EDIT: The only reason why I still had it at this point was because I could use it with other apps. However, now that my Spotify Subscription is cancelled, it doesn’t work with anything. It’s mildly infuriating because today, I can’t still use it with other apps like I was able to yesterday.
Please don’t make the same mistake I made. No one should buy this.
I don’t understand the point of this device. Why not buy a replacement radio for the car instead? I bought a Pioneer one and it was a nice upgrade to my 2012 Mazda3 since I can plug in my phone to use Android Auto and get the screen to show Google Maps + pretty much any music app on my phone.
There’s plenty of 2010-2015ish cars with dogshit radios that are hard to find, expensive to get or literally impossible to find good replacements for, thanks to vehicle manufacturers killing of the DIN system.
A lot of aftermarket radio installation kits come with adapters to make up for the odd sizes. Of course, there may not be kits for every car.
My 2012 Mazda 3 has an adapter available to fit a standard double DIN radio into their weird shape. I imagine those are available for lots of cars.
Because buying a double DIN or even a single DIN radio can require buying a replacement bezel, disassembling your dash and often your center console as well, wiring in a steering wheel media control adapter, correctly wiring in the stereo, and having the knowledge to make adjustments when things don’t quite fit or go right.
“[just] buy a replacement radio” is not how it works at all.
Best Buy does this all for you for $80, assuming the person is in the US. I expect this is available most places for similar prices though. You can get anything from a BT only unit for $20 online to a much nicer unit with Android Auto/iOS’s thing. While the initial cost might be higher the opportunity cost of your thing being disabled is almost certainly much higher, as this thread’s existence seems to support. $150-$200 well worth it in the long run to do a head unit upgrade.
And then after I spend over $100 on a decent stereo, $50 for an adapter for my car, and the $80 to have some kid install it for me I’ll be $250 in the hole and still paying for a Spotify subscription so I can listen to music that’s not shit. Or for $100 I could buy a cheap ass tablet and shove it into my air vent.
Oh yeah, you nailed it. Clearly worked for the OP… I also didn’t put a value on said opportunity cost. Perhaps it’s greater than $250 depending on the individual. Subjective as opportunity cost can sometimes be. Not trying to ascertain or consider it is at best just short sighted, or perhaps at worst ignorant. Cheap junk, effectively rented according to the EULA, subject to the whims of the rights holders, is never the way.
Or for $5 you can use Velcro strips to stick your phone to something in your car, or for $0 you can just balance the phone on your dashboard.
The cheap tablet or phone mount works well, but a nice radio is a lot cleaner and IMO is worth the expense.
I did it all by myself with no experience - wired up the wiring harness properly, installed the bezel, connected some sort of adapter so the car alert tones and steering wheel controls still work, etc. I bought the radio from Crutchfield who have lifetime phone support to assist with any issues (I didn’t need it though). I just followed the instructions they provided.
Good for you.
Car radios have become much more entrenched. My 13 Fusion has an external amp. Shit, my 96 Taurus did too. Plus if you have any phone, steering wheel, or other peripheral integration, you often lose those features. OP probably has integrated hvac buttons. Sometimes you can get adapters, sometimes the signals are buried in canbus lines
My 2012 Mazda3 has an external amp under the front passenger seat. I bought my Pioneer radio from Crutchfield and they included an adapter to make everything work. The amp works fine (most radios have a preamp output for this purpose), and the steering wheel controls work fine too.
My car just had a basic radio though. I guess it might be harder in newer cars with fancier radios. People that mount their phone or use things like this Spotify… thing usually have older cars/radios though. The newer ones just have Android Auto and Apple Carplay built in.
Manufacturers at removing away from auto/carplay just as fast as it came in. They want you back in their ecosystems