pearl seems annoying to use, gotta open the app everytime you reverse?

 

Did you replace your factory camera ?
the wire installation seems very tricky to me. Did you do it yourself ? Where did you find instructions, proper tools , and how ling did it take ? Any mistakes/ failures ?

 

There's an amazing amount of criticism of this device from people that haven't tried it. I was skeptical initially but it's quite good. For me I just say "Hey Siri Start Pearl" as I'm approaching my car. By the time I put my phone in my T-design mount the app is up and I have a rearview image. Once I exceed about 5MPH the image disappears and a Pearl car-mode launcher comes up that lets me start my favorite apps easily (Waze, Apple music, Pandora, Spotify) - it's actually way easier than using the iPhone's tiny icons.

The default connection is Wifi and if the Wifi connection is unavailable (this usually happens because your phone is connected to a different Wifi network) then it uses Bluetooth. Image quality and latency are worse on Bluetooth but I seldom need it. Please note that the camera automatically switches to Bluetooth mode and notifies you - it's truly seamless.

Now if you've driven somewhere and you're reverse parking you can again say "Hey Siri start pearl" or just open the app. If you use the included phone mount (high quality but I preferred T design) then I believe simply placing your phone on the mount sends a notification to the iPhone that requires one tap to start the app; for android it automatically starts the app.

Now as for camera quality it is light years ahead of other products I've seen. This is not your usual $129 Audiovox system. The camera quality is superior to almost every OEM system I've ever seen. You can actually pan the camera and select from different views. The night mode is excellent; I've used it in pitch black and it worked well. The park-distance function is quite good too and once saved me from backing my car into a low wall late at night (easily justifying the $400 I paid for the camera). It's not as good as an OEM parking radar though (a little slower). I don't know of an aftermarket solution that offers this quality and ease of installation...that's why the system is pricey. (Still cheaper than buying one of the 991 kits and paying someone to install it though!) I'd much rather use it than wire a camera in my car, open my PCM system (which I believe is required for 2012.5 models unless you want to sacrifice satellite radio), etc.

One added plus is you can easily switch the plate to a different car if you ever sell yours. I have another older car without a camera and I love knowing that if I someday sell my 911 I can still use the Pearl.

Cheers,
NF

 

+1 | I echo your feedback and agree that alot of skeptics here need to give something a go before passing judgment.

Apart from what NF has said, bear in mind that this was developed by folks that left Apple. They would have a bit of idea of balancing user interface, seamlessness and ease of you. I was sad when they went under as it was great engineering backed by real know how but lacked market penetration that killed them. Very glad it got revived by someone with a bit of vision and funds.



The Pearl mount for the vent is the #2 best mount (T-Design9 Monaco Wireless Charger is #1 IMO in a 911) I have ever used in fact it is still the #1 for me if not using it in a 911. Nothing comes close and is truly an over engineered piece of item itself. All the other vent mounts on the market don't even come close to how well the Pearl mount works, no vibration under any road condition, no loose angles, it just works.

For a camera system that is putting out quality better than OEM, provides a seamless app integration without any wiring. I actually have to say, Porsche has a long way to go to develop UI and natural interaction to come anywhere close to Apple / Tesla. Let's be honest, PCM is buggy, crashes, can be unresponsive and really not that great either. We are simply forced to put up with it.

 

Having owned the Pearl with solar recharge capabilities I give it high marks. I did activate it every time I pulled out of a parking space as I can still turn my neck around but for parking the car it was great. Better pic than most built ins. When I sold the car I gave it to my son.
If you want me to check I don't think he is using, got a new BMW. I can give you a great price.

 

How did you install it ? I am a noob on any wiring and afraid to pull out any plastic panels. Was the instruction detailed enough to follow ? Any failures ?

 

What i don't get is that all aftermarket cameras need version 4.0 and up.
Some offer DVD updates but updates do not take v3.xx to 4. So am i correct to assume that if my PCM is v3.xx there is no way to get reverse camera to work?

 

Thanks to this thread I purchased a Pearl! I can't wait to try it. Seems with the new software update it auto-opens the app and has "smart-nav" capability. Really looking forward to this without drilling/hard-wiring a rear-view cam solution.

 

You can get it to work but you would need to send your unit to NavTV so they could open it up and perform some work to the board.

 

No worries, report back on your user experience after you get some time with it.

 

Not sure about 991.2 but the obd plug in the 991.1 is in the driver's side fuse panel. Will the cover fit after installing the reciever portion of Pearl??

 

No, you have to pull the cover out. I have an OBD device now and had to leave the part open all the time.

 

I had the Nav TV I stalled in my .1 and am happy w it

 

On the Pearl you can buy a separate plug for the OBD port then plug the Pearl receiver in there and tuck under dash. This way you can close the fuse box.

 

Do you have recommendations on what to buy that works on our cars?