Phoenix Android Radio 7862 model.

[billfraley]

So, I know this is an unpopular brand and Chinese Android radios frustrate a lot of people. Having said that, I have been messing with these things for nearly a decade. I decided to pick one of these up for evaluation. I have 30 days to return it.

I will start by saying that installation is crazy simple. The7862 version of this radio provides adapters to use the OEM GPS, OEM USB, OEM Aux audio and OEM mics. This means all wiring is plug and play. The most difficult part was getting all those wires in the dash while pushing the unit into place.

The good news is that everything worked as soon as I turned it on. I did have to go into a setting to enable the OEM mics vs the internal mic on the unit faceplate. I placed some test calls and the performance/quality was so much better than any previous Android radio I have experience with. I am very happy with this aspect of the unit.

Audio quality was ok but after a few tweaks in the audio settings, DSP and other settings, plus tweaks with the EQ I have better sound than I did with the OEM radio. I do plan on further upgrades to the speakers, adding some type of Sub and an external amp. However, this is still an improvement without those additional upgrades.

This unit provides Apple CarPlay connectivity via wireless connection. It was fairly easy to get connected. One oddity is that once you are using CarPlay the wifi on the unit is unavailable. Kind of strange. But I prefer using hotspot and Android apps natively. CarPlay support is really good though.

I did have to open a case with tech support. The unit was not powering off when the door was opened and stayed on for 30 seconds after turning off the ignition. Phoenix provided an update to their CAN box and it is working like OEM now.

It has only been a week so I am still deciding if I will keep it. To be honest, so far I am quite happy with this radio. I came from the 7” uconnect and I found it underwhelming. I had the 8.4 in my previous 3 RAM trucks and would have been happier with one of those units vs the 7”. The screen is just too small for things like CarPlay.

I paid $503 shipped to my door. It was an open box and I was able to use a coupon. For this price it can’t be beat. I would still be happy at the regular price of $714 though.

Bottom line, this type of system may not be for everyone. I am highly technical and have been able to manage getting these units to work the way I want them too. I picked up the unit with Android 10, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. I still have some additional tweaks to do, including getting an image of my JEEP on the screen. But all in good time. Here are some pics:

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[amoyer_01]

Does it support an external satellite tuner?

 

[billfraley]

Does it support an external satellite tuner?

It would only support a standalone device. I have done that in the past. I am ok with just using my online subscription and the SiriusXM app.

I see that the linkswell gen 5 is going to support an external satellite module, but it doesn’t support the OEM GPS or OEM mics. That was more important to me.

 

[davidowens]

I have this same radio and am fairly happy with it as well. One thing that bugs me that I have been unable to resolve is the warning chimes for lane departure and rear park assist do not work. The lights still work for both, but I can't get the sound. Did you have this issue?

 

[billfraley]

I have this same radio and am fairly happy with it as well. One thing that bugs me that I have been unable to resolve is the warning chimes for lane departure and rear park assist do not work. The lights still work for both, but I can't get the sound. Did you have this issue?

I do not have those features in my Jeep to begin with. This is by design for me, having had those features in other vehicles I have determined I don’t like them.

Did you try to contact Phoenix? It may require and MCU or CAN update. Is it just the chime sound that is missing? Possibly a setting in one of the system menus where you have to provide a password to access?

If you want to PM me I am willing to help you troubleshoot it.

 

[Klicht87]

That's a nice unit! Is it quick at responding to commands, i.e...swiping and app selection?

 

[billfraley]

That's a nice unit! Is it quick at responding to commands, i.e...swiping and app selection?

Yes, very fast and responsive. 8 cores and 6GB RAM definitely helps.

 

[21Moja]

Yes, very fast and responsive. 8 cores and 6GB RAM definitely helps.

How reliant is this thing on wifi or any service at all? If Im in the middle of nowhere how much functionality would I lose?

 

[billfraley]

How reliant is this thing on wifi or any service at all? If Im in the middle of nowhere how much functionality would I lose?

It is at its essence an Android Tablet that is augmented for in car use. I have installed Sygic GPS software, which downloads maps locally and can be used in offline mode as needed. I also have music on a USB flash drive so I don’t need Wi-Fi for anything really.

When I have Wi-Fi I can use Waze, Google Maps and etc. Apps like Pandora will download songs and play those when network connectivity is unavailable.

If you want to use CarPlay or Android Auto it will need the same connectivity as any other unit.

 

[Benbean66]

This seems like a pretty cool unit. I have a base Sport. Will the heater controls display only the features I have? I do not have any bells or whistles, so will the HVAC display replicate that? Also, I have the 5.5" radio, so will the off-road pages and the like not be an option to display, since mine does not have those features?

 

[billfraley]

This seems like a pretty cool unit. I have a base Sport. Will the heater controls display only the features I have? I do not have any bells or whistles, so will the HVAC display replicate that? Also, I have the 5.5" radio, so will the off-road pages and the like not be an option to display, since mine does not have those features?

The HVAC may display more features than you have, but it will only work as it does currently. In other words, you will not have Auto AC if you don’t have it now. Same goes for heated seats, etc.
The off road pages screens are run through an app icon on the radio. They should open but things like the electronic locker or sway bar disconnect will not function. There are other apps for vehicles with track packages and even for the 4xE hybrid features. They do not program separate vehicle types on this unit so all apps are there.
I imagine you can add OEM features and use something like JScan to get them working with the radio itself. I may test this out by adding OEM Aux switches with the Mopar kit.

 

[Benbean66]

The HVAC may display more features than you have, but it will only work as it does currently. In other words, you will not have Auto AC if you don’t have it now. Same goes for heated seats, etc.
The off road pages screens are run through an app icon on the radio. They should open but things like the electronic locker or sway bar disconnect will not function. There are other apps for vehicles with track packages and even for the 4xE hybrid features. They do not program separate vehicle types on this unit so all apps are there.
I imagine you can add OEM features and use something like JScan to get them working with the radio itself. I may test this out by adding OEM Aux switches with the Mopar kit.

That would be awesome. I'll be following along to see what happens. I have JScan, and have been thinking about adding the oem switches as well. Thank you for answering my questions.

 

[AmosMoses]

Very cool. How fast does it boot up when you start the jeep? Also, does it support a front facing camera as well as the backup?

 

[billfraley]

Very cool. How fast does it boot up when you start the jeep? Also, does it support a front facing camera as well as the backup?

It boots up just as fast as UConnect from my perspective, but haven’t timed it.

It shows support for the front camera but I don’t have it to test functionality.

 

[ParatusExpeditions]

Retrofitted a radio that resemble that in my 96' F150. What I find finicky is the wireless carplay, the whole dongle situation to add, that custom app that connects but sometimes loses the signal or struggles connecting. I wouldn't call that seamless but does the job.

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