This is a review of the Podofo 10.26" CarPlay screen that launched our interest in developing custom mounts. Unlike some products that arrive and disappear, this unit has been around since 2024. It does the job without complaint, and we have only three small quirks to discuss.
10" seemed like the upper limit to what would fit well above the GX-470 nav screen. Skinny in height, so it doesn't obstruct too much of the view out the windshield; not too wide that it couldn't be stable off-road. And it still feels like a great size.
Screen size is advertised at 10.26", but with bezels, the actual viewable display size is 9.25". Works well with polarized sunglasses and gets plenty bright even in full sun.
Boot time from power up to CarPlay is about 20 seconds. This is fine for normal driving things like maps and audio, but it's slow for relying on the included backup camera. That lag is painful. The stock backup camera in my GX is much better for this purpose. I'll end up using that camera later for seeing below the front bumper off-road.
We're using it for CarPlay exclusively, so your mileage may vary with Android Auto. We're also using the Aux Out for audio, since the FM radio option leaves much to be desired. In that vein, CarPlay support is solid.
There's nothing noteworthy about CarPlay. It works like you'd expect. The display height is low, which is great for visibility, but it also means that maps are displayed wide horizontally. This makes it hard to see street names and features ahead of you since they don't get enough screen time. Streets and features to either side are not nearly as useful. However, for directions, it works well.
Sound quality with the Aux Out is fine for my ears and steering wheel controls for volume work fine.
The one quirk involves auto dimming. This unit, like most, does not have a light sensor. To auto dim the screen for night driving, you can only set a time range, say 6PM to 6AM, and a brightness level, say 15%. This won't track with changing sunset and sunrise times, but it's manageable.
The first quirk in our unit is that the time range for dimming is off. By that I mean that it only seems to work if I set the range from something like dim from 8AM to 8PM. This seems to dim from 7PM PST to 7AM PST, usually, but not always. The time ranges were strictly trial and error. This one doesn't have a clock/date setting, thus it probably doesn't have a capacitor to keep a realtime clock running when the power is off. It seems like a hardware limitation, for cost purposes.
The second quirk is the startup sound. When powering up, it generates an audible beep, which can be annoying. There's no setting specifically for the startup beep, but there is one for a Reminder Tone which beeps for every key press on screen. Turning this off also appears to turn off the startup beep.
The third quirk is that the power button on the top, center can rattle. Drove me crazy to hunt down. Once I applied a small piece of black, electrical tape loosely over the button, the rattle disappeared.
It's straightforward to replace the stock boot screen, which is weirdly of a Bugatti Veyron. This process involves crafting a 1600 x 600 px jpg image (keeping it small at less than 100k), naming the file boot_logo.jpg, transferring to a FAT32-formatted SD card, powering off the screen, inserting the SD card into the screen and powering it up. A small popup will indicate the boot logo has been updated, if it was successful. You can then remove the card. It keeps that boot image around, even if you do a system reset.
Because the rear connectors for this unit are on the passenger side, I'd recommend ordering the MeshHeavy mount with the right angle USB-C connector for the cleanest look. However, this blocks access to the A/V In connector, so go with the straight USB-C connector if you need that. The USB cable will be visible on the passenger side, but it's not too bad. I'd also recommend a right-angle Aux cable, if you're wiring up audio that way.
The MeshHeavy Mount Style you'll want to order is the 10" Screen - Low Horizontal 4 Post. This is what we call a low mount because the 4 horizontal posts are mounted low in the center of the back. It has a spacer where a center mounted dashcam would go.
Overall, this is a great unit for it's price and is recommended.
Tested December 2025. Available on Amazon for about $65 at time of testing.