 2 allow you to specify a "sleep mode" timeout, where the unit stays in sleep mode instead of a full power off, and it will stay there for a specified amount of time before shutting itself off so it doesn't kill your car's battery. The GA5150 does not seem to have this option, so it performs a full shutdown once the car is turned off. Having a sleep mode feature like this would make short trips around town considerably less annoying.
As soon as the OS is loaded, it is immediately usable, with no apparent lag between you tapping an icon and it opening. Screens switch smoothly and accurately. You can control various system settings in the Settings menu and it looks similar to the Android OS on a mobile phone, so it should be very familiar to those running Android phones.
With the exception of the bootup time and the random, very occasional phantom error messages, I'm happy with the way the OS operates. The errors do get annoying the few times they come up, but are quickly dismissed with a tap of the 'OK' button. Update: The errors no longer come up with the Kit Kat update.
--- Functionality - Navigation (GPS)
The GPS receiver supplied with this unit worked flawlessly every time I tried to use it. It always provided an accurate location and never made my position on the screen "jump" around. I have not yet driven in the city with the navigation, however, so I do not know how well the location will be portrayed with the signal bouncing around buildings. So far I have only used navigation on backroads and on major interstates in Southern and Western Connecticut. The receiver was mounted behind the instrument cluster on a little raised section inside the dash. It fit in there perfectly and required no tape or anything to hold it in place because it squeezed into that spot as though that location was designed for it. The wire was run through the inside of the dash to the head unit.
The software used for navigation was the built-in Google Maps. I made sure Google Maps was updated by connecting my personal hotspot on my phone to my head unit. You are able to receive updates for your apps, including navigation, through the Play Store, exactly the same way as you would your Android smart phone.
Unfortunately, Google Maps didn't work quite as reliably as I had hoped in the time I've used it. Over the course of a week, Google Maps had crashed on me numerous times. I have never had an issue with Google Maps on my iPhone prior to installing this unit, so I do not believe it is a bug with the application, but I could still be wrong considering this is a different platform than iOS. Regardless, Google Maps still randomly crashes with an error, forcing me to relaunch the application. It ususally happens when I try to input my current location using the "My Current Location" feature. During the process of acquiring my location, it would sometimes crash. This does not happen every time and it appears to be random and not very frequent. Google maps ususally gets the job done though.
Update: Since the Kit Kat update, Google Maps has worked flawlessly.
--- Functionality - iPod/USB/MicroSD Connectivity
The unit has the capability of USB, MicroSD, or iPod connectivity. You can load music or media onto these devices and play them from the head unit provided you use the correct cable or media. So far, I have tested the iPod and USB options.
The iPod integration cable features a 30-pin standard Apple connector for use with older iPhone/iPod devices that do not use a Lightning connector. This is an outdated design and am surprised that a Lightning cable is not provided or supported at this time. It functions well enough, but I do have a big gripe.
After starting the head unit and launching the iPod app, it takes quite a while for the iPod to become available for use. It must find "find" the iPod, which probably takes a good 15-20 seconds. This just adds to the already irritatingly long bootup time for those who use iPod functionality constantly like I do. Once it has been detected, you can browse by Artist, Album, or Playlist. The menus are responsive and there is no delay in selecting items once the iPod has been detected. Songs play immediately once you select them, and they can be played/paused or skipped forward or backward. There is no functionality that allows you to fast forward/reverse in a song. Skipping songs and volume can be controlled via the steering wheel as well. If a song is playing and the vehicle is shut off, the iPod control will launch automatically upon the unit powering back on and will start that song over from the beginning once the iPod is detected. It does not pause the song and resume where it left off; it will start it over from the beginning. One last thing to top it all off: when the iPod connects and is waiting for you to make a selection, there is a clearly audible "dead noise" you can hear from the speakers, kind of like how audio cassettes (yes I'm old enough to remember these!) used to start off with some staticy noise before it would play any audio. This is quite noticeable while you're trying to make your selection, but once music is selected, you can no longer hear it, even if the music is very low and quiet. As long as the car is moving, you can't hear this noise at all due to all the background noise; it's only apparent when the car is stationary.
Also provided is a mini USB to full USB dongle for connecting USB devices to the head unit. The dongle is needed because the USB connector on the head unit is a mini USB connector. I have not yet tested this feature; I have to clean out a USB stick and put some songs on to it to try this out. I did, however, test this with my iPhone to see if it would charge it, which it did. The charging, however, was extremely slow and do not recommend it for just charging.
There is a slot available for micro SD card storage. I have not yet tested this functionality.
Update: I have tested music playback on the MicroSD card. It recognizes music on the card and plays the music, but the ID Tags do not show up. Instead, it only shows the actual filename of the song. This feature would be a lot more useful if it showed the ID Tags properly...
--- Functionality - Radio
There is a radio function accessible on the home screen of the unit. It is a nice looking screen, though it is a bit busy and has a little "too much" on it, IMO. I'm not bothered with the way it looks, but I am bothered by the lack of radio reception. Since switching over to the Eonon unit, my radio reception took a big hit. There is a particular station that I like to listen to on the way to work, which was fine most of the way there when I had my factory radio. Now, I can't listen to it at all as the amount of static is unbearable. There is another station that I received perfect reception on with my factory unit that now is fine "most of the time" but still gets static in spots where it has always been perfect previously. Since I like to listen to a particular radio show in the morning, I am extremely peeved by this lost functionality, and now have to listen to it via iHeartRadio streaming through Bluetooth.
You have your usual capability of programming stations, and some stations will display song information, though not very well. A lot of times I can't make out what it's trying to display, where it worked fine with the stock radio.
I have not tested AM radio, only FM.
--- Functionality - Third Party Apps
The beauty of the Android operating system is that it is very flexible. You can get apps from the Play Store, just like on your mobile phone. Since Android is wildly popular, you are able to get an app for just about anything, though there is a caveat.
The first thing I did when I started to play around with the unit is to look for navigation software. As you read in the Navigation section, there were lots of apps that did not give an Install option because they were deemed "incompatible" with my unit. There were also some apps that didn't show up at all in the Play Store for the same reason. There appears to be a workaround for this, which I have yet to test. I will update this post when I try it and have my findings.
Apps that I have installed include numerous navigation apps (which I subsequently deleted after finding they were inadequate), Google Chrome, and a program called Screen Off. Since there is no built-in feature for turning the screen off nor is there any feature for auto-dimming the screen at night, this last app was an absolute must. Unfortunately, after using this app for a little while now, I can conclude that the system doesn't like it. It will randomly reboot the entire unit after powering off the screen for a minute or two. When it reboots is random, and doesn't always reboot, but it does it often enough for it to be irritating. This is a feature Eonon really needs to include in a future update.
I attempted to obtain navigation software for this unit from the Play Store and have encountered endless frustration. I am mainly yearning for a navigation app that utilizes offline maps so I don't have to connect my Hotspot every time to use the nav. There is an extremely limited selection of navigation apps for this unit out-of-the-box that have offline map capability. Most of the apps I wanted to use didn't show up in the Play Store because they are "not compatible" with this unit, according to the page for the app, so I was stuck with whatever was available in the store due to the above mentioned issue. The apps I did find that worked right away were terrible. I used my place of employment as the test for whether the app is worth its salt and none of the apps (after downloading the map for Connecticut) even registered the road that it's on, which is a major road that feeds this company of thousands. Every time used navigation, I had to rely on Google Maps to get me wherever I needed to go, which unfortunately requires a data connection to function.
Once I try the workaround and obtain a decent navigation app that has offline maps, I will update this post.
--- Functionality - WiFi
There is a built-in WiFi receiver in this unit. It did not come with an external antenna that you can plug in.
So far, I have found the WiFi performance disappointing. When I launch a hotspot from my phone, it doesn't always pick it up, and I have to constantly cycle the WiFi on/off button on the unit and on my phone before it will finally realize that the hotspot isn't truly "out of range". It doesn't always do this, however; sometimes it will pick it up immediately and connect to it. When it works, it connects to the hotspot automatically.
I have also tried the Wifi with my home WiFi connection. This is where the range of the WiFi really starts to show its weakness. My wireless router is in my room on the second floor of a house. The driveway is literally attached to the house, so my car is parked directly underneath my window. The wireless will show 1-2 "bars" when parked as close as humanly possible, a distance of less than 20 feet. For reference, my laptop, which also has a built-in wireless antenna, picks up all 5 bars in the same location.
While the Eonon unit is connected to my home wireless connection, it is dog slow. Downloading a 100MB map took well over 20 minutes when connected to my home WiFi, whereas it took less than 3 minutes while connected to my phone's hotspot feature. WiFi performance on my laptop is fine, connected to the same network, taking just a few short minutes to download a similarly sized file.
--- Functionality - Bluetooth
Bluetooth has been one feature that I have been very pleased with. It was very easy to pair with my phone using the default passcode. You can change the name that is displayed for the unit in the Bluetooth list as well as change the passcode if you wish to use something different. As long as I leave Bluetooth enabled on my phone, it will immediately connect to the Eonon as soon as it boots up. Streaming music through Bluetooth also works well. The sound quality is fine and it isn't obvious that it's Bluetooth from a quality perspective. For reference, my phone is an Apple iPhone 5S.
I've only made one call with it so far while driving. I heard the person on the other end just fine through the car's speakers, but they said there was a lot of background noise on my end. The microphone is built in to the unit with no external one provided, so it was a bit distant from my mouth. If I spoke up a bit, then the other person heard me just fine despite the background noise. I would consider this "acceptable" for occasional use. I rarely talk on the phone while in the car, so for my purposes this works out perfectly. You may struggle a little bit if you talk on the phone in the car all the time because you'll find yourself repeating yourself and/or having to speak with an elevated voice for the other party to understand you.
--- Functionality - Reverse Camera (optional)
When I purchased the GA5150, I opted to buy the A0119 Reverse Camera as well. Since my car doesn't have PDC and I can't park within 2 feet of an object front to back to save my life, this was a must for me. The picture quality is mediocre at best, but it is more than adequate to get the job of parking done. There are blue lines on the screen that give you a relative distance to your obstacle, but the distances will vary depending on how you mount your camera. For me, I know that the closest line is about 6 inches away, which is as close as I'd want to get anyway.
When you first start the car and the Eonon unit is booting up (on the splash screen), activating reverse gear will immediately display the camera's picture. This is very well implemented as you do not have to wait for the unit to boot to be able to use the camera. While the camera's picture is active, the unit continues to boot in the background.
I have zero complaints about the rear camera's functionality! Update: Except, of course, the backup camera has stopped working. I haven't got a clue why, and it's too damn cold out for me to give a hoot, so I'll have to look at this in the spring time. [sigh]
Price, Ordering, and Packaging
I purchased this unit as part of a Group Buy on E46Fanatics. The GB price was $375, not including the camera. There was a Group Buy price for the camera as well, however, for $25 additional. I bought both together for $400.
Regular pricing for the GA5150 is $585 according to Eonon's website, with the camera retailing for $65. In total, I saved $250 off the listed prices on Eonon's website. There was a special link to follow to order at the GB rate, which was direct from their website.
Shipping was very quick; from the time I ordered it to the time I had it in hand, it was less than a week, shipping from Asia.
When purchasing the unit, I noticed that they didn't ask for shipping charges. I was a little confused but assumed that shipping was free since they made no mention whatsoever of shipping charges. I was wrong about the shipping...
Just a couple of days ago, I received a letter from FedEx with an invoice for $25.83! I had no clue what it was for but then I saw the ship from address. I knew the unit came from Asia, so that was the telltale. I was very surprised and displeased to get a letter like this. There should be no reason for surprises like this; shipping charges should be noted upfront when buying the unit. Interestingly, the letter mentioned customs, and said that items could potentially be held at customs until the invoice is paid. I received my unit a couple of weeks prior, so I am still confused by this letter. So, be warned; if you order this unit from Eonon, be prepared for some surprise delivery charges after-the-fact from FedEx.
The package the unit and wiring came in was as generic as they get. It didn't even say Eonon on it, just "Car Multimedia System" on it. It was well enough packaged and the unit had zero defects from shipping evident. The screen comes with a protective film on it. Since there are no bubbles from under the film, I elected to keep it on to protect the screen.
Conclusion
Overall, the Eonon GA5150 is a budget multimedia system that offers to upgrade lots of features of the car to more modern standards. Unfortunately, it is a "get what you pay for" item; its price is lower than some of the competition, but rightfully so. There is a lot of tinkering involved to get it to work optimally, but for the person who is willing to put forth the time and effort to fix a lot of the issues that plague the unit out of the box, this could prove to be a pretty good deal for a unit that "does it all", so to speak. It is robust and gives you options for even more uses if you feel so inclined (such as the Torque app that comes preinstalled), and with the things that do work perfectly every time, it does have some redeeming qualities that makes it a decent contender in a sea of generic aftermarket head unit replacements.
My personal overall rating: 6.5/10. I would rate the iDrive system in a F30 at a 9.0/10, for comparison's sake.
If there is something you would like me to test for you, please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you. Any findings would be posted here in this original post.
Pictures will be posted in the coming days.
by Botond Pal
Introduction
The Eonon GA5150 is an in-car multimedia system running an Android 4.2.2 (Jellybean) OS that incorporates features more commonly found on newer vehicles. It brings functionality that may have been left out from the factory on older vehicles and integrates it into the systems of an older vehicle so its capabilities are closer to its newer counterpart.
Fitment
The Eonon unit is a similar physical size as the OE BMW factory navigation system. It fits perfectly into the slot where an OE unit may be installed. It also is a mostly plug & play retrofit for a vehicle that does not have factory navigation installed and requires very minimal alterations to make the unit function in such a vehicle.
For the purposes of this review, it should be known that the vehicle it is currently installed in did not have factory navigation installed prior to this retrofit; instead it had the OE BMW Business CD radio installed with a Dension Gateway 300 iPod integration kit.
Fit and Finish
The fitment of the Eonon unit is nearly identical to OE. It does seem to sit farther in the slot than an OE unit would. My guess is that it has something to do with the tabs that you're supposed to put screws in. The tabs can either be installed on top of the center vent tabs or behind them. If you install the unit with the tabs on top of the center vent tabs, you can't help but feel like you're bending the tabs when you tighten the screws in. The screws do not thread much if installed in this configuration, though the unit itself sits perfectly flush with the dash this way. If you install the unit with the tabs underneath the vent tabs, then the unit sits a little farther in the dash but the tabs secure perfectly with the screws. Personally, I installed it this way as my OE radio sat in a similar fashion prior to this install and I was perfectly content with it that way. One might not even notice the difference, so it is not really an issue.
The feel of the buttons is slightly better than the OE navigation. The buttons on the OE navigation feel slightly looser in comparison to this unit, though this may be due to the age difference in the units. The buttons have a nice solid feel to them, and require a little effort to push in properly. There are two knobs on the unit in the same locations as an OE unit. The left knob controls both volume and is a power on/off switch. The right knob is a rocker switch and does not have resistive clicks like the left knob does. This is only used to highlight items on the screen by twisting the knob left and right, and cannot be pushed in.
From a visual perspective, the unit overall looks better than OE, in my opinion. The only thing that would make one think that it's not an OE unit is the text on the buttons; they are a very slight mismatch to the rest of the buttons that have text inside the cabin. This is barely noticeable and doesn't bother me at all since it is close enough.
When the lights are turned on, the way the buttons are lit up is absolutely perfect. The color is exactly the same as the lighting for other buttons elsewhere in the interior. The color of the buttons on the Eonon can be adjusted from the unit, and is highly customizable. When the unit is turned off, however, the backlighting on all of the buttons also turns off, so it's as though it's just one big black hole in the middle of your dash while everything else, such as HVAC controls and window switches, stay lit. I feel this is a cheap look and wish they would allow the buttons to stay lit with the rest of the interior lighting when the Eonon unit is turned off.
The screen is a nice capacitive touchscreen. It is very responsive to touch and you rarely have to touch something twice for it to register. Scrolling works effectively as well due to the responsive screen. The screen is multitouch, so you are able to do things such as pinch zoom in and out of maps when in navigation mode. The screen does not have any automated brightness control; all brightness settings are manually controlled within the "Brightness" menu in the Android OS settings. This can get annoying since the screen does not adjust on its own at night. More on this later on in this post.
Functionality
This unit is capable of many functions that our vehicles did not have from the factory. For a full listing of unit features, please visit this page:
http://www.eonon.com/Car-DVD-Players/Android-Car-DVD/GA5150.html
Some of the functions I used during my testing period include:
* Navigation (GPS)
* iPod connectivity
* Third party app installations
* WiFi Hotspot connectivity (using built-in WiFi receiver)
* Bluetooth connectivity
* Built-in microphone
* Reverse camera (this was an option, not included with unit)
* Steering wheel controls
* Radio tuner
* Custom color for lit buttons
Features that I did not test due to never having to use them or not having a chance to:
* CD/DVD player (will test shortly and update this post)
* Screen mirroring (I do not have an Android-based phone and wouldn't use this feature even if I did)
* USB/MicroSD card music playback (will test shortly and update this post)
* Remote
The unit has 9 actual buttons:
* Navi - this is a shortcut button that takes you to whatever app you have set as your default navigation app
* Mute - this mutes all sound
* Band - I haven't tried this button - will have to test and update this post
* AMS - I do not know what this button does; I have not yet looked it up. It does nothing when pushed, as configured out of the box
* Eject (for CD/DVD)
* DVD - I believe this would take you to the app to watch a DVD, but I have not yet tested this
* Home - this takes you to the Home screen, same function as on an Android phone
* Back arrow - this allows you to take a step back, same function as on an Android phone
* Power on/off - this is the left knob when pushed in
Slots/connectors/ports include:
* CD/DVD slot (with LEDs on the sides of the slot to guide insertion of the disc in the dark, just like OE)
* (2) MicroSD slots, one for GPS navigation and the other for general storage
* Openings for the built-in microphone
* Mini USB for use with the supplied dongle
--- Functionality - Android Operating System
The OS is Android 4.2.2 Jellybean. Personally I am not a fan of the Android operating system as it has always been buggy with every Android phone I've owned. The OS on this device runs very smoothly and so far hasn't frozen on its own. I have had some weird and random errors come up on the unit, however. One started right from the start, where something would randomly crash in the background and give an error message. This error used to come up constantly the first couple of days I've had it, but has since subsided. Update: Since updating the unit to Kit Kat, I have not received the errors for a long time now. It has been approximately two months that I've applied the update with no issues so far.
One thing I am not happy about is that it has no Screen Off feature to turn the screen off. Since it doesn't have automatic brightness dimming, I need to shut the screen off at night as it is terribly distracting even on the lowest brightness. Unfortunately, I had to download an app to accomplish this. This is covered a little more under the "Third Party Apps" section. Update: I have found the hidden function to turn the screen off. Press and hold the MUTE button for 1-2 seconds and the screen will turn itself off while leaving on whatever audio is playing. To only mute the audio and not turn off the screen, just press the button once and let go immediately.
A full system boot from a cold start will take approximately 30-35 seconds. I am very disappointed in the boot time; this feels like an eternity in the morning when I'm in the car and ready to go to work. When the ignition is turned on, you will see the Android Jellybean splash screen for about 3 seconds. After that, you'll see the BMW logo flashing for the remainder for the bootup time.I believe units such as the Avin Avant 2 allow you to specify a "sleep mode" timeout, where the unit stays in sleep mode instead of a full power off, and it will stay there for a specified amount of time before shutting itself off so it doesn't kill your car's battery. The GA5150 does not seem to have this option, so it performs a full shutdown once the car is turned off. Having a sleep mode feature like this would make short trips around town considerably less annoying.
As soon as the OS is loaded, it is immediately usable, with no apparent lag between you tapping an icon and it opening. Screens switch smoothly and accurately. You can control various system settings in the Settings menu and it looks similar to the Android OS on a mobile phone, so it should be very familiar to those running Android phones.
With the exception of the bootup time and the random, very occasional phantom error messages, I'm happy with the way the OS operates. The errors do get annoying the few times they come up, but are quickly dismissed with a tap of the 'OK' button. Update: The errors no longer come up with the Kit Kat update.
--- Functionality - Navigation (GPS)
The GPS receiver supplied with this unit worked flawlessly every time I tried to use it. It always provided an accurate location and never made my position on the screen "jump" around. I have not yet driven in the city with the navigation, however, so I do not know how well the location will be portrayed with the signal bouncing around buildings. So far I have only used navigation on backroads and on major interstates in Southern and Western Connecticut. The receiver was mounted behind the instrument cluster on a little raised section inside the dash. It fit in there perfectly and required no tape or anything to hold it in place because it squeezed into that spot as though that location was designed for it. The wire was run through the inside of the dash to the head unit.
The software used for navigation was the built-in Google Maps. I made sure Google Maps was updated by connecting my personal hotspot on my phone to my head unit. You are able to receive updates for your apps, including navigation, through the Play Store, exactly the same way as you would your Android smart phone.
Unfortunately, Google Maps didn't work quite as reliably as I had hoped in the time I've used it. Over the course of a week, Google Maps had crashed on me numerous times. I have never had an issue with Google Maps on my iPhone prior to installing this unit, so I do not believe it is a bug with the application, but I could still be wrong considering this is a different platform than iOS. Regardless, Google Maps still randomly crashes with an error, forcing me to relaunch the application. It ususally happens when I try to input my current location using the "My Current Location" feature. During the process of acquiring my location, it would sometimes crash. This does not happen every time and it appears to be random and not very frequent. Google maps ususally gets the job done though.
Update: Since the Kit Kat update, Google Maps has worked flawlessly.
--- Functionality - iPod/USB/MicroSD Connectivity
The unit has the capability of USB, MicroSD, or iPod connectivity. You can load music or media onto these devices and play them from the head unit provided you use the correct cable or media. So far, I have tested the iPod and USB options.
The iPod integration cable features a 30-pin standard Apple connector for use with older iPhone/iPod devices that do not use a Lightning connector. This is an outdated design and am surprised that a Lightning cable is not provided or supported at this time. It functions well enough, but I do have a big gripe.
After starting the head unit and launching the iPod app, it takes quite a while for the iPod to become available for use. It must find "find" the iPod, which probably takes a good 15-20 seconds. This just adds to the already irritatingly long bootup time for those who use iPod functionality constantly like I do. Once it has been detected, you can browse by Artist, Album, or Playlist. The menus are responsive and there is no delay in selecting items once the iPod has been detected. Songs play immediately once you select them, and they can be played/paused or skipped forward or backward. There is no functionality that allows you to fast forward/reverse in a song. Skipping songs and volume can be controlled via the steering wheel as well. If a song is playing and the vehicle is shut off, the iPod control will launch automatically upon the unit powering back on and will start that song over from the beginning once the iPod is detected. It does not pause the song and resume where it left off; it will start it over from the beginning. One last thing to top it all off: when the iPod connects and is waiting for you to make a selection, there is a clearly audible "dead noise" you can hear from the speakers, kind of like how audio cassettes (yes I'm old enough to remember these!) used to start off with some staticy noise before it would play any audio. This is quite noticeable while you're trying to make your selection, but once music is selected, you can no longer hear it, even if the music is very low and quiet. As long as the car is moving, you can't hear this noise at all due to all the background noise; it's only apparent when the car is stationary.
Also provided is a mini USB to full USB dongle for connecting USB devices to the head unit. The dongle is needed because the USB connector on the head unit is a mini USB connector. I have not yet tested this feature; I have to clean out a USB stick and put some songs on to it to try this out. I did, however, test this with my iPhone to see if it would charge it, which it did. The charging, however, was extremely slow and do not recommend it for just charging.
There is a slot available for micro SD card storage. I have not yet tested this functionality.
Update: I have tested music playback on the MicroSD card. It recognizes music on the card and plays the music, but the ID Tags do not show up. Instead, it only shows the actual filename of the song. This feature would be a lot more useful if it showed the ID Tags properly...
--- Functionality - Radio
There is a radio function accessible on the home screen of the unit. It is a nice looking screen, though it is a bit busy and has a little "too much" on it, IMO. I'm not bothered with the way it looks, but I am bothered by the lack of radio reception. Since switching over to the Eonon unit, my radio reception took a big hit. There is a particular station that I like to listen to on the way to work, which was fine most of the way there when I had my factory radio. Now, I can't listen to it at all as the amount of static is unbearable. There is another station that I received perfect reception on with my factory unit that now is fine "most of the time" but still gets static in spots where it has always been perfect previously. Since I like to listen to a particular radio show in the morning, I am extremely peeved by this lost functionality, and now have to listen to it via iHeartRadio streaming through Bluetooth.
You have your usual capability of programming stations, and some stations will display song information, though not very well. A lot of times I can't make out what it's trying to display, where it worked fine with the stock radio.
I have not tested AM radio, only FM.
--- Functionality - Third Party Apps
The beauty of the Android operating system is that it is very flexible. You can get apps from the Play Store, just like on your mobile phone. Since Android is wildly popular, you are able to get an app for just about anything, though there is a caveat.
The first thing I did when I started to play around with the unit is to look for navigation software. As you read in the Navigation section, there were lots of apps that did not give an Install option because they were deemed "incompatible" with my unit. There were also some apps that didn't show up at all in the Play Store for the same reason. There appears to be a workaround for this, which I have yet to test. I will update this post when I try it and have my findings.
Apps that I have installed include numerous navigation apps (which I subsequently deleted after finding they were inadequate), Google Chrome, and a program called Screen Off. Since there is no built-in feature for turning the screen off nor is there any feature for auto-dimming the screen at night, this last app was an absolute must. Unfortunately, after using this app for a little while now, I can conclude that the system doesn't like it. It will randomly reboot the entire unit after powering off the screen for a minute or two. When it reboots is random, and doesn't always reboot, but it does it often enough for it to be irritating. This is a feature Eonon really needs to include in a future update.
I attempted to obtain navigation software for this unit from the Play Store and have encountered endless frustration. I am mainly yearning for a navigation app that utilizes offline maps so I don't have to connect my Hotspot every time to use the nav. There is an extremely limited selection of navigation apps for this unit out-of-the-box that have offline map capability. Most of the apps I wanted to use didn't show up in the Play Store because they are "not compatible" with this unit, according to the page for the app, so I was stuck with whatever was available in the store due to the above mentioned issue. The apps I did find that worked right away were terrible. I used my place of employment as the test for whether the app is worth its salt and none of the apps (after downloading the map for Connecticut) even registered the road that it's on, which is a major road that feeds this company of thousands. Every time used navigation, I had to rely on Google Maps to get me wherever I needed to go, which unfortunately requires a data connection to function.
Once I try the workaround and obtain a decent navigation app that has offline maps, I will update this post.
--- Functionality - WiFi
There is a built-in WiFi receiver in this unit. It did not come with an external antenna that you can plug in.
So far, I have found the WiFi performance disappointing. When I launch a hotspot from my phone, it doesn't always pick it up, and I have to constantly cycle the WiFi on/off button on the unit and on my phone before it will finally realize that the hotspot isn't truly "out of range". It doesn't always do this, however; sometimes it will pick it up immediately and connect to it. When it works, it connects to the hotspot automatically.
I have also tried the Wifi with my home WiFi connection. This is where the range of the WiFi really starts to show its weakness. My wireless router is in my room on the second floor of a house. The driveway is literally attached to the house, so my car is parked directly underneath my window. The wireless will show 1-2 "bars" when parked as close as humanly possible, a distance of less than 20 feet. For reference, my laptop, which also has a built-in wireless antenna, picks up all 5 bars in the same location.
While the Eonon unit is connected to my home wireless connection, it is dog slow. Downloading a 100MB map took well over 20 minutes when connected to my home WiFi, whereas it took less than 3 minutes while connected to my phone's hotspot feature. WiFi performance on my laptop is fine, connected to the same network, taking just a few short minutes to download a similarly sized file.
--- Functionality - Bluetooth
Bluetooth has been one feature that I have been very pleased with. It was very easy to pair with my phone using the default passcode. You can change the name that is displayed for the unit in the Bluetooth list as well as change the passcode if you wish to use something different. As long as I leave Bluetooth enabled on my phone, it will immediately connect to the Eonon as soon as it boots up. Streaming music through Bluetooth also works well. The sound quality is fine and it isn't obvious that it's Bluetooth from a quality perspective. For reference, my phone is an Apple iPhone 5S.
I've only made one call with it so far while driving. I heard the person on the other end just fine through the car's speakers, but they said there was a lot of background noise on my end. The microphone is built in to the unit with no external one provided, so it was a bit distant from my mouth. If I spoke up a bit, then the other person heard me just fine despite the background noise. I would consider this "acceptable" for occasional use. I rarely talk on the phone while in the car, so for my purposes this works out perfectly. You may struggle a little bit if you talk on the phone in the car all the time because you'll find yourself repeating yourself and/or having to speak with an elevated voice for the other party to understand you.
--- Functionality - Reverse Camera (optional)
When I purchased the GA5150, I opted to buy the A0119 Reverse Camera as well. Since my car doesn't have PDC and I can't park within 2 feet of an object front to back to save my life, this was a must for me. The picture quality is mediocre at best, but it is more than adequate to get the job of parking done. There are blue lines on the screen that give you a relative distance to your obstacle, but the distances will vary depending on how you mount your camera. For me, I know that the closest line is about 6 inches away, which is as close as I'd want to get anyway.
When you first start the car and the Eonon unit is booting up (on the splash screen), activating reverse gear will immediately display the camera's picture. This is very well implemented as you do not have to wait for the unit to boot to be able to use the camera. While the camera's picture is active, the unit continues to boot in the background.
I have zero complaints about the rear camera's functionality! Update: Except, of course, the backup camera has stopped working. I haven't got a clue why, and it's too damn cold out for me to give a hoot, so I'll have to look at this in the spring time. [sigh]
Price, Ordering, and Packaging
I purchased this unit as part of a Group Buy on E46Fanatics. The GB price was $375, not including the camera. There was a Group Buy price for the camera as well, however, for $25 additional. I bought both together for $400.
Regular pricing for the GA5150 is $585 according to Eonon's website, with the camera retailing for $65. In total, I saved $250 off the listed prices on Eonon's website. There was a special link to follow to order at the GB rate, which was direct from their website.
Shipping was very quick; from the time I ordered it to the time I had it in hand, it was less than a week, shipping from Asia.
When purchasing the unit, I noticed that they didn't ask for shipping charges. I was a little confused but assumed that shipping was free since they made no mention whatsoever of shipping charges. I was wrong about the shipping...
Just a couple of days ago, I received a letter from FedEx with an invoice for $25.83! I had no clue what it was for but then I saw the ship from address. I knew the unit came from Asia, so that was the telltale. I was very surprised and displeased to get a letter like this. There should be no reason for surprises like this; shipping charges should be noted upfront when buying the unit. Interestingly, the letter mentioned customs, and said that items could potentially be held at customs until the invoice is paid. I received my unit a couple of weeks prior, so I am still confused by this letter. So, be warned; if you order this unit from Eonon, be prepared for some surprise delivery charges after-the-fact from FedEx.
The package the unit and wiring came in was as generic as they get. It didn't even say Eonon on it, just "Car Multimedia System" on it. It was well enough packaged and the unit had zero defects from shipping evident. The screen comes with a protective film on it. Since there are no bubbles from under the film, I elected to keep it on to protect the screen.
Conclusion
Overall, the Eonon GA5150 is a budget multimedia system that offers to upgrade lots of features of the car to more modern standards. Unfortunately, it is a "get what you pay for" item; its price is lower than some of the competition, but rightfully so. There is a lot of tinkering involved to get it to work optimally, but for the person who is willing to put forth the time and effort to fix a lot of the issues that plague the unit out of the box, this could prove to be a pretty good deal for a unit that "does it all", so to speak. It is robust and gives you options for even more uses if you feel so inclined (such as the Torque app that comes preinstalled), and with the things that do work perfectly every time, it does have some redeeming qualities that makes it a decent contender in a sea of generic aftermarket head unit replacements.
My personal overall rating: 6.5/10. I would rate the iDrive system in a F30 at a 9.0/10, for comparison's sake.
If there is something you would like me to test for you, please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you. Any findings would be posted here in this original post.
Pictures will be posted in the coming days.