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Why I Chose This CarPlay Screen Instead of a $1,000 Head Unit | Topexplore 9.26” Carplay screen

539 views· 12 likes· 9:09· Oct 10, 2025

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Typically, I like to have Best Buy install a head unit, usually from Pioneer or JVC. This time, we're saving $500 with this all-in-one unit. How does it compare? Links (affiliate link) Amazon: Topexplore 9.26” Carplay screen: https://amzn.to/46bUliP Official Link: http://bit.ly/3KOTf49 (vip20 for 20% off) Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:54 Unboxing 02:05 Installation 05:37 My Thoughts You Can Find Me - https://miketrachtenberg.com - Instagram: @traveltrachs Subscribe!

About This Video

Good morning everybody—this video is a detailed look at the Topexplore 9.26” CarPlay/Android Auto screen I picked up from Amazon for about $90. If you’ve been following my channel, you know I’m usually the “go to Best Buy and have them install a Pioneer or JVC” kind of guy. But I just picked up a 2015 Rubicon that doesn’t have a built-in screen, and I wanted to see if an all-in-one screen could get me what I actually care about—Android Auto and a backup camera—without dropping $500+ on a full head unit install. I walk through the unboxing, the install, and then my honest thoughts after a few weeks of daily driving. The screen mounts to the windshield (or the dash), runs off 12V, and the backup camera cable is plenty long. I’ll be real: wiring the backup camera into the reverse wire was the hardest part, and I definitely recommend using a multimeter instead of trial-and-error like I did. After it was set up, it connected automatically to Android Auto in about 30 seconds, and I love that it’s fully wireless—my Gladiator isn’t even wireless. Bottom line: I’d still prefer a clean in-dash look, but for $90 this does basically everything my old $400–$500 setups did, with a bigger screen. My main negatives were the dash cam being useless with my mounting position and the touchscreen needing an occasional second press.

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