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I was looking for reviews and writeups about aftermarket stereo systems for the 97-03 F150 trucks and there isn't much help out there for android head units. So, I thought I would share information about my quest to get a decent stereo head unit for our generation of F150s at a good price.
I'm no audiophile or anything like that, so if that's you, move on, you probably wouldn't want this. I wanted other things that were requirements for me personally because I don't have great ears anyways. I ended up buying an Eonon UA12S Plus Android 13 6+64G Double 2Din 10.1" Car Stereo Radio GPS CarPlay from the auction site that starts with e. There are less expensive android head units out there than this but, I did want some good customer service in case I needed it. So, I paid a little more. And I have, so far received very good customer service on the 2 times I needed it. They got back to me quickly via email and answered them timely. I can't speak to what that might look like if I was having problems with my unit. But, based on what I have experienced with their customer service, I am glad I spent a little extra. I do think they would make things right. However, if I do have problems, I will update and report back.
The name brand regular head units I was looking at, to get all the options I wanted, were too expensive. I had previously converted the original stereo to a double din unit so install was a breeze. The screen fits perfectly (maybe a touch of overlap) between the 2 vents, I have the vents pointing away from the screen anyways. With the screen mount, the screen is able to be set up and down, as well as tilt up, down, left and right for viewing angles. The screen sits out a bit with the movable mount. So, the top of the screen goes above the top of the plastic trim piece that sticks out somewhat. The back of the screen rests perfectly next to the trim piece. You do have to be careful about how you cut out a double din size into your slot though. You don't want too much of a gap.
I've had the unit for about a month now, so I'm still trying out new apps from Google Play store, but so far the unit is great. I have downloaded Agama car launcher and Spectrolizer music visualizer, both of which are customizable. I put all of my music on the 12S Plus but you can also just put yours on a thumb drive and the unit can access it that way too. After downloading my music, I still have 45 GB of memory left so I'm not worried. I also have YouTube, Netflix, YouTube TV, etc for watching videos (I don't use while driving but I spend a lot of time parked sitting and *gasp* smoking when it's freezing cold in Minnesota). You can though set the option to watch even while driving (not recommended and please do NOT do that).
It doesn't have a physical volume **** but you can set the system volume level it always starts at as well as specific volume levels (more like modifiers actually) for things like Bluetooth, Radio, etc. I don't "play" with my volume hardly ever though once I know what volume level I like. It stays there where I like it 99% of the time and I'm not fussing with it.
I have a Samsung S21 Ultra, so I have it set to recognize when connected and turn on hotspot so my head unit has Internet all the time. That way I don't have to use Android Auto and can use the native apps from the unit itself. You'll still get calls through the unit from BT. You also have the option for a SIM card but I think that Verizon and Xfinity Mobile don't work so I just use hotspot from my phone. If you want to use a sim card though, I would check to make sure your phone carrier is one of the ones that do work with it. While in my driveway, I have it just connect to my home internet.
Music sounds really good compared to my last head unit but it was just a cheap Dual unit from Wally world. Calls have seemed very good. Other people have said the call on their end sounded a lot better than my Dual. I'm sure there could be bad ones too depending on connection and so forth. The screen is glossy so you will get some glare. It's not super annoying but I am going to look into a screen protector that minimizes glare. I still have the original screen sticker covering it so glare might get better or worse. I still have the screen film on because I am not yet done taking it in and out. I have some other projects where the trim piece needs to come out and I'm just protecting it until I'm done with those, just in case.
The level of customization possible though, is where I think the android head units stand out. I haven't even scratched the surface of what is possible with the full array of Google Play store apps. It comes with the Torque app but there are other apps out there that do the same thing. I haven't bought an ODB adapter yet, but I am quite sure that'll work because I have seen reviews for other vehicles where it worked for them. When I do get one and install it, I will update this. It has options for cameras as well, but I don't use them even in vehicles that have them, so I can't speak to those either. But again, I have seen reviews where those work good too if that's on your list of necessities. Search YouTube for those reviews if you wanna see them...
I do wish the unit had a type C USB that you connect to but the type A does work. You can buy an adapter that has type A male to type C female though if you don't have a cord with type A male on it.
I installed a charging port (while installing the unit) next to where my keys go on the dash and wired that into the accessory power. As far as installing, I already had the aftermarket wiring harness from the Dual stereo so I just bought a pair of ISO connector wiring harnesses to hook into the Eonon wiring harness. I then used wago connectors to wire the ends of each harness, plus the power and negative for my USB port, together. I don't hear any whine from the speakers or anything like that. Plus, using those connectors, installing and uninstalling the unit if I ever buy a newer truck will be very easy.
I can't speak to the longevity of the unit as of yet but, I am a little tiny bit worried about it. Only because it does not have a fan to cool it down. It is a sturdy unit though, so we will see how it holds up. But, for the price, it seems to be a really good bargain.
I do NOT have any affiliation with them or anyone, and I paid full price for the unit by myself. I was never given nor promised anything to leave any review or reviews. Given that I (in my limited skills) could find next to nothing useful in my specific search for Android head units for 97-03 F150s, I am just putting out info for users with similar needs. Big screen, android, streaming video, customization options from Google Play store, customer service, price, etc.... Your needs may vary.
Last edited by rydnensayn; Feb 20, 2025 at 02:51 PM.
I was looking for reviews and writeups about aftermarket stereo systems for the 97-03 F150 trucks and there isn't much help out there for android head units. So, I thought I would share information about my quest to get a decent stereo head unit for our generation of F150s at a good price. I'm no audiophile or anything like that, so if that's you, move on, you probably wouldn't want this. I wanted other things that were requirements for me personally because I don't have great ears anyways. I ended up buying an Eonon UA12S Plus Android 13 6+64G Double 2Din 10.1" Car Stereo Radio GPS CarPlay from the auction site that starts with e. There are less expensive android head units out there than this but, I did want some good customer service in case I needed it. So, I paid a little more. And I have, so far received very good customer service on the 2 times I needed it. They got back to me quickly via email and answered them timely. I can't speak to what that might look like if I was having problems with my unit. But, based on what I have experienced with their customer service, I am glad I spent a little extra. I do think they would make things right. However, if I do have problems, I will update and report back. The name brand regular head units I was looking at, to get all the options I wanted, were too expensive. I had previously converted the original stereo to a double din unit so install was a breeze. The screen fits perfectly (maybe a touch of overlap) between the 2 vents, I have the vents pointing away from the screen anyways. With the screen mount, the screen is able to be set up and down, as well as tilt up, down, left and right for viewing angles. The screen sits out a bit with the movable mount. So, the top of the screen goes above the top of the plastic trim piece that sticks out somewhat. The back of the screen rests perfectly next to the trim piece. You do have to be careful about how you cut out a double din size into your slot though. You don't want too much of a gap. I've had the unit for about a month now, so I'm still trying out new apps from Google Play store, but so far the unit is great. I have downloaded Agama car launcher and Spectrolizer music visualizer, both of which are customizable. I put all of my music on the 12S Plus but you can also just put yours on a thumb drive and the unit can access it that way too. After downloading my music, I still have 45 GB of memory left so I'm not worried. I also have YouTube, Netflix, YouTube TV, etc for watching videos (I don't use while driving but I spend a lot of time parked sitting and *gasp* smoking when it's freezing cold in Minnesota). You can though set the option to watch even while driving (not recommended and please do NOT do that). It doesn't have a physical volume **** but you can set the system volume level it always starts at as well as specific volume levels (more like modifiers actually) for things like Bluetooth, Radio, etc. I don't "play" with my volume hardly ever though once I know what volume level I like. It stays there where I like it 99% of the time and I'm not fussing with it. I have a Samsung S21 Ultra, so I have it set to recognize when connected and turn on hotspot so my head unit has Internet all the time. That way I don't have to use Android Auto and can use the native apps from the unit itself. You'll still get calls through the unit from BT. You also have the option for a SIM card but I think that Verizon and Xfinity Mobile don't work so I just use hotspot from my phone. If you want to use a sim card though, I would check to make sure your phone carrier is one of the ones that do work with it. While in my driveway, I have it just connect to my home internet. Music sounds really good compared to my last head unit but it was just a cheap Dual unit from Wally world. Calls have seemed very good. Other people have said the call on their end sounded a lot better than my Dual. I'm sure there could be bad ones too depending on connection and so forth. The screen is glossy so you will get some glare. It's not super annoying but I am going to look into a screen protector that minimizes glare. I still have the original screen sticker covering it so glare might get better or worse. I still have the screen film on because I am not yet done taking it in and out. I have some other projects where the trim piece needs to come out and I'm just protecting it until I'm done with those, just in case. The level of customization possible though, is where I think the android head units stand out. I haven't even scratched the surface of what is possible with the full array of Google Play store apps. It comes with the Torque app but there are other apps out there that do the same thing. I haven't bought an ODB adapter yet, but I am quite sure that'll work because I have seen reviews for other vehicles where it worked for them. When I do get one and install it, I will update this. It has options for cameras as well, but I don't use them even in vehicles that have them, so I can't speak to those either. But again, I have seen reviews where those work good too if that's on your list of necessities. Search YouTube for those reviews if you wanna see them... I do wish the unit had a type C USB that you connect to but the type A does work. You can buy an adapter that has type A male to type C female though if you don't have a cord with type A male on it. I installed a charging port (while installing the unit) next to where my keys go on the dash and wired that into the accessory power. As far as installing, I already had the aftermarket wiring harness from the Dual stereo so I just bought a pair of ISO connector wiring harnesses to hook into the Eonon wiring harness. I then used wago connectors to wire the ends of each harness, plus the power and negative for my USB port, together. I don't hear any whine from the speakers or anything like that. Plus, using those connectors, installing and uninstalling the unit if I ever buy a newer truck will be very easy. I can't speak to the longevity of the unit as of yet but, I am a little tiny bit worried about it. Only because it does not have a fan to cool it down. It is a sturdy unit though, so we will see how it holds up. But, for the price, it seems to be a really good bargain. I do NOT have any affiliation with them or anyone, and I paid full price for the unit by myself. I was never given nor promised anything to leave any review or reviews. Given that I (in my limited skills) could find next to nothing useful in my specific search for Android head units for 97-03 F150s, I am just putting out info for users with similar needs. Big screen, android, streaming video, customization options from Google Play store, customer service, price, etc.... Your needs may vary.
So, just to be clear....you removed the OEM radio?
I would like to see another pic or two of the back side on how you mounted it.
2. Paragraphs, please, ain't nobody like reading a huge wall of text.
3. A TL;DR is also great.
Hey thanks. I've been a lurker here for many years, just never wrote anything until now.
Sorry, I wrote this on my phone at work in Samsung Notes with paragraphs. Copy, pasted and didn't realize none of the paragraphs pasted in correctly. I will try and edit them when I get a chance.
I just wanted to get as much information as possible out to people that answered all of the questions I had before buying. I know Install in the title might not be the most accurate word. Maybe Info instead?
Android Head Unit Install
