Are you looking for the Android 13 Update for the AC8227L Android-based Headunits? You may be disappointed in your fruitless search, and we investigate why this may be true.
Android 13
The new version of Android was released in August 2022 and is called Android 13 (Tiramisu ). It has come a long way since its inception in 2007 as a beta version.
Faster Processors
Newer versions of Android have always been targeted to take advantage of newer technology, such as faster processors and more available (i.e., cheaper) RAM. The minimum amount of RAM that Android 13 needs is 2 GB. That is a minimum, not a target. You need RAM for apps, too.
Slow Experience
The 8227L is a very poor processor by Android 13 standards, and because of this, you won’t get any speed advantage of Android 13 over the original Android version supplied with the 8227L headunit.
Latest Version
As the latest version of Android moves further away from the original Android 6 or Android 8.1go versions installed on the 8227L headunits, it becomes less and less relevant to the very old hardware design employed to run Android.
AC8227L
The 8227L comes in several versions, including the AC8227L and the very common ALPS 8227L (DEMO). All 8227Ls are the same chip, with only minor differences to make it cheaper or quicker to mass produce in the factory. No fundamental changes in speed have been introduced over the years.
Earlier version updates
Updating the 8227L powered Android headunits to run Android 10 has been covered in the ‘8227L Android 10 update‘ and again in the ‘Android 12 update‘.
4 Cores
The AC8227L has the same four cores as the other 8227L chips- ancient (2014) cores unsuitable for running current-generation apps well. The AC8227L’s processing power is meager and doesn’t have the speed required for today’s software, including Android 13, Google Maps, and any apps you use today.
RAM (The device’s temporary memory capacity)
The AC8227L has a maximum of 2 GB RAM; some have only 1 GB. Neither is enough to run Android 13 well.
Upgrade the RAM
The ideal solution would be to upgrade the 8227L RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB or even 2 GB to 4 GB.
First, the maximum RAM an 8227L can access is 2 GB – remember, it’s from 2014 and hasn’t improved. Second, the RAM modules are not like strips or DIMM modules; they are soldered into the board. No, RAM cannot be upgraded.
1 GB RAM
Why is the 1 GB RAM Android Headunit option still available to buy when it can’t run newer versions of Android?
The answer is quite simple. Obsolete hardware is still manufactured because customers keep buying them in a blind purchase completely based on cost over any need for features. The cheapest junk sells and sells well, far too well.
Best Android Version
The best Android version for the 8227L is the one that was built when the hardware was designed. The version was designed to take full advantage of the hardware available at the time; as hardware improves, new Android features are added to take advantage of the greater resources available.
The best version for 1 GB and 2 GB is usually Android 8.1 Go. This trimmed-down version of Android has fewer features and fits well with the limited hardware.
Android 6
The other good Android version for an 8227L is Android 6. You may find your 8227L_Demo is running Android 6 rather than any fake version it reports to have.
New Android Version
While new versions of Android are better, they come at a cost. This cost is paid in RAM and Processor power. Each new Android needs more RAM and faster processing power to deliver these advances. You don’t get an improvement in speed by updating the Android version. What happens is that Android takes more RAM and clock cycles for itself and leaves less for the apps. You get the speed increases by buying a faster device.
8.1Go
8.1Go is a cut-down version of Android that runs on the minimal hardware of the AC8227L (8227L_ALPS_DEMO) devices. You will often find 8.1Go on these headunits because that is all they can handle with any speed. You can’t even run a full Android 8 without slowdowns on the 8227L variant chips. That is why they have 8.1Go installed from the factory. Android 8.1go is the highest true Android version that the headunits with AC8227L can run with any. Enjoyable user experience.
No Update
There is no actual update to Android 13 for the AC8227L or any of the 8227L headunits, including 8227L_Alps and 8227L_Demo.
Any Android 13 update will be fake and not genuine Android 13. This is because the AC8227L’s RAM and processor are not enough to run Android 13.
The Route to Android 13
While many Android headunits report the Android version as 13 (Tirasmu), this is a fake, and they are still running old Android versions hacked to show the wrong version. This is typical of Chinese headunits because higher Android versions sell better than lower ones, even if they are all the same inside.
True Upgrades (potentially)
The best way to get a later version of Android in your Headunit is to buy one with at least a modern processor and a modern amount of RAM (6 or 8 cores and 4 GB to 8 GB RAM). This will be enough to run later versions of Android well, and you will be more likely to get an Android 10 or higher version with a modern specification headunit.
Hello, per your comment:
“Any Android 13 update will be fake and not genuine Android 13. This is because the RAM and Processor in the AC8227L are just not enough to run Android 13.”
Do you know of any other way to prove it has been faked? I think I got duped on a new head unit claiming to run Android 13 on the 88227L_demo and am just discovering this entire world of android head units. I ran AIDA64 and it shows an API Level of 33 consistent with Android 13. Not sure if there is another way. I just want to make a good case to get my money back.
Try CPU-Z on the SYSTEM tab, you may have to click off an ad before it shows.