S8 Ultra (Gen2)

I mostly agree with "Tri H"'s review and will add a few key details that stood out to me only after receiving it and playing with it. Really a YouTube review would be fitting to cover everything this thing has to offer.I recently installed 3 different head units ranging from $150 to $1000, with this being the final. The key for me that I learned from the $1000 unit (Stinger HORIZON10) is that I absolutely needed a double DIN-fitting screen (7"), as a larger screen would block my shifter or HVAC due to the added depth and height required. Initially I really wanted Android Auto integration, but found after this unit that I really don't need it since this unit itself is basically an Android phone (given the 4G SIM option), and a snappy one at that. It is absolutely loaded with features, that even the Stinger unit was missing. Also notable is that I deliberately chose this Gen 2 over the Gen 3 because the Gen 3 removes features such as optical out, charges more, and the only upgrade seems to be slightly more RAM.** Biggest Pros (for me):- External Wifi, 4G, and GPS antennae: While I don't really need the Wifi to be external (since I'm sitting right next to it), it feels more complete to have it. I assume it's also the Bluetooth antenna though, since the two almost always reside on the same chip, which will be nice if you're at an event and want to walk away with your phone with music still playing.- Integrated GPS: Makes Android Auto obsolete and allows the use of offline maps. This is huge because I wanted something that could use my Garmin-formatted topo maps, and given that it's running Android, I just need to configure and install the Orux Maps app.- TPMS(!): I did not even realize this until days after I installed it, but it has a TPMS built in complete with pressure warnings. My truck is too old to have the sensors in the tires, but now I could add them if I wanted!- Android OS: Fully fledged Android 10. Can connect your Play account, or use Aurora (like I did) after grabbing Fdroid from the inbuilt Chrome browser (disable that after and install Firefox).- Torque (Pro) Preinstalled: This surprised me, since it's a paid app. (Possibly illegal on the manufacturer's part, unless they formed some kind of contract. I own the app though, so I'm not guilty of anything myself).- Optical out: Takes all the mess of running 6 (5 in this case) RCA coaxial cables out to my DSP. Also seemed to result in a better sound from the DSP it's driving, which I would place the blame on the preamp circuitry of this head unit on.- Gestures: At first I thought I would not use these, but there are a few that work very well, and are arguably requirements since the volume/navigation controls are buttons rather than knobs. I have the "rotate clockwise" as increase volume, "rotate counterclockwise" as decrease volume, and "wave" as go to home. They work very consistently, which is a pleasant surprise.- Dual camera triggers and inputs: The unit provides apps to look at the two camera feeds manually, or I believe there are triggers you can set up (like reverse in for the rear cam). This will be handy for me once I get the proper cameras since I like one to view the bed of my truck for hauling (front cam), and adding a reverse cam will be an awesome upgrade in general.** Cons (for me):- Instruction manual is for hardware install, nothing about the software, so it took a bit of tinkering to figure out the features and tweaks I could make.- Included bracket for mounting was very weird and did not line up with the adapter holes I had with the last 3 HUs I had which worked fine. This made it the hardest install by far.- Some bloatware included: Some you can remove, some you can disable, some you have to keep.- The OS is missing some customization settings: For instance, it automatically reduces the volume when you restart the car, it does not and start playing Bluetooth audio automatically - I often have to hit play from my phone, it defaults to BT phone, so you have to tap an extra button to even get to the BT audio screen, and there is no widget for BT audio at all (only radio and music files). You cannot define any of these behaviors differently. If you can't tell, I mainly rely on BT audio from my phone, so these are vexing problems. Perhaps an update would help, but that page simply says "contact ATOTO".- No HD radio. I couldn't find any "Asian" radios with HD radio though, not sure what's up with that, but it's a sad miss on something otherwise so fully-featured.** Honorable mentions:- Can reverse tether (mobile hotspot). So if you pay for it to have 4G service, you have a wifi hotspot in the car. Presumably the external antenna will be superior to your phones for low-service areas.- The Speed-Dependent Volume Control doesn't seem to be working for me. I assume it must use the inbuilt GPS for this since there is no speedo wire. Maybe I need to get on the freeway to test for sure.- Android Auto works through a 3rd party app, which makes sense because you wouldn't expect the Android OS to act as a client of Android Auto, normally the server. This could present some technical difficulties though, as if you're providing WiFi service using your phone for the head unit (through hotspot), it needs to work on different Wifi bands (eg: 2.4/5GHz) than the Android Auto casting. This complexity and lack of benefit (due to the feature-rich head unit) means I don't really use AA currently.- For some reason the AA audio sounds slightly different than BT audio from the same source (my phone - Spotify). Not sure if AA innately applies some sort of EQ to audio sources, or if there is really a stark difference in quality between BT APTX-HD and Wifi-based.- 4x USB I/O ports. One is "quick charge", though I haven't tested it's actual charging capabilities yet. Another is for phone mirroring. Another is for external storage, and one is specifically labeled "DVR", but the instructions don't clarify the differences. I'll be working these into the center console using adapters for a seamless finish.- The included Google Maps needs to be updated to work. It's running an ancient version and the background maps don't load otherwise.

The media could not be loaded. I went with the ATOTO S8 Ultra, the ATOOT CA-AEC02 amp, the ATOTO AC-FCR04W front cam, and ATOTO AC-HD03LR rear cam. Those were all things I wanted, so I figured why not get all the same brand for compatibility. I'm going to post the same review in all of them.First, I'm blown away by how premium the head unit is. I've got a 2015 Fiat 500L with beats audio. Adding the head unit first easily upgrade the audio. A TON of settings to dial in (I used ChatGPT) and honestly, I could have stopped there and not added the amp. I may not bother changing out the speakers. It's easily a HUGE upgrade by itself.I added a sim and a sd card, downloaded a google maps offline map, all of my spotify playlists at highest quality and youtube music playlists. This way it uses very little data AND I no longer have to use android auto if I don't want to. I can finally leave my phone in my pocket while getting maps and music.The amp. It's tight, but it fits behind the head unit. I had to clear out as much plastic behind the head unit as possible. Also, some people mentioned the head unit overheats. I bought a 2x 50mm usb fan on Amazon and hooked it up to the head unit (it has more usb that I'd use anyway). So, it comes on and off with the head unit and the amp will never overheat. Also went with the optical cable. This does improve the sound (not the same jump as stock radio to the S8 ultra, but noticeably cleaner). I love that I don't have to mount it under a seat or in the trunk. Again, I'm conflicted about getting speakers (I'm looking at some focals) but I'm also curious if this setup can take a good set of speakers to yet another level. Especially with the level of customization available (16 levels front and 16 back, cross over, loudness, time delay) you can really geek out.Camera's are both good, no issues. The 360 view is trippy at first.I didn't try the tire pressure monitoring, wifi hotspot, or gesture controls (not my thing). The sim card tray was just a little loose (a small piece of electrical tape on the back got it snug enough to fit and work).Support was fast and helpful.Going forward I'll be looking at ATOTO units in the future. I'm always going to be looking at an android setup and their stuff is top shelf so I genuinely have no reason to look elsewhere.