If you want to use your smartphone for navigation or music via the vehicle’s infotainment system, you have two powerful interfaces available: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. But older vehicles in particular often do not offer this. Instead of replacing the expensive car radio with a monitor, a so-called car monitor or car display is an option. You install it in the cockpit like a navigation device and then connect it to your cell phone via Bluetooth.
The Lascars IPS HD touchscreen for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with dashcam, which Pearl sells in this country, falls in this category. The model is priced at Amazon 133 Euros. Connection to the car radio is made via cable or via Bluetooth via a smartphone. This test shows how the screen performs in practice and what flaws it has.
Performance and Scope of Delivery
The diagonal of the monitor is 10.26 inches in a widescreen format of 21:9. This makes the car display very roomy with dimensions of 244 × 95 × 48 mm and a weight of 415 grams. The image quality is adequate, the resolution is sharp enough to see details. Pixels can be seen only minimally. There is no automatic brightness adjustment; you have to set it manually. When the sun is shining, the display reflects heavily and it is not always easy to read. The screen is made entirely of plastic and is similar to other models we have already tested. The workmanship looks cheap as always, but it serves its purpose.
Unfortunately, the scope of delivery is poor: there is only a holder that you have to stick to the dashboard. Adhesives are not included. We had a similar experience with the Podofo 2023 Portable Car Stereo (test report). Since the monitor is quite large, it interferes with the view of the dashboard. This is particularly problematic with a small car. A suction cup mount with a telescopic arm would have been a better option, as we found on the Aocci V30S (test report) or the Carpuride W903 (test report).
At least the holder for the Carpuride and Aocci screens also fits the Pearl model. Connection options seem to be standardized here. An alternative to suction cups is available from Podofo On Amazon for 20 euros. A power supply with connection to USB-C on the monitor and a 12-volt socket in the car is included in the scope of delivery. Unfortunately, there is no AUX cable for a wired connection, which you will have to buy separately. There are high-quality cables with a 3.5 mm jack From 5 euros on Amazon,
Upholstery
After switching on, the screen shows a home screen with icons for settings, dashcam and Bluetooth connection as well as audio. The connection between the Android smartphone or iPhone and the screen is via Bluetooth. It takes just less than a minute for the connection to be established between the smartphone and the Lescars monitor. You can then switch to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay using the “Connected” icon on the start screen.
By default, the monitor also shows the image from the dash cam – the Aocci V30S does a similar job (test report). As a result, there is little space left for maps or Spotify. If you want to hide the camera image, you need to go to “CarPlay status” in “Settings” and then select “Full screen”. The screen now restarts and shows only Android Auto or Apple Carplay without the dashcam image. If you still want to access the camera, select the rightmost area with your fingers, a small menu with icons will now appear that leads to the camera or the start screen.
Connection to car radio
The connection to the car radio is either done via the AUX cable or you use the Bluetooth connection between the smartphone and the car radio – i.e. not via the display, even if it looks different at first glance in the audio settings. There is no FM transmitter, so you need at least a car radio with AUX input or Bluetooth. Playback via the speakers integrated into the screen is no real option, the sound is really poor and quiet.
Lascars IPS HD Touchscreen with Dashcam for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Lascars IPS HD Touchscreen with Dashcam for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – Photo Gallery
dash cam
A dashcam with 2K resolution is integrated at the back. Similar to the Aocci V30S (test report), you can tilt the lens in all directions if you want to align the display towards the driver in the cockpit. This ensures that the dashcam films from the front. You will need to buy a microSD memory card separately. We recommend the version with a higher writing speed UHS II U3 (price comparison),
You can choose the length of the video clip in the camera settings. We recommend the minimum possible time of one minute. Once the microSD card is full, the camera automatically deletes the oldest recordings. A solution that only records a few clips would be better, since recording with dash cams in Germany is only permitted if it is done on an event-related basis. However, if you use a larger memory card, you will be playing a lot of recordings that could violate the privacy rights of other road users. We describe more about the topic in Top 10: Best dash cams for cars in the test – Nextbase, Garmin, Viofo & Co.
In the event of a strong braking maneuver, the recording ends in a protected memory that is not overwritten by the loop – a distinctive feature. Parking monitoring is also possible. Recording starts as soon as the motion sensor detects vibration. However, this is legally controversial. You will also need a hardwire cable for permanent power supply via the vehicle’s battery, which is not included.
Price and options
conclusion
The Lascars car display is a cheap and easy way to retrofit Android Auto or Apple CarPlay into a vehicle. Pairing via Bluetooth is easy and allows older cars to use Google Maps, Spotify and Co. In addition, a dashcam is integrated into the display.
At first glance, there is nothing that sets the Pearl brand model apart from the rest of its competitors from China. However, there are also some weaknesses in detail. Due to the large dimensions of the display, placement on the dashboard with the included bracket is not optimal, as it can severely obstruct the view, especially in a small car. However, it lacks a holder with suction cup and telescopic arm, which you can at least use or buy from other manufacturers. Fortunately, the connections at the back are almost identical.
In our opinion, the most serious aspect was the poor sound quality. The one euro adapter helps against noise, but the sound still sounds very poor with the cable connection – at least for music. We also missed an FM transmitter for vehicles that have neither a radio with Bluetooth nor an AUX input.
We feature other useful car accessories in these articles:
