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Differences between our head Units

Differences between our head Units

Curtis nan |

With so many head units to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one to buy. Read our guide to understand the key differences between our head units.

Differences Between Our Head Units

Over the past few months, the SPH-DA230DAB, SPH-DA250DAB, SPH-DA130DAB and the DMX5020DAB have become very popular products among our customers. However, we frequently get asked the same questions.
  • What’s the screen size?
  • Does it have Android Auto/Apple CarPlay?
  • Does it have DAB?
  • Does it have Bluetooth?
  • Is it shallow mount?
  • Is it mechless?
  • Is it FLAC?
We have therefor broken down the key differences below:
Unit Screen Size? Android Auto? Apple CarPlay? DAB? Bluetooth? Shallow Mount? Mechless? FLAC?
SPH-DA230DAB 7” Resistive Screen Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
SPH-DA250DAB 6.8” Capacitive Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
SPH-DA130DAB 6.2” Capacitive No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
DMX5020DABS 6.8” Capacitive Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 75mm Yes Yes

Resistive and Capacitive Touchscreen

Resistive touchscreens are typically not as good as capacitive screens. It requires a bit more force to control and generally supports single-finger touch and basic gestures. It also allows non-finger input, so can be controlled by a glove or stylus for example. A capacitive screen can be compared to the latest smartphone in terms of clarity and responsiveness.

Pros of Resistive Touchscreen

  • Fewer accidental touches
  • Can sense any object touching the screen hard enough
  • More resistant to the elements like heat and water

Cons of Resistive Touchscreen

  • Less sensitive to light touch (less responsive)
  • Thick top layer creates less clarity for the display meaning images are more blurred
  • The screen material is usually more easily scratched or damaged

Android Auto

Android Auto is used by those with an Android device. It puts the most useful apps together and allows them to be viewed on the head unit in a format that makes distractions minimal. Android Auto allows you to access apps like messages, Google Maps, calls, music all from the head unit.

Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay is a system for iPhone users. . It too, allows you to view content from your phone and displays it onto the head unit. allowing you to access different apps like messages, calls, music and navigation without having to take your hands off the wheel.

DAB

DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and unlike AM/FM radio, DAB opens up a wider variety of radio stations for a more personalised music experience.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth allows you to connect your device, or a separate device, to the car's head unit and allows you to play music by exchanging your data from your phone to the head unit by using UHF radio waves.

Shallow Mount

A shallow mount head unit isn’t always necessary in all vehicles, it is purely based on the amount of depth room you have to fit a headunit into the original factory space. In some vehicles this space is limited, which is why a shallow mounted head unit would be needed.

Mechless

Mechless stereos allow you to throw away those dusty, bulky CD’s and instead play your favourite music, audio books and podcasts through a range of different methods that will suit you. Bluetooth, aux cable, CarPlay and Android Auto give you the option to do this with ease.

FLAC

FLAC stands for ‘Free Lossless Audio Codec’ and allows digital audio to be compressed into a file much smaller than its original size without any information being lost.