Android Head Units

ATOTO Android Head Unit: Before You Buy Review

John and the car's owner spend a week with an ATOTO universal Android head unit: a great-looking screen and built-in steering-wheel controls, but a radio app that auto-starts, a bar you can't hide, transistor whine, and software that isn't as polished as other units.

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Yes — you can install Joying on the Universal ATOTO Android head unit reviewed after about a week in the owner's car with a 6 min DIY job. John and the car's owner spend a week with an ATOTO universal Android head unit: a great-looking screen and built-in steering-wheel controls, but a radio app that auto-starts, a bar you can't.

Overview

After about a week with the ATOTO, the owner calls it pretty good and adequate across the board, and both of them like the screen — John says the display and the unit itself look really good. The gripes come first. In a dead-silent cabin you can hear a little processing / transistor whine when you press around the UI (it isn't loud with music on). The radio app starts automatically every time the car is turned on; a workaround is to long-press and uninstall that radio app. There is an in-settings updater, but there was no update at the time, so what you see is what you get. A bottom bar with EQ, brightness, volume and a notification pull-down cannot be hidden, even under a car launcher. Audio on the owner's stock speakers sounded the same, not better or worse — John says an amp and a sub are how you actually get better audio. Steering-wheel controls are built in (no extra adapter), but they were buggy: they often worked on the first start and failed after turning the unit off and back on. John's verdict is that the hardware is fine and it's a good alternative for the price, especially with two-day Prime shipping, but the software is not cutting it compared with the many other Android units he has used. A custom ROM or a better ATOTO update would wake it up. The description's first buy link is a tagged Amazon product page, then a Seicane Android 7.1 unit he recommends, then tagged Amazon links he lists for a Joying octa-core and a Panlelo unit.

Vehicle & fitment

Product
ATOTO universal Android head unit (Amazon product link in the description), compared with a Seicane Android 7.1 unit, a Joying octa-core, and a Panlelo unit also linked in the description
Shown on
Filmed in the owner's car (ATOTO is a universal double-DIN unit)

Always confirm fitment for your exact year and trim with the seller before buying.

Tools & parts

Tools

    Parts

    • ATOTO universal Android head unit

    Video chapters

    Step by step

    1. 1

      A week with the ATOTO▶ 0:00

      The unit has been in the owner's car about a week. He calls it pretty good and adequate across the board, and both of them point to the screen as the best part.

    2. 2

      Transistor whine when the cabin is quiet▶ 0:17

      The worst part they notice is a little processing / transistor whine when you press through the UI. It isn't a big deal with music on, but you can pick it up in a silent cabin.

    3. 3

      Radio app auto-starts — uninstall it▶ 1:20

      Every time the car is turned on, the radio app starts by itself. A workaround people have used is to long-press and uninstall that radio app so it stops. ATOTO also has an updater in Settings, but there was no update available in this video.

    4. 4

      A bottom bar you cannot hide▶ 2:01

      A persistent bar with EQ, brightness, volume and a notification pull-down stays on top even if you install a car launcher.

    5. 5

      Stock-speaker audio is about the same▶ 2:35

      On the owner's stock speakers the ATOTO didn't really sound better or worse. John says if you want better audio, add an amp and a sub.

    6. 6

      Built-in steering-wheel controls are intermittent▶ 3:09

      The wheel keys are built in, so you don't need a separate adapter, but they were inconsistent: often fine on the first start, then buggy after turning the unit off and back on.

    7. 7

      Hardware is fine; software is the hold-up▶ 3:40

      John has used many Android head units and says this is the first whose software really isn't cutting it. It's a good alternative for the price, and a custom ROM or a better ATOTO update would help, but it isn't blowing him away as it sits.

    Wiring notes

    FAQ

    What vehicle does this head unit fit?

    It is shown for the Universal ATOTO Android head unit reviewed after about a week in the owner's car. Steering-wheel controls are built in — no extra adapter — but they were intermittent after on/off cycles Always confirm your exact year, trim and factory audio with the seller.

    How long does the install take?

    John's full video is 6 min. Plan on that much time for a careful DIY install, plus extra if you are new to dash work.

    What tools do I need?

    Basic hand tools and a plastic trim tool cover most of this install; see the Tools section for the full list.

    Does it support wireless CarPlay or Android Auto?

    Check the product listing for wired vs wireless CarPlay / Android Auto before you buy; John shows what worked in the video.

    Where do I get the parts?

    Use the buy links on this page for the unit and any harnesses John used. Some links are affiliate links.

    Is this beginner-friendly?

    The guide breaks the job into 7 steps with timestamps into the video. If you can remove trim panels carefully, you can follow along.

    Full transcript

    Show the full transcript (25 lines) +

    0:00all right so here's the atotal unit these guys went on for about a week what do you think of it the total unit is pretty good pretty good I'd say adequate across the board but the best part is the screen all right

    0:17the screen quality is great awesome I'd say like the worst part is hearing this little feedback as you press I don't

    0:33know if you can hear it through the mic but you could sort of hear every time you do a move or action there's a little bit of a missing sound oh yes I think that's called transistor one transistor why okay sometimes it's like an

    0:49interruption like let's say if you're into games and you turn your computer and you're running a really 3d intensive game your your computer works really hard and you can actually hear those things those parts actually has some

    1:04interference so there's that but uh-oh what was the other gripe I don't think it's that's not that loud though yeah it's not that that's not a big deal that's wrong here if you're playing music on the comm and I hear but if it's dead silent and you use something you

    1:20can pick up and let me talk about the cons that I see with this before we go to the good the radio app every time I seen it this is his car every time I turn on this car the radio automatically

    1:36turns on which is kind of annoying I fix that people have done is to they just hold this and like uninstall the radio and it will no longer do that so that's a fix that you can do also a todo so they will make an update for this so you

    1:51can update it really easy within the settings so if you go to the settings you can update it there is no update right now so what you see is what you get another thing that kind of noise me is this little bottom bar piece you can't get rid of it it has their equalizer your brightness settings and

    2:07your volume as well as a pulldown for your notification bar tasin home you can't get rid of it so if you put a car launcher or anything on top this thing will stay on top no matter what laundry you do that thing is always over there I do like this background he put in those thanks and

    2:23bkgd you know Wow no and no Sam in case you okay you're looking at ground it's a good-looking background it's a good-looking screen audio in my opinion he does he has the stock speakers and

    2:38everything he does like it up music and it sounds the same if not like then it just sounds like the same honestly in a match yeah I wouldn't say the sounds better I want to say sounds worse but with that in that little a little

    2:53feedback you get when you I don't hear it right now but sometimes there is little interference that could be wiring and stuff of course but audio is pretty much the same so everything I'm looking better audio stay go ahead like and get an amp in a sub that's how you get

    3:09better audio so steering wheel controls work sometimes it doesn't work sometimes it works it really depends on the day I don't know how I can't find a pattern yeah so basically we need to put when he turns on his car it works but when I

    3:24notice is when I turn it on turn off and turn them on again it like it's kind of buggy or something I didn't doesn't work but if you turn it off again and turn on it's just kind of buggy this interface and I never really experienced the software like this because I have mini Andrew head units and this is the first

    3:40one that really has a lot of soft like the hardware is fine in my opinion it's just the software it's just not cutting it for me it's a good alternative for the price it's just that if there's a lot of people who can do a custom mod for the cost has some ROM which there

    3:55probably are they'll wake this unit up as is right now it's it's it's good but it's not like it's not blowing my brain away anything else you want to say about this unit know you covered it all okay

    4:11I know we talked about law negatives positive wise again the screens really good looking the display and not just the screen but like the whole like unit looks really good steering wheel controls are like built-in which is nice

    4:26you don't have to buy any additional adapters it works has a bunch of apps and stuff like that you want to check out my other Android head unit videos there's a lot of good this one is just you know I've done so many that I really

    4:31It works as a bunch of apps and stuff like that. You want to check out my other Android head unit videos.

    4:36There's a lot of good. This one's just, you know,

    4:40the many that I really just focus on this one.

    4:44It's just the software experience is anticipated, but with the customer arm or something can get fixed or if a total gives a better update

    4:52and they'll be good. So there's that review of the total head unit.

    4:57Peace,, peace.

    5:03[Music]

    Machine-transcribed from the full-length video and lightly cleaned (product names fixed). Watch the video for exact wording.

    Next step

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