Works Well With Android Auto, Horrible with Wired or Wireless Apple Car Play!

I recently bought a very low mileage 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 with a service body, in practically new condition for my business. It had the base model stereo for that year. I quickly tired of using my phones for navigation and decided to buy a single din unit with a 9 or 10 inch screen. I had installed 4 new Kenwood Excelon 6x9's with tweeters that separated and installed a Memphis powered subwoofer under the drivers seat so the sound was great. But after spending that I was loathe to get either the Kenwood or Alpine 9" units for $1000- $1700 I was looking for something a little less pricey. I will admit that overall for the price point the Jensen is a pretty good deal but there is a caveat to that....it only applies to Android users.
Upon purchase and installation I only had an Iphone 12 mini with AT&T. I was using the wireless CarPlay and it was horrible. I could have gotten better driving directions using the Force! The arrow was all over the place and it was useless. I then tried using CarPlay which was a little better but useless 60% of the time. It was then that I decided to do an experiment. I had an unlocked recent Nokia phone but no service provider, so I purchased a sim card from Patriot Mobile to test out Android Auto. Patriot Mobile basically just resells T-Mobile service but donates alot to conservative causes. I have been very happy with the service by the way.
After getting the phone up and running I tried to use Android Auto but it would not work with the CAR910W! After doing a bit of research I realized there was an update for the unit. I downloaded the update and installed it and WALA! This update solved everything with the Android Auto! It works flawlessly and gives great directions with Google Maps and Waze and I have access to my Podcast Addict app as well!

However, the update has done nothing to help Apple Carplay, wired or wirelss! Ok, it does work wired 60% of the time, but that being said, I bought this head unit so that I could have a huge display cause I use this for my service truck to help me get to customers homes reliably....60% is not good enough.

That leads my to the real reason for my disappointment. I hate the Android Auto google maps! It has a huge widget in it to enter the address that stays on the screen, reducing the screen territory of the map! The Apple interface is so much better! I just wish Carplay worked better cause it is a much more useful screen for driving.
As for the other features, the Equalizer is nothing great but does work, and the radio screen is ok, but seems a bit plain and outdated. There is really not much color customization or anything else. It is kind of just blah..... but given that this unit is $600 cheaper than the big names i guess I am being a bit hard on it.

So, I am literally keeping a separate phone plan and phone just to use as my GPS device with Android Auto and I use bluetooth to hook my Apple Iphone up so that I have handsfree calling while I drive so that if a customer calls I can keep my eyes on the road. It all works pretty well. Unless you already use Android or are willing to give up your Iphone I would not recommend this phone to anybody. If you are an audiophile I would suggest saving up for the Kenwood or Alpine.

I hope that this helps.

By PWG on December 29, 2021 Verified purchase