At the moment I currently connect to the factory Bluetooth for phone calls, then I've got a Bluetooth dongle connected to the aux input for streaming music since my 2010 doesn't have the option for music streaming from the factory. Are you saying that since the Android units microphone and Bluetooth connectivity overall suck, that I'd just continue connecting the same way? I'm fine with that, I just want clarification.
I've got an Erisin 7835A in my Harley F150 which is a Windows CE and Android based stereo with a removable faceplate that is a 7" tablet...CE does things like the radio, Bluetooth, CD/DVD player, etc and then I can go into Android mode and it's a fully operating Android OS. In order for me to use things like Waze, Pandora, etc through the tablet, I need to turn on my tethering...which I usually never do since its just easier to run everything from my phone through Bluetooth and just listen to music and traffic instructions. One thing I've always wished is that there was a way to make the tablet always be able to have it's own internet connection so that I could use the tablet to control music, watch Waze on the dashboard, etc and not have to touch my phone. I've seen but don't know what 3G/4G dongles are. Do they require their own service plan, do they emulate my phone so I don't need to tether to the tablet? I enjoy having an Android based stereo, but it's not a standalone unit without having it's own signal in order to run standalone vs needing to be tethered. How do you operate yours?
My current routine once I get into the X5M is:
Connect my phones Bluetooth to the phone and the Bluetooth dongle (if they both didn't pair on their own), start playing music, start Waze and enter my destination, set my phone in front of the stock navigation screen on landscape and then start driving. I'd love a stereo where I can skip ALL of this connection/pairing stuff and I could operate the Android portion of the stereo just like it's factory...I don't touch my phone at all, I just start the truck, start playing music, start Waze and start driving...all through the dashboard. In short, how can I have the Android unit connected to the internet at all times or do you go through a similar Bluetooth pairing and/or tethering routine every time?
I tried searching for Avin and somehow got onto an eBay page for a similar looking unit that was $500...are these two the same thing, just different names? Look at this on eBay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182926917892