# App radio 3!



## nellymerc (May 3, 2012)

I think this might be the one. Since I didn't do all my research yet, I wanted to get everyone's thoughts as I do my own comparisons. iPhone 5 support, Siri Eyes Free Mode, and much more.


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## bigaudiofanatic (Mar 1, 2009)

Sense I am not even close to being a fan of pioneer I am looking more into the alpine ICS-X7HD, Plus i'm an android user.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

wonderful review.

god bless.


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## nellymerc (May 3, 2012)

bigaudiofanatic said:


> Sense I am not even close to being a fan of pioneer I am looking more into the alpine ICS-X7HD, Plus i'm an android user.


App radio 3 has mirror link just like the ICS but i like pioneers interface better. It's much cleaner on the hardware design and interface


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## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

IMO, it looks like the best one so far, but I'm disappointed in the 2v RCA outputs. It looks like a good alternative to the Parrot Asteroid Smart.


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## takeabao (Jul 18, 2005)

I don't see anything that's really "impressive" about this unit.

The current AppRadio 2 w/ a rooted Android phone running ARLiberator is still far superior.


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## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

The only advantage I see is the cd/dvd and the mirror link


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## takeabao (Jul 18, 2005)

BigAl205 said:


> The only advantage I see is the cd/dvd and the mirror link


Lack of CD/DVD was one of the main reasons I bought the AppRadio.

Any "reference" grade stuff that was traditionally on a CD ... is now available in lossless digital formats.

I have absolutely no use for DVD's in my car... Especially when I can watch Netflix or Youtube or downloaded video content through the dash via my existing AppRadio 2.

Sadly, MirrorLink is a standard that's basically dead-on-arrival. MHL is far superior and is already more widely-implemented.


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## nellymerc (May 3, 2012)

BigAl205 said:


> IMO, it looks like the best one so far, but I'm disappointed in the 2v RCA outputs. It looks like a good alternative to the Parrot Asteroid Smart.


Ditto. I can deal with it once I get to see how fast it responds.


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## Kriszilla (Jul 1, 2013)

I would have seriously considered the AppRadio 3 except that there's no ARLiberator support on the Android side yet, and it really only adds Siri eyes-free, Mirrorlink, and BT. Screen size and resolution is the same.

I picked up the AppRadio 2 (SPH-DA100) from Best Buy on clearance for $279 2 days ago and it's a steal at that price. The 2V pre-out doesn't really bother me as I'll likely be picking up a JBL MS-8 to run it through to make up for the x-over and triple pre-outs in the DEH-P980BT it's replacing.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

If they would have up'ed the resolution and put a SuperAMOLED or nice 1080P IPS/LPS LCD transflective display in it, I *might* have considered it. But still the same 800x480 Resolution...are you kidding me?!! I haven't seen the new display, but the AppRadio2 was Low Res AND had horrible color and contrast (blown-out whites and milky blacks). You could adjust it somewhat but it was never good for all the different lighting conditions you encounter in your car.

4V preouts would have been nice as well, but when I tested the AppRadio2 for about 2 months the 2V preouts were VERY clean. I was very impressed with the SQ from the RCA preouts, however I was pulling a digital output from my Android smartphones/phablet anyway.

Even with the Parking Brake Video Bypass module, you still had to press "OKAY" after the warning EVERY TIME it starts up, and sometimes multiple times. Not a fan of that at all.

I tried it with ARliberator and a Samsung Galaxy SIII, Note & Note II. The ARliberator BT connection/startup was always finicky, especially if you're someone who has A LOT of Contacts in your phone that you want to sync with the AppRadio.

In addition, the AppRadio2's built-in Dialer takes over and covers the Mirrored display of your Android smartphone, making the Smartphone's own Dialer Keypad unusable (for instance on any call where you need to press the Keypad numbers for automated menus, etc).

I'm actually glad that they offered a second version with a CD/DVD drive, but too bad the resolution isn't even half that of most smartphone's these days.  1280x720p would be the lowest I would want for a 7" display.

Believe me, I tried EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY to make the AppRadio2 work in my setup...I REALLY wanted it to work. But in the end, it just makes more sense to use an iPad Mini with Pure i-20 digital dock or a 7"-10" Android tablet with a USB DAC or HDMI-to-Toslink digital and bypass all of the problems of having that extra device in the chain.

IMO, the only advantage the AppRadio2 had was being able to use a standard Rear View Backup Camera and the built-in AM/FM tuner (however all of the Android devices that I tested it with had a real built-in hardware FM tuner, not streaming FM stations, though you could do that as well, of course). You can also connect a USB FM Tuner to quite a few Android devices.

I picked up the AppRadio2 from Crutchfield when they had it on closeout for $289 with a FREE Android Connection Kit ($100 value). They have a 60-day no-questions-asked return policy (as long as you keep everything in new condition) so I tested it for most of that time and ended up returning it.

FYI, with an iPhone you have to tap both the iPhone AND the AppRadio screens several times EVERY TIME you turn on the system/plug in your phone, just to get the connection up and running. IMO, it would've caused way more car accidents than a standard iPhone/iPod compatible head unit.

You are also limited to just using Pioneer's handfull of "Approved/Proprietary" apps for your iPhone or Android device (until maybe the ARliberator app is updated to work with the AR3). And then, you must also Root your Android device in order to use the ARliberator app.

I'm currently using an Int'l Samsung Galaxy Note II (GT-n7100) 5.5" Phablet and Int'l Galaxy Note 8.0 3G 8" Phablet (GT-n5100) and completely bypassing the head unit...yes, it's an 8" phone/tablet, LOL. Basically, it's like having an iPad Mini with Cell Phone built in. 

They're not inexpensive, but remember these are my Phone/NAV/Email/Browser/Head Unit/Video/Music player all-in-one, so the money went towards the Smartphones/Phablets instead of the EXTRA expense of a DD head unit.

No, it's not perfect. But what DD NAV Head Unit is?

I just don't see the AppRadio 3 improving on the previous system because you cannot get around the Pop-Up Warning Screens due to U.S. driving/safety laws. Again, IMO the AppRadio system/setup makes driving MORE dangerous because of all of the extra Smartphone AND Head Unit screen taps you must make to get things to work.

Maybe the Siri "Eyes Free" will make a big difference if you're using and iPhone, maybe not?

This is just MY Opinion from MY Experience, and you may think it's completely fine and even amazing.

I would seriously advise actually trying this setup THOROUGHLY before purchasing if at all possible, or make sure you have at least a 30-day unconditional return policy.


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## Parker986 (Nov 3, 2013)

bbfoto said:


> If they would have up'ed the resolution and put a SuperAMOLED or nice 1080P IPS/LPS LCD transflective display in it, I *might* have considered it. But still the same 800x480 Resolution...are you kidding me?!! I haven't seen the new display, but the AppRadio2 was Low Res AND had horrible color and contrast (blown-out whites and milky blacks). You could adjust it somewhat but it was never good for all the different lighting conditions you encounter in your car.
> 
> 4V preouts would have been nice as well, but when I tested the AppRadio2 for about 2 months the 2V preouts were VERY clean. I was very impressed with the SQ from the RCA preouts, however I was pulling a digital output from my Android smartphones/phablet anyway.
> 
> ...



What a fantastic review. I was very, very seriously considering the AppRadio 3 for my Porsche Boxster until I read this post. Thank you for taking the time to inform members.


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## Niclas (Jan 13, 2014)

Parker986 said:


> What a fantastic review. I was very, very seriously considering the AppRadio 3 for my Porsche Boxster until I read this post. Thank you for taking the time to inform members.


Me too!
Now I'm leaning more and more to using a smartphone/tablet only instead.
How do you get great sound from an android to a car? Still using a HU of some kind? With digital input and a USB-DAC?


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