So there are basically two types of Android Head Units. Ones where you still need access to the car infotainment system (for BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus etc) and the standalone ones. The standalone ones, regardless of which car they are made for, are all the same. (There are different CPU models, but those models exist for all cars)
This is good, because even if the seller doesn't provide you any updates, you can find them online. And as it stays the same among different cars, they have more resources to improve the hardware and the software.
I installed one of these in my dad's Toyota. It's pretty much plug and play, including the backup camera and the existing USB port(s). You will need to install a microphone though.
The screen is responsive, it's bright enough and multitouch. Ultimately it's an Android tablet. You can also customize the home screen as you want. Apps like Navigation and YouTube work really well. I like the radio interface, but obviously no HD Radio or SiriusXM. They have decent built-in amps, certainly better than the stock Toyota unit.
Some of these have 4G SIM slots which might be useful for a variety of things.
I'm sure the knob works fine as well, as Mazdas aren't the only ones that have a knob.
If you have a heads-up display you won't get navigation directions there.
What's different (and somewhat impressive) about these units is that they have different controller chips for Bluetooth and Car Controls.
These units take a long time to boot, but the reverse camera works during that time. If you put the car in reverse during the boot process, you'll still see the backup camera as it's independent of the Android OS. And you can even have dynamic steering guidelines.
However, no matter how much they update the Android software, the Bluetooth firmware stays the same. Similar to the reversing camera, Bluetooth calls are handled by a separate interface and they need to improve it. You will miss the Mazda BT interface. My biggest issue was that you can't set any favourite callers. Similarly, the BT Music interface is quite basic as well.
Android Auto/CarPlay works 90% of the time, but sometimes you might have to force close the app and reopen it. The thing is, especially if you choose to install a SIM card in it, you won't need to use CarPlay as you can do everything through the unit quite easily.
What might be a problem with the Mazdas is the fact that you can change so many settings through the infotainment system. Android HU will still let you change those settings but you might not know what they all do, as the translations aren't great. Otherwise steering wheel controls will work fine and you can also set custom actions for short/long pressing each button.
Once every two months or so, you'll get a black screen when you turn on the car. Reverse camera will still work. You just need to reset the unit and it'll be fine.
I like these head units as they are much more than just an Android tablet taped into your dash. It's a complicated piece of tech that IMO deserves the money -- just beware of some downsides.
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