Evoque Owners Club banner

Android 10.25" Infotainment upgrade 😎

104K views 262 replies 41 participants last post by  Oboy  
#1 · (Edited)
Whilst facelifting my MY13 'Pure Tech' to a Dynamic (here), I decided to upgrade the OEM stock 8" JLR head unit to something more modern.


I have upgraded many car head units before, and even created my own (the 'Car PC' days) prior to Android head units existing. So I am used to the challenges and curve balls that surface throughout the install process. Some of you may be considering upgrading your own head unit, so I am documenting my install here - in the event it helps others.

Overview:

These Android 10.25" infotainment systems are manufactured in China and available on Aliexpress, eBay, etc. That said, there are many variations and models for sale. Most of them are the older models, but a few are the newer ones. I will go into the differences in more detail later, but in the main, the older models have a slower CPU, less RAM, storage and a lower resolution.

Before and after ...

8708


In the earlier Evoques there 2 main types of 8" head unit, one provided by Bosch and the other Harman. Mine is (was) a Bosch.

8709


Apparently, there is also a 5 inch model as well. These too can be upgraded to the 10.25" system.

8710


When ordering your 10.25" system, you need to specify which OEM head unit your car has.
 
#2 ·
Choosing the right model:

As mentioned above, despite all looking the same, there are many variations in spec between these Android 10.25” head units. A good visual indicator is the UI software that they use.

Older models:

8711


Newer models:

8713


Checking the hardware specifications is a better way to ensure you have the latest model. This is not guaranteed though, as the advertised specifications do often differ to what you receive. I.e., the specs are wrong.

SpecificationOlder modelsNewer models
Resolution1280 x 4801920 x 720
RAM2GB - 4GB6GB - 8GB
ROM (Storage)8GB - 16GB64GB – 128GB
Radio ChipNoYes


There are models with a mixture of the above specifications. When I trawled through dozens of these head units when trying to find the right one, I found that spotting those with a higher resolution was the best way to weed out the older models.

As mentioned, what you pay for might not be what you actually receive. In my case, I paid for a newer model with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. Whereas the model I received had only 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage. If it were Amazon, I would have returned it, but being Aliexpress, it would have taken a further 2 months or more to send it back and get a replacement – even if it were possible. In my case, I raised a dispute, and got £170 back after a couple of weeks.
 
#165 ·
Choosing the right model:

As mentioned above, despite all looking the same, there are many variations in spec between these Android 10.25” head units. A good visual indicator is the UI software that they use.

Older models:

View attachment 8711

Newer models:

View attachment 8713

Checking the hardware specifications is a better way to ensure you have the latest model. This is not guaranteed though, as the advertised specifications do often differ to what you receive. I.e., the specs are wrong.

SpecificationOlder modelsNewer models
Resolution1280 x 4801920 x 720
RAM2GB - 4GB6GB - 8GB
ROM (Storage)8GB - 16GB64GB – 128GB
Radio ChipNoYes


There are models with a mixture of the above specifications. When I trawled through dozens of these head units when trying to find the right one, I found that spotting those with a higher resolution was the best way to weed out the older models.

As mentioned, what you pay for might not be what you actually receive. In my case, I paid for a newer model with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. Whereas the model I received had only 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage. If it were Amazon, I would have returned it, but being Aliexpress, it would have taken a further 2 months or more to send it back and get a replacement – even if it were possible. In my case, I raised a dispute, and got £170 back after a couple of weeks.
[/QUOTE
Once I installed a new launcher (any one of Play store will do), it started playing out of the OEM car speakers.
thanks. I will try this once I get it installed.
You have the same OEM system as me, what connections do you use for transfer of the hard buttons to the touch screen? My kit has come with 2 possible leads for connecting the OEM lead to the Android white small plug. Not sure which to use and getting now reply from Robin Merryway.
 
#3 ·
Purchase and Delivery:

I bought the unit from a company called AOTSR on Aliexpress for £680. The actual unit that I bought is here. I notice that they have since updated the advert and changed some of the specifications. Maybe this is due to me raising the dispute. When purchasing the unit, I had to message them to say which OEM head unit I had, i.e. 5" or 8", Bosch or Harman. I provided a photo to be 100% sure it would be the right one.

I paid for 7 day expedited delivery, but regardless, it took just over a month to arrive. And all the while there was radio silence from the seller. Little or no response to my messages. Some sellers are good at communicating and after sales support, but AOTSR is one of the worst I have dealt with. My advice to anyone reading this, steer clear of this seller.

The item arrived well packaged in good condition, and I didn't have to pay any custom charges or import tax.
 
#4 ·
Installation and Setup:

Where do I start? Firstly, no instructions were included in the box. Not even a QR code to a video or webpage describing how to install the unit. I wish I grabbed some photos of the box contents, sadly I didn't. The main question mark at the time was the loom. It is massive, with so many offshoots, splices and connectors.

With no instructions, I contacted the seller who eventually pointed me towards a video.


Unfortunately, this only explains how to take your existing OEM unit and insert inside the new Android unit. It mentions nothing about the actual installation in the vehicle. After lots of Googling, I came across this video.


In the above video, it shows pretty clearly what needs to be removed from the dashboard to replace the head unit. That part took about half an hour, so I won't dwell on that. Pretty basic stuff.

Whilst this helped, it did not explain where each part of the loom is installed. I kept asking the seller for a wiring diagram, in the end they put me in touch with the manufacturer, "Merryway Robin". He did help out quite a bit via WhatsApp, explaining where each part of the loom connected. Unlike on older models of the Android 10.25" unit, this loom does not connect to the amplifier. Instead, it connects to the back of the CD/DVD player (in my car). Basically, you take the connector off the back of the CD/DVD player, insert the new loom, and then insert the original CD/DVD player connector into the female connector in the new loom, i.e. in series. Once I did that, it came to life.

Below shows the new unit installed, and displaying the OEM JLR screen, which provides access to all original functionality.

8714
 
#6 ·
Setup:

Once the new head unit is installed, there is still a bit of setup to do. Especially mapping the original 8 physical buttons to the new Android's version of that screen (see photo in the previous post #4). First thing is to go into the "Settings" of the Android unit, then select "Factory Settings", enter 666666 for the password.

8722


Select "Vehicles Choice". In here, you need to specify what OEM head unit you have. If its the same as mine in the first post, you can use these settings. The "Resolution" and "Car" choices are trial and error. The "Car1, Car 2, etc" choices are what maps the layout of the virtual buttons to the OEM buttons. If you get these wrong, the new buttons will not open the original function. E.g. Phone, Nav, etc. But again, if you get it wrong, keep trying until it is correct.

8720


This was a painful process, especially because I had no instrutions for setup. Sods law, I found one buried deep in some random thread after the install (attached).
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Issues, Bugs & Teething Problems:

As with a lot of Chinese head units retrofits, there are normally issues. This is definitely true of this upgrade. As days passed, I found more and more things that were either not working ... or I wasn't entirely happy with. I will try and capture these below.

Button Mapping - the original 8 physical buttons are mapped to 8 virtual buttons (or soft keys) with the new Android head unit (as described in the previous post #6). After much faff, all buttons worked except for the OEM "Setup" button. Despite informing the Merryway Robin (the manufacturer), it still isn't working. That said, I found if I click the time, it takes me to the OEM setup screen.

8725


Steering Wheel Controls - the advert suggests that its supports this, when in reality, the integration is poor. Assuming you have set your OEM JLR mode to AUX, you can control the volume and previous/next track. But that is it. As long as you have connected your phone to the OEM JLR headunit (which is now inside the Android head unit), then you can still use the phone controls on the steering wheel as normal. The downside is that you cannot see who is calling whilst in Android, unless you press the 'Original' tile on the screen - as this takes you back to the OEM display (and all OEM functionality). The "Mode" button still controls the OEM mode. I.e. it needs to be set to AUX in OEM to listen to any audio in Android. If you are in Android, and then press the mode button, you will toggle OEM mode from AUX to OEM radio - and not hear any Android sound, just the OEM radio. Because of the poor integration, simple things like going back to the previous screen is quite tricky. I have bought a Bluetooth button/remote which I can map to different commands in Android. E.g. back, up, down, enter, home.

8726


GPS signal - I first mounted the provided GPS module at the top of the windscreen behind the rearview mirror. This resulted in a very poor signal because of the heated windscreen. I moved it to the rear screen which improved the signal, but I still experience the odd drop in GPS connection. My guess is that they have bundled the cheapest GPS module on the market. I will be replacing it with a better one.

8727


Chinese UI - The tiled UI (in the photo above) that tries to mimic the JLR one (on the newer Evoques) is pants. It doesn't look bad in the adverts, but after a couple of days of use, I've realised how poor it is. Excuse the finger prints below, this was when I was installing it. "Navigation" takes you to Google Maps, but it is very tricky to go back to the Home screen. They include a floating 'Back' widget, but it is near impossible to see, let alone use when driving. The "Media" takes you to a sub-screen which just allows USB media (video/music). "Original" will take you to the OEM JLR screen. If you slide right on the Home screen, it will take you to a similar screen with "Apps", "Settings" and "Phone". "Apps" is good, allowing you access Play Store and any other app you've downloaded. "Phone" is terrible ... just awful. I have left my phone connected to the OEM JLR unit, so I can still use steering wheel controls to answer calls. I ended up installing a proper car launcher, as it works a lot better.

8729


Voice Assistant - the head unit comes with a Chinese voice assistant pre-installed. That is because China and Google don't play well. You can uninstall this and install Google Voice Assistant. This can be controlled using the voice assistant icon in the UI, but not using your steering wheel controls. That will still control your OEM voice assistant.

Bluetooth - if you decide to pair your phone to the Android device, then you cannot pair any other BT devices. Don't ask me why they have done it this way, but they have. Utterly ridiculous. E.g. if you want to pair your phone and an OBD2 reader. You can't. Basically, to pair a phone you have to select "BT Phone" in the settings. If you want to pair anything else that is not a phone, you have to select "BT Audio" in the settings. I have left it on the latter. I prefer having my phone connected to the OEM unit so I can retain steering wheel controls, and now I can connect as many BT devices (other than my phone) to the Android headunit.
 
#9 ·
Hardware:

As mentioned in the specifications in post #2. even if you choose the top spec, there is no guarantee that's what you'll receive. Even if that is what is says in Android Settings. Be wary. The Chinese sellers have a bad habit of doctoring the spec in the advert AND the editing the actual software to incorrectly report a better spec. I suspected this was the case with mine, but regardless, it doesn't harm checking ... just in case.

The unit I purchased was advertised as Android 10, with 128GB of storage. What I actually received was a 'hacked' Android 9 with only 64GB (of which 54GB is usable).

The seller was AOTSR, who sells on ebay, Amazon, Aliexpress and Alibaba. The manufacturer is Merryway Robin.

8730


8731


8732


The app I always use to detect modified device spec's ... aka "fakes" ... is 'Device Fake Test'. It is free and available from the Play Store. It was this evidence that helped get me a £170 refund following a 2 week dispute. My advice, always check to make sure you receive what you've paid for.

 
#12 ·
shame the performance of the unit doesnt match the looks
I know what you mean. As far as speed and functionality, it is fine. The device itself is very quick, and way more than enough power and storage than I will ever need. It boots up very quickly and allows me to do loads more than the OEM headunit. But ... where it lacks is integration. It does not integrate with the car well enough. I said this to the manufacturer, and he took offence 🤷‍♂️
 
#13 ·
No worries. I wanted folk to get a "warts and all" understanding of what these devices are really like. Don't get me wrong, overall they are better than a 2013 OEM headunit, but they fall quite a bit short of what's being advertised.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Hello and thanks for sharing this! I actually took the plunge and recently installed a very similar unit to yours in my 2015 Evoque. Unfortunately while it's a nice upgrade and I can take advantage of Apple CarPlay to integrate my iPhone, it has some issues. My thoughts are below but I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out with some of it :) (Sorry it's a bit long!)

8881


8882


I purchased the unit from AliExpress like yourself, from a different seller. It has almost similar specs to yours:
  • 720p resolution
  • 8GB RAM
  • 64GB storage (this was actually advertised)
  • Designed for the Bosch and NOT Harman system


The AliExpress seller has actually been very responsive and tried to answer all questions. I had to request instructions, although I was provided with a PDF that was for a slightly different setup and also missed out important steps, as well as the same video regarding taking apart the fascia as you received. However my model seems to be a 'newer variant' which requires less fiddling about and more plug n play. It didn't require pulling apart the logic board, you just lift the top part of the existing stereo off, then remove and attach the ribbon to the new unit.

I plugged in all cables that I could see were where they needed to be, but I had to look up aspects of several other videos to figure out that I also had to unplug the cables from DVD unit like yourself.

The only stray cables that were not plugged in anywhere were:
- The original lead that plugged into the old buttoned fascia to power the buttons. I was advised this is not needed.
- Several unused leads coming out of the harness/loom that they provided (as I couldn't see anything else that could be plugged into them)


Problems:
  • Factory-fitted reversing camera will not display automatically outside the old original menu
  • Front sensor indicators do not automatically display on screen
  • Sensors on/off button (on the touch screen) does not work (seller advised me afterwards that it doesn't!)
  • HUD display above steering wheel stays permanently on 'Aux' and doesn't integrate with media displayed on the new unit
  • Steering wheel MODE button changes the audio source from the original menu, even if you're outside the original menu, which is frustrating and ends up disrupting what you're playing/doing if you press it by accident. Otherwise useless. It's functionality also cannot be changed
  • Steering wheel voice assistant cannot be changed to the Google (Android) or Siri (Apple) voice assistants, and when used anyway, no longer displays the available options on screen, so again useless. Cannot be changed
  • The tiny little floating translucent menu button to navigate through the different menus is ridiculous, difficult to use and definitely dangerous to try and use when driving. If they had just included 1 real button or mapped one of the available buttons to move between menus, this would have been much better
  • The DVD player buttons don't seem to work any longer. The skip left and right buttons don't function anything outside the original menu. I expected them to skip tracks in CarPlay but they do nothing
 
#16 ·
Where the heck do I start 😕 Brownie points for such a first post 👍

However my model seems to be a 'newer variant' which requires less fiddling about and more plug n play. It didn't require pulling apart the logic board, you just lift the top part of the existing stereo off, then remove and attach the ribbon to the new unit.
If you have any PDFs or links to show me, that would make it easier to try and help (not that I am sure that I can).
The only stray cables that were not plugged in anywhere were:
- The original lead that plugged into the old buttoned fascia to power the buttons. I was advised this is not needed.
- Several unused leads coming out of the harness/loom that they provided (as I couldn't see anything else that could be plugged into them)
Hmmm, sounds odd to me. The the "Keys" cable (as they refer to it as) controls the button presses from the OEM 8 physical buttons to all the specific commands. See the last photo in post #3. When you remove the dash, you have to remove that cable from the right hand side of the unit, but on the rear of the fascia in the dashboard panel. I had to plug that into the supplied wiring loom so that the 'virtual' buttons on the supplied unit worked. Do your 8 virtual buttons actually work? E.g. home, setup, parking, screen on/off, mode, etc.
I had several leads left over in the wiring loom, most of these are for DVR and headrest TVs though (which I don't have).
Factory-fitted reversing camera will not display automatically outside the old original menu
Mine does work everytime I put it into reverse. That said, it stopped working when I started messing with the "Vehicles Choice" in post #6. If you have that setting, try spending some time with that (it took me an age until I found the right combo). Basically, the wrong combo ended up with stuff that was working, not working. Sadly, there is no science to this. It is tap, tap, tap (curse) and repeat.
Front sensor indicators do not automatically display on screen
Sensors on/off button (on the touch screen) does not work (seller advised me afterwards that it doesn't!)
You mention sensors a few times. Do you the OEM parking sensor screen? If so these work for me, on the original screen only.
HUD display above steering wheel stays permanently on 'Aux' and doesn't integrate with media displayed on the new unit
Steering wheel MODE button changes the audio source from the original menu, even if you're outside the original menu, which is frustrating and ends up disrupting what you're playing/doing if you press it by accident. Otherwise useless. It's functionality also cannot be changed
Steering wheel voice assistant cannot be changed to the Google (Android) or Siri (Apple) voice assistants, and when used anyway, no longer displays the available options on screen, so again useless. Cannot be changed
Don't start me off. It's utter pants. Talk about false advertisment. There are other workarounds to try (but not ideal). You can get bluetooth buttons that can control any commands you map them too. But it's not without its flaws. My setup is left on 'AUX' now. I just try not to touch the 'Mode' button on the steering wheel.
The tiny little floating translucent menu button to navigate through the different menus is ridiculous, difficult to use and definitely dangerous to try and use when driving. If they had just included 1 real button or mapped one of the available buttons to move between menus, this would have been much better
100% agree and was what I said to the manufacturer, who didn't take the feedback well. He actually said I shouldn't be trying to operate it whilst driving. I told him I wouldn't have to if the steering wheel buttons actually worked. You can installed 'Back Button' on the Play store, which is what I have done. It can be styled (big, bold and easy to find/press).
The DVD player buttons don't seem to work any longer.
I have a DVD player but don't use it. But the steering wheel forward/back buttons do work when playing music on my Android unit.
 
#15 ·
The reversing camera problem

The biggest issue being the compatibility with the factory fitted reversing camera. Sadly the reversing camera will not automatically appear on the screen as expected when the car is put into reverse, it does nothing. However, if I navigate manually through the menus to the original menu, I can see the camera feed like before. But that's pretty much useless, as it needs to appear automatically whatever screen I'm currently in. Weirdly, I can hear the sounds though from both the camera and front sensors.

8883

As you can see above the reversing camera works in the original menu only. But it does not appear automatically when I shift into reverse as it should, and I have to navigate manually through the different menus to access it.

After conversations with the seller and many people across Facebook groups and YouTube, although everything is setup, I just cannot seem to get the factory camera to work as it should. The seller says they cannot seem to think of a solution but believes that it may be because my car is manual! Which is interesting because I have only found 1 other person who has the same issue as me and they have a manual Evoque, while everyone else (including yourself) seem to have an automatic.

This leads me to believe that all these 10.25" Android units are designed primarily for automatic Evoques only, and not manual. I think perhaps that there's some sort of digital signal from the reverse selection on the automatic gearbox that triggers the Android unit into displaying the reverse camera, or perhaps some other different cabling.

There's a potential solution, but I'm concerned whether it's going to work or not due to the above. The seller suggested installing an aftermarket reversing camera which could use the yellow RCA lead within the provided harness. Although I'm a bit dubious as although it may display in the Android menus, I wonder whether it will actually be triggered correctly by the manual reverse signal. There's also a whole kit available with camera, additional module and cables that is designed for Evoques without a camera that I may need which is more expensive.

The difficulty is, no one seems to know enough about these units, even the people who sell them in Asia. And I don't know enough about the electronics of the Evoque to understand either. It's a nightmare. Unfortunately it just isn't good enough for me to not have the reversing camera working as it should, so either an aftermarket camera HAS to work (which I'd prefer not to do really) or the whole thing is getting uninstalled and I'm sending it back to Hong Kong!

-

Anyway, have you had an issues getting the reversing camera to work as it should? And if you have a factory fitted reversing camera, does it automatically display when you shift into reverse gear, regardless of what screen you're on?

Also, do you recall connecting up particular leads/sockets/connectors/adapters for the camera? Did you have to connect anything in particular on the provided harness for the camera?

Oh and have you managed to get it working with the front sensors too? ie does it again automatically appear on screen when your front sensors are activated?
 
#17 ·
The biggest issue being the compatibility with the factory fitted reversing camera. Sadly the reversing camera will not automatically appear on the screen as expected when the car is put into reverse, it does nothing. However, if I navigate manually through the menus to the original menu, I can see the camera feed like before. But that's pretty much useless, as it needs to appear automatically whatever screen I'm currently in.
I don't know how your OEM rear camera connected. Mine came up from the passenger side dash, connected to a black 2" box via a yellow RCA connector and into the back of the OEM head unit. Since my Android unit has the OEM unit embedded within it, the connectors remain the same at the back, next to all the new Android connectors.

Excuse the bad quality, I had to zoom right in ...

8884
 
#18 ·
For what it's worth, the aftermarket reversing cameras are a doddle to install. The power is supplied to the camera when the vehicle is put into reverse. It's simple. I have installed about a dozen in the past 20 years. That method will work, but understandably, getting your OEM camera working would be better. Like I said above, try the "Vehicle Choices" option if you have it.
 
#22 ·
That's good to know. The only bit that scares me is tapping into power by splicing; I assume I need to do this? Interestingly, I found an aftermarket reversing camera in my garage today! It looks like the common type that's sold everywhere. I could test it with the head unit pulled out. I've attached a photo and you can see the lead is very short though, so I assume I'll need to to find an RCA extension cable(s)? Or can this be connected into any wiring that already exists from the dash to the rear?

I would definitely prefer to get the OEM camera working, just because it's 'original' and I don't want to add ANOTHER camera to the car for cosmetic reasons. it just feels wrong!

8891
 
#19 ·
This is how my camera connects to the OEM unit ... which is unchanged with my new unit. I am guessing that this camera unit was an aftermarket unit fitted by previous owners. As they are for sale here. If I wanted to, I could disconnect this unit at the RCA and connect it to the Android unit directly. But I would have to then manually run the power wire for the camera via the reverse gear input. On a manual, that is simple. On an auto ... not so simple.

8885
 
#23 ·
Sorry I should have replied to this message at the same time as the other one! :D I wonder if I have something similar behind the head unit. But perhaps since I didn't see anything, maybe I have an OEM camera. Hmmm.

So generally, there's options that will work here. I'll try installing the missing 'keys' module and see if it just so happens to get the camera working. If not, I'll see if there's a similar module in mine. The aftermarket camera still feels like a last resort though!

If I also take some photos of all the wiring behind the unit tomorrow, if you have a moment perhaps you could take a quick look and see if you can spot any issues please?

One more note for now - thank you again for responding to me, greatly appreciated. Will need to send you a virtual beer lol.
 
#30 ·
It seems to me that if these android screens aren't plug and play then they very quickly become a faff around, just my observation
 
#32 ·
If by Plug and Play you mean remove the old, install the new ... then no, they are not. But the physical installation can be done in about a couple of hours. Where the real 'faff' comes in, is setting it all up and making sure you haven't lost any OEM functionality. Which I did and @DaleWales still has ... which is why I started this thread - to advise people what it's really like, the challenges to expect, and any fixes or workarounds that helps overcome these.
 
#31 ·
The hardware is pretty good on these, it is quick and responsive. But their supplied software is pants. This is further compounded by not having a safe/easy way to 'go back' when selecting any menu option that requires a third party app - such "Navigation" which lauches Google Maps. What they should have done was to supply fully integrated software using publically available APIs, such as Google Maps, Spotify, etc. This way, you wouldn't need to leave the app, and could just use the tray icons to navigate through each screen (like on the OEM InControl Touch Pro software).

Their supplied software is just a launcher (i.e. Home app). You can install any other launcher and set that as your Home app. I told the manufacturer this is what I am doing - he didn't like that much and tried to tell me it wouldn't work. But it does, I have tried many (Automate, CarWebGuru, Nova Prime, etc.). But I do like the original InControl Touch Pro design, plus it keeps the car authentic. So I have had a bash at making my own. It's early days, but I've installed an early draft and it loads quickly and works well (so far).

8896


8897


8899


8898
 
#35 ·
So I have had a bash at making my own. It's early days, but I've installed an early draft and it loads quickly and works well (so far).
OK now I'm in awe! It's taken me a while to comprehend that it's basically Android running a customised launcher. Do you know what launcher they used to create the UI on this one? Can their UI be edited?

I'm interested in how you are designing your own launcher UI. Again, are you using a particular launcher? How are you designing this and how will you integrate/install it?

I'm actually a Product Designer so this excites me a lot! I've designed a lot of apps and services over the years, and I'm sensing a project coming on here! :D
 
#33 ·
The OEM system didn't age well agreed and being an android person and the whole customisation thing really appeals to me but in my mind the unit should work from the outset as in yes 'plug and play', all OEM features should be there and working, then and only then should you wish you could customise further. Maybe I'm not understanding this completely and you obviously clearly know a great deal more about the system than I ever will but to me the unit is android based and all you've done is over laid the android OS over the top of the LR one(sorry can't think of its name right now), the android OS is then customizable by downloading different launchers etc etc but the main unit should work with whatever it left the factory with, is this a fair comment

Don't even get me started on different types of Kw, that stuff really blows my mind
 
#40 ·
quick question my 2016 evoque has the factory gps etc its a hse dynamic lux it has the bosch unit. do i need to use the additional gps sensor or is there a way of connecting the factory GPS sensor to the unit? Ive had my unit delivered this morning and was hoping to install it later. Its apparently the latest version that also has a sim card and a 4g antenna with it. I was really hoping that the cars shark fin gps antenna could be used. Also what is the little speaker actually for that comes bundled with the unit? any help is greatly appreciated only picked up my evoque on monday.
 
#42 ·
quick question my 2016 evoque has the factory gps etc its a hse dynamic lux it has the bosch unit. do i need to use the additional gps sensor or is there a way of connecting the factory GPS sensor to the unit?
It depends. If you want to retain your OEM screen with GPS, and you don't want to the OEM connector into a fakra C type connector ... then yes, you will need to use a third party GPS module. Although don't expect the same signal quality with the one they supply. Even the £10 ones off Amazon are better.

I was really hoping that the cars shark fin gps antenna could be used.
Same as above. I have the twin fin on mine, it has 2 fakra connectors. I am guessing that these are for (a) GPS and (b) 3G/4G. I thought about the same, but didn't wan't remove GPS from the OEM unit.

Also what is the little speaker actually for that comes bundled with the unit?
The little speaker is for the maps/navigation voice only, nothing else. I haven't got a clue why they did this. Basically all your music, video, radio and other sounds comes out of your car's speakers. But for some completely and utterly bonkers reason, the manufacturer decided to output the nav voice to the 0.000001w speaker. What makes matters worse, is that when Google Maps starts talking, e.g. "Take the third exit at the roundabout" ... the first 2 words would come out of the car speakers, and then switch to the tiny speaker for the rest of the sentence. It sounded awful. I launched mine up the garden with my right boot. Then replaced it with one of the tweeters I had spare from my old Evoque door cards, 10 times clear and fuller sound. That said, I don't use their software now - so all 'sound' comes out of my car speakers.
 
#51 ·
🤣 You've gotta be kidding ... I found no instructions, guidance, YouTube videos describing this. And I even spoke back and for with Robin (Merryway) the manufacturer for a week. And he wouldn't give me a straight answer. It's honestly like they designed the software on the way back from an all day sesh. And the lack of instructions (at all) is appauling.
 
#54 ·
Do you happen to know which of the original connectors is for the GPS as in thinking of getting a fakra splitter to be able to use the roof gps aeriel. Also do you know if one of the antennas on the car can be used as a 4g aerial?
 
#55 ·
Do you happen to know which of the original connectors is for the GPS as in thinking of getting a fakra splitter to be able to use the roof gps aeriel.
Can't recall. But fakras for GPS are normally blue.

Also do you know if one of the antennas on the car can be used as a 4g aerial?
One of the fakras to the dual fin above the rear roof lining. See here.
 
#57 ·
If anyone has can post any photos of the pages in their InControl Pro Touch system ... that would be great 👍

I have noticed that most of Google images show the page name (e.g. EXTRA FEATURES) on the left, but some are with it on the right.

I am guessing the UK version has the page names in the top right of each screen, along with the Back button being in the lower right of the screen - making it easier for the driver.

Can anyone confirm?

Example below, left vs right:

9052


9053
 
#58 ·
You are correct.
And IIRC the owners handbook etc shows non-UK illustrations just to confuse us Brits. :LOL:
 
  • Like
Reactions: slaine
#60 ·
After losing my will to live with the Aliexpress 'Blue Peter' software ... I have been dabbling in creating my own. The weird thing is, I have never physically seen "InControl Touch Pro" software, which makes it a tad more challenging 😉 I've just googled photos and videos, so it's bound to a little off. Feedback and abuse welcome 🤣

It is still in early stages, but certainly more usable than what was installed on this unit. I have included a few screenshots below.

9146


Being an Android app, I can just browse my downloads to add a new background - instead of being limited to the stock wallpaper.
 
#61 ·
Navigation is now internal, instead of stepping outside the software to open Google Maps (and not being able to go 'back' easily) ...

9147


When navigating, it adds the directions, duration, eta and instructions icon to the home screen.