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.
Newer versions of Android have always been targeted to take advantage of the newer technology in the form of 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.
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.
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 the 8227L 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.
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) designed cores unsuitable for running current generation apps well. The processing power of AC8227L is meager and doesn’t have the speed required for today’s software. This includes Android 13, Google Maps, and any apps you use today.
RAM
The AC8227L will only have a maximum of 2 GB RAM; some even have only 1 GB. Neither is enough to run Android 13 well.
Upgrade the RAM
The ideal solution would be to upgrade the RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB or even 2 GB to 4 GB RAM in the 8227L.
First, the maximum RAM an 8227L can access is 2 GB – remember, it’s of 2014 design and hasn’t improved. Secondly, the RAM modules are not like strips or DIMM modules; they are soldered into the board. No RAM can 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. The reason that obsolete hardware is still manufactured is because the customers keep buying them. In a blind purchase completely based on cost over any need for features, the cheapest junk sells and sells well.
Best Android Version
The best Android version for the 8227L is the one that was built at the time the hardware was designed. The Android version was designed to take full advantage of the hardware available at the time; as hardware is improved, hand in hand, new Android features are added to take advantage of the greater resources available to it. The Best version for the 1 GB and 2 GB is usually 8.1go. This version of Android is trimmed-down with fewer features and fits well with the limited hardware.
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, including 8227L_Alps, and 8227L_Demo headunits.
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.
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 the Chinese headunits because high Android versions sell better than low Android versions, even if they are all the same inside. 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.
