Got my 2016 lx570 right before Covid 19 and today I just finished doing the carplay upgrade on it. I did some researches and find a couple of solutions before I pull the trigger and want to share my experience with you guys so you know what to pick if you want to upgrade LX's info system.
1. OEM Screen Projection
So our car has device projection function which can go thru Aux port and basically what you have to do is transfer your phone's charging port to HDMI and then use a device to transfer hdmi to three color rga cable and then from three color rga cable to single aux cable. This function is OEM but there is one limitation which is when vehicle is in motion, you can only hear sounds instead of seeing the videos. Beat sonic has a DVD/NAV bypass solution that you can use to see videos when vehicle in motion. Beatsonic also has the phone mirror kit which I think is just a combo of nav bypass and video port convertor. The good thing is that you can use it with any devices but there is also disadvantage that since it is screen mirroring, you have to keep your phone screen on all the time and locking you phone will freeze it.
2. Beatsonic Carplay Upgrade
Right now it is about 600 bucks and it provides you upgrade to capability with Carplay and Android Auto. They provide great installation tutorials and provide customer support since they are based US. Going thru the installation takes around 3 hours. The only reason why I did not pick it is that their carplay projects apps with a 4x2 grids which makes the whole thing looks distorted because I feel the interface was designed for a smaller interface like IS and they just stretch it horizontally.
3. Grom Vline 2
Grom vline2 gives an upgrade more than Carplay and Andriod Auto because the console itself is an android based system so you are putting an android tablet into your car and let it project to your car screen. Right now it is priced between 550-600 bucks and they have certified dealer that help you install it in case you don't have anytime to DIY and the labor is around 250 bucks. You can directly use any apps like google maps, waze instead of connecting your phone to it as long as it has internet connection. With an android system, Carplay and Android Auto can be added to it easily. The reason why I prefer beat sonic over grom vline is that it is an android system and as my experience with android phones, all of them get super slow after one year even if you are having the legacy andriod phone for that year like Samsung S20 so I am just afraid that this console will become super slow in the future and it will be much more pain to use it. But if you have experience with grom vline after using it with a period of time, please correct me if I am wrong.
4. Unbranded Carplay Console from Aliexpress
I end up getting some unbranded carplay console from aliexpress and it is around 300 bucks. I think it is self developed system and it has more function than beat sonic which includes wireless and wire carplay, wireless and wire andriod auto, iPhone airplay (iPhone wireless mirroring function), USB video play but has less than Grom Vline since it is not andriod system. It displays carplay apps with a 5x2 grids and the resolution looks much better than beat sonic. The bad thing is that their technician has no idea on how to install it and the customer support is none when you have trouble to install it. But after two day's try and with the reference of beatsonic video on youtube, I am able to install it successfully and have it run smoothly. It supports our 360 surround camera when in back up mode but it does not support the auto surround-view camera when the vehicle is in slow speed.
In conclusion, I would say that if you have enough time to work on your car and love exploring new things, you can get the unbranded console from aliexpress and DIY but don't expect any helpful customer support during installation. If you want to save your time and have a fully supported customer service, I would recommend you buying beatsonic or grom vline even though their prices are higher but it is worth it.
I will also keep updating in future how everything goes whether the system can run smoothly after a period of time and any bugs or glithes it has.
1. OEM Screen Projection
So our car has device projection function which can go thru Aux port and basically what you have to do is transfer your phone's charging port to HDMI and then use a device to transfer hdmi to three color rga cable and then from three color rga cable to single aux cable. This function is OEM but there is one limitation which is when vehicle is in motion, you can only hear sounds instead of seeing the videos. Beat sonic has a DVD/NAV bypass solution that you can use to see videos when vehicle in motion. Beatsonic also has the phone mirror kit which I think is just a combo of nav bypass and video port convertor. The good thing is that you can use it with any devices but there is also disadvantage that since it is screen mirroring, you have to keep your phone screen on all the time and locking you phone will freeze it.
2. Beatsonic Carplay Upgrade
Right now it is about 600 bucks and it provides you upgrade to capability with Carplay and Android Auto. They provide great installation tutorials and provide customer support since they are based US. Going thru the installation takes around 3 hours. The only reason why I did not pick it is that their carplay projects apps with a 4x2 grids which makes the whole thing looks distorted because I feel the interface was designed for a smaller interface like IS and they just stretch it horizontally.
3. Grom Vline 2
Grom vline2 gives an upgrade more than Carplay and Andriod Auto because the console itself is an android based system so you are putting an android tablet into your car and let it project to your car screen. Right now it is priced between 550-600 bucks and they have certified dealer that help you install it in case you don't have anytime to DIY and the labor is around 250 bucks. You can directly use any apps like google maps, waze instead of connecting your phone to it as long as it has internet connection. With an android system, Carplay and Android Auto can be added to it easily. The reason why I prefer beat sonic over grom vline is that it is an android system and as my experience with android phones, all of them get super slow after one year even if you are having the legacy andriod phone for that year like Samsung S20 so I am just afraid that this console will become super slow in the future and it will be much more pain to use it. But if you have experience with grom vline after using it with a period of time, please correct me if I am wrong.
4. Unbranded Carplay Console from Aliexpress
I end up getting some unbranded carplay console from aliexpress and it is around 300 bucks. I think it is self developed system and it has more function than beat sonic which includes wireless and wire carplay, wireless and wire andriod auto, iPhone airplay (iPhone wireless mirroring function), USB video play but has less than Grom Vline since it is not andriod system. It displays carplay apps with a 5x2 grids and the resolution looks much better than beat sonic. The bad thing is that their technician has no idea on how to install it and the customer support is none when you have trouble to install it. But after two day's try and with the reference of beatsonic video on youtube, I am able to install it successfully and have it run smoothly. It supports our 360 surround camera when in back up mode but it does not support the auto surround-view camera when the vehicle is in slow speed.
In conclusion, I would say that if you have enough time to work on your car and love exploring new things, you can get the unbranded console from aliexpress and DIY but don't expect any helpful customer support during installation. If you want to save your time and have a fully supported customer service, I would recommend you buying beatsonic or grom vline even though their prices are higher but it is worth it.
I will also keep updating in future how everything goes whether the system can run smoothly after a period of time and any bugs or glithes it has.
