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      08-02-2017, 10:05 AM   #1
tomf34
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France
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Drives: F34
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: France

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AVINUSA android multimedia one year use feedback

I have installed the AVINUSA Android multimedia system one year ago on my F34 and for those that might be interested by this product to update the BMW original multimedia system my feedback will probably be of use.

Main technical spec:
• Android 4.4.2
• touchscreen of 8.8''
• Wifi and Bluetooth interface
• GPS receiver and antenna

My usage :
Mainly for GPS applications. I am using Herewego as offine GPS app in the countryside and Waze as online GPS app with a GSM wifi dongle in town. I have also install Torque using a wifi dongle on the ODBII connector.
The original BMW interface is still fully usable and you can switch between the original interface and the android one by pressing the menu button during 3 seconds.

Advantages:
- It works. And as it is an Android device you add applications according to your need. You can use your favorite GPS app in a screen integrated in the dashboard.
- The screen is of average quality but much larger than the original BMW. The BMW controls buttons can also be used to navigate in the Android menu.
- You have Bluetooth interface that you can use to connect your phone and received calls and wifi interface that you can use for example to connect to a GSM dongle moden (wiggle) to add internet access.
- Tommy is providing an efficient support and is answering quickly to email request.
- The Android system is relatively stable.

Drawbacks:
- The screen touch pad is not really sensitive. It is even worse when the screen is hot in summer. You have to take your time to key an address in your GPS but it is usable.
- The Android system is really open but you have to finish it yourself. For example, the keyboard is either in Chinese or in bad English and you have to installed an additional keyboard app to make it convenient to use. Another example, the clock is synchronize with Chinese time and you need to install an additional app to synchronize on another time zone.
- The sound management is not user friendly. If you are using the original BMW interface you can listen to the radio or music on an USB stick but when you are swapping on the Android device the sound is either the one of the BMW interface or the one of the Android device according to the application you are running and also on how you have swap from one interface to the other… This is not really user friendly and you cannot force the sound source that you want to hear.
- AVINUSA is probably located in china as I have received the system in a parcel coming from Hong-Kong…
- The installation instructions and the user guide are not really detailed and you have to manage and discover a lot of think yourself.
- As the android core is an old one the external SDcard is not really well supported and you cannot free internal memory by installing the app on the SDcard. Using an additional SD card is not really useful.

Hope this will be helpful to others.
Appreciate 1