What is the SWM9218S or 9218S Android Head Unit?
Is the SWM 9281S easy to install?
Can the SWM9281S be considered good value for money?
The SWM 9218S is a branded version of the generic 9218S. A 7″ Double DIN Android Headunit. You can find the SWM 9218S on every knock down price store and online market place in every corner of the internet.
Android Based
Yes, this is running Android. It is not running the Android you have on your phone, this is a very old version of android that everyone that is old enough has forgotten about. If you are not old enough to remember the early days of Android, you didn’t miss much. It was just getting better and better not just due to android development, but the mobile processors got faster and the RAM got cheaper.
Why so popular?
The reason the SWM 9218S and all the other 9218S based double DIN android headunits are so well stocked and shifted is because of the cost. 9218S is cheap, very cheap. But don’t let that stop you buying one.
What should stop you in your tracks is the very poor value for money is actually is.
A very old and slow quadcore MTK G50 processor barely has enough power to run android, let alone any apps you may wan to use. But not only is it very slow, there is a very limited amount of RAM available to it.
Universal fitting
The SWM9218S and all the other 9218S models are 7″ screen, with a double DIN fitting. This universally acceptably size has fascias and direct fitment for many of the older vehicles. The connecting wires are missing the ISO sockets. This can put may people off from buying one of these, and with good reason. But if you are a glutton for punishment, we have an android headunit wiring guide to the wires and connecting all the plugs from the 9218s to your car.
Please Sir, can I have some more RAM
The 9218S has a miserly 1Gb of RAM. Consider that android itself would eat most of that, there is only scraps left for the apps you run. Modern specifications for an android headunit are at 4Gb with some reaching 6Gb RAM. This 4/6Gb is easily good enough to take a headunit into the future. 1Gb will leave your apps stuck in the past an unable to upgrade to the latest versions.
It can’t be all that bad?
SWM9218S and other 9218S look just the ticket. The 7″ screen looks clear, it mentions that there are USB sockets, GPS, Bluetooth, reversing camera options and supports steering wheel controls. In fact is has the connectivity and features of the better and faster android headunits. What it lacks is the ISO connectors. So it looks nice on the sales pitch, but is slow to use and difficult to install. So yes, from a users perspective it is all bad and very poor value for money. This sort of hardware along with the 8227L SoC is what gives android headunits a bad name.
It looks good?
Our recommendation
Avoid it. The (SWM) 9218S is just fit for the WEEE recycling. There are much better and more user-friendly android headunits that although are more expensive, they will serve you much longer and in a much more enjoyable way.
[review_summary title=”Quick Review summary for SWM9218S” summary=”A 7inch Double DIN that is best avoided” positives=”Budget friendly price
It looks good in pictures
Double DIN mounting” negatives=”No ISO connectors
Very old and slow processor
Not enough RAM
Very poor value for money
it won’t do anything android well”]
[rating title=”Speed” value=”1″ range=”5″]
[rating title=”Value for money” value=”1″ range=”5″]
[rating title=”Quality of construction” value=”3″ range=”5″]
[rating title=”Ease of install” value=”2″ range=”5″]
[/review_summary]
This Android Headunit is compatible with: Universal Reversing Cameras, 360 degree camera views, DAB+ Radio upgrade, GPS Sat-Nav with Google Maps or Waze, Aftermarket Steering Wheel Controls (SWC), Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), OBD2 engine diagnostics, 4G Mobile Data,Digital TV (DVB-T2). It comes with WiFi and GPS as standard.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://android-headunits.com/should-you-buy-a-9218s-android-headunit/&media=https://android-headunits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cheapest-7inch-double-din-android-headunit-9218S.jpg&description=SWM9218S looks just the ticket. The 7" screen looks clear, it mentions that there are USB sockets, GPS, Bluetooth, reversing camera options and supports steering wheel controls. In fact is has the connectivity and features of the better and faster android headunits. What it lacks is the ISO connectors. So it looks nice on the sales pitch, but is slow to use and difficult to install. So yes, from a users perspective it is all bad and very poor value for money. This sort of hardware along with the 8227L that give android headunits a bad name.){kind=link}