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Pioneer AppRadio 2 (SPH-DA100) review: Pioneer AppRadio 2 (SPH-DA100)

Pioneer's second-generation AppRadio car audio receiver fixes a number of problems with iPhone app integration while adding connectivity for Android users as well.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Antuan Goodwin
7 min read

When the first generation of Pioneer's AppRadio debuted, I found the first fully iPhone-dependent car stereo system to be rather "beta" and a bit lacking in functionality, but the experience was generally pleasant as an early adopter's plaything. Mostly, I was filled with hope for what I'd see in the second generation. Well, the AppRadio 2 has finally planted itself in the dashboard of our test car, now boasting a number of interface tweaks, a larger screen, and -- most importantly -- compatibility with Android phones.

8.4

Pioneer AppRadio 2 (SPH-DA100)

MSRP

The Good

The <b>Pioneer AppRadio</b> gives in-dash access to dozens of Android and iOS apps via its 7-inch capacitive touch screen. Native iPod connectivity allows passengers to plug in and play. Bluetooth hands-free calling increases safety.

The Bad

The required Android connectivity kit is too expensive. Android users have to use a specific keyboard app to enable touch sensitivity. The USB port can't be used for MP3 playback and there's no Bluetooth audio streaming.

The Bottom Line

For iPhone 4 and 4S lovers, the Pioneer AppRadio 2 is possibly the best aftermarket receiver that money can buy. For Android users, the choice isn't so obvious.

AppRadio 2 hardware
The front panel of the AppRadio 2 is dominated by a massive 7-inch capacitive touch screen, so large relative to the double-DIN chassis that there's almost no bezel. Resolution is a sharp 800x480 pixels and the colors are bright and crisp.

The main menu that appears when the unit powers on features a large, digital clock with an indicator for the day of the week. Just below that is a bank of five icons for AM/FM radio, iPod, Apps, Pandora, and Phone. Swiping from right to left reveals three more icons for Settings, Mute/Off, and Display Off.

Situated on a silver lip just below the screen are five illuminated buttons for volume up and down, AppRadio home, menu, and back. The volume buttons behave as you would expect -- no surprises there. Tapping the home button calls up the AppRadio app screen on the 7-inch screen and on the connected phone. Tapping it again takes you back to the main menu. Back and menu are only used when the device is connected to an Android phone, and their functions mirror those on the connected phone.

The AppRadio 2 adds a few new inputs, including an HDMI input that's used with Android phones. Antuan Goodwin/CNET

On the back, you'll find inputs for the included wire harness for standard power, ground, and speaker connections, which are driven by the internal Mosfet 50-watt, four-channel amplifier and your car's terrestrial radio antenna. There are also connections for a microphone for hands-free calling, a GPS receiver for more accurate positioning when driving, and an iPhone cable that connects via a proprietary connection. This double-thick iPod cable features an in-line break for a USB connection, but connecting a drive full of MP3s to the AppRadio 2 triggered no response and there's no menu option for USB.

However, don't toss this cable if you're an Android user; you'll need the USB port for firmware updates. Our AppRadio 2 needed an update to firmware version 8.17 as soon as it was removed from the box.

The rear panel is also home to a number of optional connections for accessories that aren't included in the box, including inputs for a rear camera and a wired remote control and a pair of stereo preamp outputs with switchable rear channel that double as a dedicated subwoofer output. There's also an HMDI input for connecting an Android phone, which is a slightly more complicated installation than just plugging in an iPhone.

Android oddities and omissions
The AppRadio 2 is compatible with some Android phones that feature MHL or HDMI outputs. A full list can be found on Pioneer's Web site. My HTC ThunderBolt was not on that list, so I borrowed a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.0.2 for this test.

Connecting an Android phone via HDMI or MHL requires a $119.00 CD-AH200C Android connection kit, which bumps the total price up to $718.00. It seems like all that the CD-AH200C kit is doing is converting MHL to HDMI and supplying power via USB, so when you consider that other MHL-to-HDMI adapters on the market go for about $10 to $20, I have to wonder, why is Pioneer's adapter is so expensive? It may be possible to roll your own Android connection with a third-party MHL connection and charger, but we haven't yet been able to test that hypothesis.

You'd think that for $119, the Android connectivity kit would come with more than an MHL adapter, a USB power source, and a few cables. Antuan Goodwin

iPhone 4 and 4S users get a 30-pin connector in the box and don't need to make an additional purchase; they just plug it in and play. So, this feels like a bit of an Android tax.

The Android weirdness doesn't stop there. It continues into the setup process. After Bluetooth pairing with the AppRadio 2 hardware via Bluetooth, the user must download the AppRadio app for Android. This much I expected. However, upon launching this app, I was immediately prompted to download a second app, CarKeyboard, that enables the phone to receive inputs from the AppRadio's touch screen via Bluetooth. This keyboard must be set as your input method when using AppRadio 2, so users who already have a favorite custom keyboard (such as Swype or SwiftKey) will have to switch back and forth when entering or exiting the vehicle.

Getting into the AppRadio menu screen requires a cycling of the parking brake (engage, release, and engage again) to gain access to the HDMI input. Once you've done that the system seems to remember that it's displaying a car interface, not a video, while you're driving, but this brake pumping has to be done at the beginning of every trip. I found that to be tremendously annoying. It also makes it impossible to bypass the parking brake lockout by simply grounding the parking brake sensor, which is doubly annoying since the AppRadio isn't really capable of displaying video files.

Additionally, the aforementioned lack of USB MP3 playback in this AppRadio generation seems, frankly, unnecessary. It wasn't too big a deal with the previous model, since Pioneer was courting an exclusively iPhone/iPod audience, but this model brings Android users into the picture. As one of those Android users, it would annoy me to see the connection is there, but not be able to use it. I also noticed that there's no way to stream Bluetooth A2DP audio. So, if a friend hops in my car with his Android smartphone and wants to listen to a playlist, he'll have to go through the whole song and dance of installing the AppRadio app and its companion apps. Granted, these are minor annoyances, but they bear mentioning.

The AppRadio app and the apps
Where the AppRadio shines is the apps that live on your smartphone--or, rather, a selection of approved, car-safe apps.

On both the Android and iPhone platforms, you'll start with the AppRadio app itself, which presents the user with a simplified home screen with large, easy-to-tap shortcuts for the rest of the approved apps. The AppRadio app also features built-in shortcuts to your calendar, contacts, Google Maps, and photos stored on your phone.

The AppRadio app features a list of recommended and supported apps for both the Android and iOS platforms. Antuan Goodwin/CNET

In order to access the media stored on your iOS or Android phone, you'll need to install Pioneer's CarMediaPlayer app, which gives full touch-screen control over browsing and playing back your media library. Other cross-platform audio apps include Pandora Radio and Aupeo Personal Radio.

Extra Mile is a mileage and fuel expense tracker. DashCommand works to display virtual gauges relaying details about the inner workings of your car from an optional OBD-II connection. Inrix Traffic and Waze help you to get from point A to B and Best Parking helps you find a cheap place to stow your wheels when you get there.

Android-exclusive apps include the aforementioned CarKeyboard by Pioneer that enables the use of the touch screen and Echoecho, an interesting location-based app that allows you to quickly share your location with your friends.

Livio Radio, Rdio, and StreamS HiFi Radio make appearances as iOS choices for audio playback and streaming. Escort Live allows users to report and be notified of speed traps and red light cameras, as well as interfacing with the Escort Smartradar detector. Four additional navigation choices are available to iPhone users: MotionX GPS Drive, iGo Primo North America, My GPS USA, and Navfree GPS Live. Pioneer itself has developed a pair of iOS apps: CarBrowser is a Web browser and Mixtrax creates custom, mood-based playlists on the fly. Finally, EC Touch presents an alternative, car-specific interface with access to iPod music, iPod video, contacts, maps, Web browsing ,and Facebook.

More apps are constantly being added as they become available. The user can find out what apps are available by either visiting Pioneer's Web site orchecking the Suggested Apps tab in the AppRadio app.

In sum
Since the first model, Pioneer has taken a few massive steps forward. The larger, capacitive screen is great to look and, on the Apple side of things, the switch to the CarMediaPlayer app makes browsing music quick and keeps the interface consistent with the rest of the apps -- an improvement from the previous model's clunky iPod-Out setup, which wasn't really touch-sensitive. I also like that the standard iPod connectivity still makes it possible for a passenger to hop in, plug in an iPhone or iPod, and share tunes.

For iPhone 4 and 4S lovers who find the massive list of apps in the AppRadio catalog tempting, the $599 AppRadio 2 is a sure bet and a home run -- one of the best iPhone-centric receivers that money can buy. However, for Android owners, the choice isn't so obvious.

While I generally consider the addition of Android connectivity to be a very good thing for the AppRadio family, there are a few hiccups here, mostly due to the nature of the Android OS and ecosystem. I was only moderately annoyed at having to install a custom keyboard and switch back and forth between it and my favorite custom keyboard just to use the touch screen, but I think I could learn to deal with that (or write a Tasker script to automatically switch for me) to gain the benefit of easy access to apps like Waze and Pandora.

However, the biggest hurdle for Android users is the extremely expensive adapter that Pioneer peddles to MHL-enabled users. At $119, I have to wonder what Pioneer is thinking here. Again, most MHL-to-HDMI adapters that I found with a cursory Google search averaged about $10-$20, so this is really something that should be included in the box if they want Android users to take the AppRadio 2 seriously. All in all, the AppRadio 2 and that adapter total $718. That price would have most Android users looking at ways to Velcro a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire to their dashboard.

8.4

Pioneer AppRadio 2 (SPH-DA100)

MSRP

Score Breakdown

Design 9Features 8Performance 8