[MTCB Android Head Units Q&A] typos1:
Eh ? I really dont know what youre on about here, read the thread if you want more info on these units.

We know exactly who produces them apart from the GS ones - there have been a few suggestions, including yours, but nothing has been confirmed yet. We have spent a long time finding out all this information, so what do you mean by "Most of you had no idea who was making the units. Maybe a very few did". Maybe read the whole thread then come back and comment ? - our discoveries are well documented within it.

Its common knowledge that the Chinese copy, as I said, so your comment "You definitely have no idea about their ability to copy something" makes no sense either. But, as I also said, things are changing and the Chinese are starting to innovate themselves, rather than just copy.

The GS versions appear to have the same launchers as the KGL ones, I take it thats what you mean by "stealing software" ? If the GS units had a pirated copy of the KGL homescreen as you appear to be suggesting, it would hardly make them "spin offs" or "clones", it would just mean that they have a pirated launcher app.

The RK3066 chipsets are bought from Rockchip, anyone can buy them - you could buy some if you wanted, this does not mean that anything uses an RK3066 SOC is a clone.

As for the front mouldings, then clearly they may very well be clones - for years and years many different Chinese car stereo companies have been using both universal and car specific fronts on all car stereo types, on very basic ones, on Win CE ones and on Android ones. For instance the faceplate in the attached picture has been around for years and can be seen on units from all 4 manufacturers that make these Rockchip units, and numerous other types, the AN21-U Mstar Android units, Win CE units, and many very cheap, basic dvd/cd stereos without any recognised OS.

Clearly its been copied and copied for years. I m sure that the design for the Audi A3 RK3066 Android headunits from this thread, for instance is a copy. But whoever designed it originally designed it to look like it was designed by Audi to fit into the A3, so arguably that in itself was a copy of Audi's work. In this situation copying is actually desirable, part of the appeal of the car specific units is that the design of the original dashboard has been "copied" to look like it was meant to be in the car, like it was a piece of original equipment.

This is a lot different from a Chinese company making a device that looks exactly like a Galaxy S5 but with some MediaTak processor thats slower with less cores and with a plastic screen of a lower resolution - this would definitely be a clone or a knockoff.

But in the case of say, KGL's and Klyde's RK3066 Audi A3 Android headunit, they are both using the same basic Rockchip hardware with the same moulding on the front, they look the same and they pretty much ARE the same cos most of the internals are the same. If one company used a slower, lesser quality processor then "knock off" or "clone" would be the right word. But, inside they are the same - theyre both using dual core 1.6 Ghz RK3066 SOCs and both fit into an Audi A3 they pretty much the same product made in the same factory with minor amp/radio/MCU differences. Nissan builds Jukes at Sunderland in the UK, at Oppama in Japan and at Purwakarta in Indonesia, they are pretty much all the same with minor spec differences, does this mean a Juke built in the UK is a clone of one built in Japan ?