Parrot Asteroid Android-Powered Car Stereo (iPod/iPhone/iPad Compatible)

 

Parrot Asteroid Android-Powered Car Stereo (iPod/iPhone/iPad Compatible)

 

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Item Description

From the Manufacturer
Parrot ASTEROID Overview
The Parrot Asteroid offers the most recent in digital music playback from nearly any media supply, such as world wide web radio when connected utilizing a 3G capable device. Dial a contact hands-totally free or search your music safely and conveniently using Parrot’s unparalleled voice recognition. This special auto receiver is an sector first to operate on Android software to unlock its complete possible.
Access All Your Music by Voice
The built-in Voice Music Search function, makes obtaining the song or artist you want to hear simpler and a great deal more hassle-free than ever just say the name of an artist or album from your music library and the music will start automatically, supplying you a list of matching tracks. To offer the highest in audio quality, the Asteroid is equipped with a 4x55W built-in MOSFET amplifier, a subwoofer output and six RCA preamp-outputs. Fine tune your music making use of the totally customizable equalizer with optional sound effects that give generate exceptional audio top quality for any music genre.

Innovative Style
Operating the feature packed Asteroid is made simple and intuitive with its sophisticated faceplate that incorporates backlit buttons and a discrete jog wheel. Subsequent to this detachable faceplate is the substantial three.two inch high-definition color display. In addition to becoming an aesthetic design, the unit characteristics a lowered depth chassis to supply compatibility with practically every single automobile.

Items Included

• ISO cable
• GPS receiver with USB connector
• USB male 1.5m to USB female cable
• iPod cable 1.2m
• Jack cable male to male 1.5m (audio device)
• Front panel bag
• Quick commence guide
• Cables ties (three)
• Bracket keys
• Double external microphone
• Mounting sleeve

Web Service Apps
The Parrot Asteroid is the initially to supply web connected Android applications and online prepared characteristics. When paired with a data capable Smartphone or a 3G USB modem, an entirely new set of characteristics come to life, which includes access to Maps with reside points of interest, Internet Radio playback and geolocational service apps to inform you of climate circumstances and attractions relevant to your route. You can count on to see alot more applications in the future due to Parrot’s open platform style which leaves the possibilities nearly endless with the aid of third party app developers.

Built-in ANDROID Apps
The Maps application is an informative driving assistant. When used with a 3G connection, Maps makes it possible for you to easily get ‘Points of Interest’ (POI) close to your location and offers you alternatives to call the POI or access basic driving directions. This App will also display driving circumstances near you to help you pick the ideal potential route to your destination.
TuneIn gives free nearby, international and world-wide-web radio. When utilized with a 3G connection you have access to over 50,000 radio stations and podcasts from about the planet. With TuneIn you can easily obtain and listen to unlimited music, sports and speak radio in digital good quality. The application can also suggest radio stations that you might possibly delight in, based on your listening history.
Roadtrip is your virtual travel guide. When used with a 3G connection, it invites you to find out tourist attractions based on your existing place with detailed details and images. With the mixture of hi-res photographs and tourist information and facts from Wikipedia and Google Maps, Roadtrip is the great in-automobile companion.

• Roadtrip can display your current place allowing you to zoom in and out on the populated map.
• When utilizing Roadtrip, it will notify you of upcoming possible POI’s.
• Pick a POI to obtain a detailed summary and linked photos.
• Summary can offer you a history of the POI and vocally announce the climate conditions.
• You can call or even get very simple driving directions to the listed points of interest.

The Weather application keeps you informed of the weather conditions relevant to your place or your option of any location from around the world. The uncomplicated to read color display of the Parrot Asteroid makes it possible for the Climate App to accurately represent weather circumstances applying much more than 26 exceptional weather condition symbols.
The Wikango application turns your Parrot Asteroid into the ultimate driving assistant technique. The App knows the location of all fixed speed and red light camera’s all through the USA and alerts you as you approach a single of these camera’s. Wikango also contains a community aspect exactly where individual users can plot the place of temporary speed camera’s, visitors accidents or other danger scenarios.
Single-Din Automobile Receiver With 3.2'' Color Screen 55W X 4 Built-In Amplifier Innovative Style-Detachable Faceplate Lowered Depth For Effortless Installation Bluetooth(R) Hands Cost-free With Advanced Capabilities Phonebook Synchronization Linked To Automatic User Independent Voice Tag To Make Hands Free Calls Conveniently Multimedia Automobile Receiver With 3G Gps Connectivity Delivers Access To Net Radio, Music Streaming Radio, Pois Navigation Services 3G Multimedia Method With Embedded Android(Tm) Operating Technique Supports Web Applications Geolocation Subwoofer Output six Rca Preamp Outputs

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 9 x 8 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B005AFVHLQ
• Item model number: Asteroid
• Batteries: 1 12V batteries required.
  

Technical Details

• Single Din Android Based Deck
• Hands-free Calling, Bluetooth, 4 USB ports, analogue ; GPS inputs, detachable screen, automatic phonebook sync, Multipoint ; AM/FM Radio, A2DP streaming
• Internet connectivity via 3G dongle or tethering for Apps including Google Maps, Roadtrip, Wikango, TuneIn ; more
• Search for and play your music simply by speaking the name of the album or artist
• Powerful audio platform that includes 3 sets of pre-outs and a built in 4x55W Mosfet amplifier

Buyer Evaluations

No Android Telephone Essential
1st, a bit of background...
I have an extensive 20+ year 12 volt background as a custom installer, salesperson, retail retailer owner, and wholesale sales rep. I've also been an avid Android user since the G1. That getting said, I'm extremely impressed with the possible of this piece. Comprehend, the Asteroid is but in the starting stages of its development.
Construct Excellent.
The quality of craftsmanship is leading-notch. The buttons and displays are pretty sharp and solid. The feel of the buttons remind me of a factory Mercedes Becker radio. Back lighting color and brightness are pretty appealing. The HD LCD panel is lovely. Even the included USB GPS antenna is higher good quality than any other I have seen. The Asteroid (as do most Parrot units) comes with a pre-terminated DIN harness that allowed me to plug straight into my Kia Forte with no wiring or adapter harness at all! This will not most likely be the case for you, unless you have a Hyundai/Kia or German vehicle. The rotary volume is not the most comfortable to use, and there is no wireless remote or steering wheel manage adapter offered but (they claim by the end of the year). That is my only hardware complaint.
Bluetooth.
Functions wonderfully. Both phone and audio streaming are good. "Contact Bill Smith mobile" I stated, and immediately the pleasant voice stated, "Calling Smith, Bill on mobile". Fantastic! The call excellent on my finish is significantly far better than the factory Kia Bluetooth, and on the other finish it is 20 occasions much better! The Asteroid builds it's personal voice tags for every make contact with automatically, so you don't have to worry if your telephone does not support voice tagging. You can also select whether or not you would like the caller's name to be verbally announced on incoming calls.
Audio.
The Asteroid has 6ch F/R/Sub six volt pre-amp outputs... which is real impressive. As of now, I'm at present using the internal 55wX4 amplifier on some DLS elements, and it sounds very great following tuning in the 7 band EQ. It does take various steps by means of the menus to get to any audio adjustments, so I could possibly run some kind of pre-amp with this ultimately. The menus are pretty clear and intuitive.
Media and Control.
Inputs: 3 USB's (one for the GPS), SD card, iPod/iPhone/iPad, and three.5mm aux input. There is NO video assistance on this device by way of inputs or video files. I use a 32GB SSD, and the initially time it was turned on, it took about 20 minutes to index all the music on that drive. It was a little annoying... till I put to use the voice manage! I said "play Sublime", and immediately Sublime started playing and a list of the albums came up on the screen along with the album art of the track at present playing. Ok, that was worth it!
Net.
This is exactly where the Asteroid nevertheless desires some catching up. The Asteroid is pre-loaded with about five apps. Pretty much all of which require net connection to function. I was under the understanding I could tether my G2 via USB for world-wide-web connection. I was wrong. The firmware that will enable that to happen is nevertheless beneath development. As of now if you would like to use you phones world wide web connection, you ought to have a phone that will share online through Bluetooth (DUN or PAN profile). You can, however, connect through 3G USB dongle. I personally can not justify a $300/year online connection budget for my car stereo. So I can not review these apps at this time. I will try to acquire a jailbroke iPhone that supports the suitable DUN profile for that application. Imagine that... the Android radio will only operate appropriately with the iPhone! According to Parrot techs, they will have this remedied "shortly".
Conclusion.
Even though I was honestly anxious to see and use the Android apps on this radio and was entirely let down on that concern for now, I am nonetheless completely impressed with the Asteroid. I was also expecting the radio to rely on my Android phone for some functionality, and it does not. At least not yet. You would have complete functionality making use of any decent smart phone. All of the voice functionality operates excellent. Much better than the $1,600 Pioneer AVICZ130BT's voice recognition, in reality. The create good quality is superior to anything Pioneer, JVC, Alpine, and all the significant players are producing now. When I have my steering wheel manage, Pandora app, and USB tethering, I will be a happy camper. The other two helpful additions would be a back up camera input, and satellite radio compatibility. But I can stream Sirius (when I have excellent signal) from my phone, so I consider I'll live. Hopefully Parrot keeps putting some RD effort toward this platform. At $350, you can order a lot worse... and as this product is up-datable and expandable, so I am searching forward to see awesome things in the future.
You can download the users guide from right here: [...]

The Asteroid arrived and just out of the box I was impressed with the appear and really feel of everything. It's only half the depth of a typical head unit but she's got some weight to her. This design makes sense since there is no CD drive.. I'm not sure why other manufacturers are not undertaking this with their cd-much less head units but it tends to make for a good installation.
Audio:
The inputs are for the most element limitless with exception to CD's and video. The 4 USB ports truly equates to three since the GPS antenna consumes 1 but 3 is surely enough. I'm an iPod/iPhone + USB drive sort of guy so it functions out excellent. Once you have got every thing plugged in you can hit the square white button on the front and it will chime - then you just speak the name of a song you want to hear and it starts playing it from one of the audio sources (if you have that song on 1 of them). Although the unit does have a 55x4 internal amp I am driving a 4 channel amp and sub so the 6 volt pre-outs had been a plus and appear to have a beneficial crossover/EQ control.
Apps:
The apps are good but I needed to tether my phone for internet which was a surprise. I do not know why I assumed it was going to have it's personal world-wide-web but it wasn't also significantly of a hiccup. I setup Bluetooth world-wide-web tethering when on my telephone and now when I get in the vehicle it automatically connects. The apps are pretty standard now but I am hopeful for the future + I've observed YouTube videos of apps that have currently been created for it such as a speedometer app. Pretty cool that you can install new apps and I'm crossing my fingers for some new ones immediately.
Pros:
Seriously very easy to use interface, familiar buttons and your initial guess on how to do a thing is commonly the way they have it setup. It comes with the iPod cable which is a plus considering that I consider I paid $45 for my alpine iPod cable. The screen resolution is awesome and it's more than-sized compared to the Alpine deck I had in previously. I wasn't unhappy with the Alpine screen but I don't assume I could go back now! The voice music search is one more one particular that I don't think I could ever go back on now. The hands free of charge calling is a feature I didn't want to start with but now that is yet another 1 I do not feel I'll ever go devoid of again. I just say the name of a person in my telephone book and it mutes the music and begins to dial them.
Cons:
The start off-up time is at times a bit longer than I'd like but if you believe about it from a technology standpoint it is sort of like an Android phone in your vehicle and completely starts up faster than my iPhone. It could use some additional applications but again, I assume it's as well early to give this thing unfavorable points based on apps since it is Android and you can install new applications. Other than that it really is been mildly buggy - with the 1.4 software program update I did this week its gotten greater so I assume things will be ironed out with each update.
Overall:
Enjoy it. Well worth the cost point also if you appear at what a mid $300 head unit does NOT get you now days. I'm a bit of an audiophile/technologies nerd but I believe it's a decent fit for anybody looking for a decent digital music piece. The hands no cost calling and music search is a genuine plus given that it actually works! I am pleased with my acquire.

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