On another forum I proposed that a company like Strava or Komoot makes an android based bike computer but do it as an Android software layer only. Imagine this device with a Strava or Komoot software interface with their mapping and programming skills. They could make money by either charging a premium for additional features or even have an app store. Leave the hardware side to companies like this who could innovate with longer battery life, bigger screens or just cheap just like the Android phone world.
I'm just too wary of the software development from a small startup. For the record I have a Bryton 750 and the software sucks.

I managed to get Karoo 3 Software running on the XCADEY ALPHA 800 – without root access!
The biggest challenge was porting Karoo 3 from Android 12 to the ALPHA's Android 8.1.
I developed a custom compatibility bridge to handle missing system services and an independent ANT+ host to overcome the sensor integration problems.
Heart rate, radar, Shimano Di2 via Ki2, and Power and other sensors are working through Karoo's native sensor management and extensions.   

Some issues remain, including UI compatibility, unsupported system functions, and the inability to use ANT+ radar and light control simultaneously.

If XCADEY provided an open SDK and opened up its sensor interface to third-party developers, we could add these features directly to the original ALPHA software without needing such a complex port.

One important thing: I'm not a programmer or software developer. All the coding, reverse engineering, and technical implementation was done for me by AI. I guided the project, provided the hardware, and tested the results.

It's an experimental port, but it demonstrates what the ALPHA 800 hardware is capable of!
I've attached a link to a demonstration video below.

https://uploadnow.io/f/x2DGMcb

Quote from: poyo on <strong>Today</strong> at 01:27:51 AMI managed to get Karoo 3 Software running on the XCADEY ALPHA 800 – without root access!
The biggest challenge was porting Karoo 3 from Android 12 to the ALPHA's Android 8.1.
I developed a custom compatibility bridge to handle missing system services and an independent ANT+ host to overcome the sensor integration problems.
Heart rate, radar, Shimano Di2 via Ki2, and Power and other sensors are working through Karoo's native sensor management and extensions.   

Some issues remain, including UI compatibility, unsupported system functions, and the inability to use ANT+ radar and light control simultaneously.

If XCADEY provided an open SDK and opened up its sensor interface to third-party developers, we could add these features directly to the original ALPHA software without needing such a complex port.

One important thing: I'm not a programmer or software developer. All the coding, reverse engineering, and technical implementation was done for me by AI. I guided the project, provided the hardware, and tested the results.

It's an experimental port, but it demonstrates what the ALPHA 800 hardware is capable of!
I've attached a link to a demonstration video below.

https://uploadnow.io/f/x2DGMcb

Wow that's cool! That is the one thing why I am also interested in the product. Saw it at Eurobike, and the maps app etc. where relatively smooth compared to the other budget head-units available, and the base android with the option to side load APK's ... that sounds intriguing for a tinkerer.
I will unbox mine soon and adb bridge some apps on it - Android 8 vs 12 is a bummer though, let's see.

I plan to code (like you, assisted, ehm) some app, that records the full ANT+ packages for later analysis, for better Power meter reviews, as I found different head-units to calculate the missing packages differently for instance. Also recording more than 1 PM at the same time...

Wonder why they're using Android 8.1 in 2026 

Also ordered one to tinker.
I've already done certain projects like having osmaps with trailforks in an Amazfit Pace (Android based watch) so as soon as it arrives i'll root it, try a newer android version and play with what I can take from the Karoo + some custom built apps, just an extension of what I do on my day to day for a living but hobby over here