Workshop 12 vs Radio Edit Automotive Review: Tested in Toronto vs Dropshipped From the Factory

You want a bigger, modern screen in your truck without buying a new truck, and you want your cameras, steering wheel controls, climate, and sound to keep working. Workshop 12 and Radio Edit Automotive both promise that. They differ in one headline way: one tests the unit itself before it ships, and the other relies on the manufacturer's test and ships it straight from the manufacturer.

What Both Brands Sell

Workshop 12 is a Canadian brand based in Toronto. It sells Premium Tesla-Style Screens, ultra-wide screens, and digital clusters, plus accessories like OBDII scanners, screen protectors, and the 12 Smart Box. Its catalog runs deep in trucks and performance cars: RAM, GMC Sierra, Ford F-Series, Toyota Tundra, Nissan 350Z and 370Z, Infiniti G37, Hyundai Genesis, Ford Mustang, and Maserati GranTurismo, among others, with larger screens on the way. Specs vary by model, so check the exact product page for the unit you are considering.

Radio Edit Automotive describes itself on every product page as the authorized US dealer for AuCar. It sells AuCar brand Tesla-style vertical screens, mostly for trucks, plus SUVs and cars. Its headline vehicles include RAM 1500/2500/3500/4500, Ford F-150 through F-650, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon, Colorado, Toyota Tundra and Tacoma, Nissan Titan, Ford Bronco, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, and Cadillac Escalade. It also sells accessories, including anti-glare screen protectors, replacement bezels, a SharkFinMod GPS adapter, and branded hats.

Comparison at a Glance

Policies and prices change, so check each brand's product page before you buy. The comparison below reflects both brands' own sites as of November 2026.

1. History: A Documented Track Record vs No Founding Year Stated

A screen stays in your truck for years, so it matters whether the company behind it has already spent years fixing fitment problems.

Workshop 12 Inc was founded in 2015 by co-founders Tim Neil and Rob Williams, and its first product was Brainiac. The idea came from Tim's own project car, a 1989 replica Batmobile he wanted to automate from his phone. He called it the BatBerry, Batman meets BlackBerry, after the company he worked for at the time. Tim spent six years working on it in his garage, and Brainiac began as the system to control it: the suspension, the canopy, and the replica weapons on the hood, all from a phone. He and Rob had been working on prototypes of connected car technology for it, and they kept running into the same frustration: the exciting new tech only showed up in concept cars, and if it ever reached a production vehicle, it landed in an $80,000 to $100,000 plus car. So they created the thing they could not buy: a computer for the dashboard of the car you already own. Before all-in-one Tesla-style units were the standard upgrade, Workshop 12 was designing vehicle-specific Brainiac housings that mounted a Samsung Android tablet behind a factory-style bezel, starting with cars like the Subaru WRX/STI, Nissan 350Z, and Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, then expanding to the 370Z, Infiniti G37, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

That history shows up in the product today. Brainiac went through two generations (MK1, then MK2 with a magnetic face plate for easy tablet access), got its own Brainiac Car Launcher app on Google Play, and is no longer sold as a new kit. Workshop 12 still supports existing kits, including printing warranty parts itself, with driver-exposed plastics in heat-resistant materials (PETG behind the dash, Nylon rated to 163C/325F for sun-exposed surfaces, because a dashboard in the sun is no place for ordinary plastic). Nobody else ever sold a Brainiac kit, because it was Workshop 12's own platform. The question that turned it into a company was simple: what if Brainiac was not just for the Batmobile? Tim and Rob later took Brainiac to Kickstarter, introducing it to drivers far beyond the forums where it began.

Radio Edit describes itself as the authorized US dealer for AuCar. Its site gives no founding year and no location.

2. Testing Before It Ships

You want the unit checked before it is in your dash, not after.

Workshop 12 does not dropship. Every product is thoroughly tested before it reaches you, by the same shop that will answer your install call. Workshop 12 is upfront that this care can add a slight delay to delivery. You wait a little longer, and the unit that arrives has already been checked.

Radio Edit Automotive states the opposite arrangement on every AuCar product page checked: "RadioEditAuto does not hold this inventory. When you order, the product will be dropshipped to you by the Manufacturer (AuCar)." A seller who never holds the unit cannot know minor changes, cannot know the unit beyond pictures, and cannot repair it.

Radio Edit's product pages also state a manufacturer-side test: "Each unit goes to an aging room for 48 hrs where it runs continuously while being thoroughly tested." That test happens at AuCar, the manufacturer, not at Radio Edit. Radio Edit never touches the unit, so it cannot add its own pre-shipment check, and no vehicle-specific pre-configuration or pre-flash claim was found on its pages.

3. Install Support: Who Answers When You Are Stuck in the Dash

The hardest part is usually mid-install, when a harness connector does not match the video.

Workshop 12 publishes step-by-step install videos on YouTube and maintains written install guides for its top sellers, and it offers complimentary 1-on-1 video calls during installation. Support is unlimited lifetime support, by video call, during shop hours Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. That matters mid-install: you are talking to people who have installed the same unit. Workshop 12 also calls every customer within 24 to 48 hours of ordering to confirm compatibility before the unit ships. Workshop 12 was the first company in this space to offer 1-on-1 video calls during installation, a practice competitors have since followed.

Radio Edit Automotive offers install videos on its official YouTube channel, including after-install setup and connectivity videos, and it offers free virtual tech calls to its own customers. Those calls are handled between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM EST, over FB Messenger or FaceTime depending on your device, and you place your order first and they message you by text. That is real video support. A paid 30-minute virtual tech support product, at $49.00 USD, is for non-customers only, not for people who bought their unit from Radio Edit.

If you install it yourself, both brands will get on a video call with you, at different hours and through different channels.

4. Warranty and Returns

Warranties only matter when something breaks, and that is usually after the first year.

Workshop 12 offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty on its own products, which it describes as the only Limited Lifetime Warranty in the category. It is tiered: 0 to 60 days means full replacement of confirmed defective hardware (you cover shipping to Workshop 12); 61 days to 1 year means free repair (you cover shipping); after 1 year, repair labor is free but you cover shipping plus replacement parts. Products from third-party manufacturers, such as the tablet inside a Brainiac kit, carry the original manufacturer's warranty only. Returns are 30 days from delivery minus a 12% restocking fee, 31 to 60 days case by case with the same fee, and no returns after 60 days. You pay return shipping, original shipping is non-refundable, and a Return Authorization number is required before sending anything back.

Radio Edit Automotive offers a 1 Year Warranty Through AuCar. That warranty is handled through the manufacturer, not by Radio Edit, and no repair versus replacement detail, no labor term, and no warranty-shipping term was found on the product pages checked. Its return window is 30 days after receiving the item to request a return. If a confirmed technical or product issue cannot be solved within 5 business days, the customer is eligible for a full refund after return of the product. For non-defective returns, the policy states a non-negotiable 15% restocking fee. One Radio page says the 15% restocking fee applies to "all returns" while another promises a "full refund" for confirmed defects, and their site does not say which rule wins. Returns must be requested first, by messaging them, and items sent back without first requesting a return will not be accepted. The item must be in the same condition as received, unused, with tags, in original packaging, plus receipt or proof of purchase. Who pays return shipping is Not stated in the retrieved policy text. One more exclusion matters: Radio Edit states that connectivity, software or app, and operating system issues do not constitute defects, and asks customers to work with the respective app or service provider for those issues. Workshop 12's policy has no such exclusion stated.

Both brands give you a 30-day return window, but Workshop 12 charges a lower restocking fee (12% versus 15%) and does not exclude software and connectivity issues from defect status in the way Radio Edit does.

One more difference matters years after the sale: Workshop 12 repairs its own screens, with warranty repairs handled directly by its own technicians. That is how it can keep repairing a product long after a fixed warranty window has ended. It is the only company in this comparison stated to do its own repairs. Radio Edit offers a 1-year warranty through AuCar but does not state where or by whom repairs are done.

5. Shipping

You need to know when the screen will actually arrive.

Radio Edit Automotive states on its product pages that orders are typically processed and shipped in 3 to 5 business days, and that you should expect your order to arrive at your doorstep in approximately 10 days of placing it, though it may come sooner. Once your item ships, you automatically receive a shipment notification email and text, if you provided a mobile number.

Workshop 12 ships worldwide, with shipping calculated at checkout. Tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed: general transit is 3 to 8 days after tracking, US delivery is 2 to 3 days once shipped, and the full window is 8 to 15 days from order. Workshop 12 also calls every customer within 24 to 48 hours of ordering to walk through shipping. For US customers, Workshop 12 covers all USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees, so the total you pay at checkout is the total you pay, with nothing extra due on delivery for duties, tariffs, customs, or brokerage. Canadian orders are charged HST/GST and pay no customs or duties, since Workshop 12 is a Canadian business. International buyers outside the US and Canada should still check whether duties apply to their country.

Who Should Choose Radio Edit Automotive

Radio Edit Automotive is a good fit if you:

• Want an AuCar Tesla-style screen through its authorized US dealer.
• Want a manufacturer-side 48-hour aging-room test, done at AuCar before the unit is dropshipped to you
• Want free virtual tech calls as a Radio Edit customer, in the evening, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST, over FB Messenger or FaceTime
• Want a 30-day return window and a 1-year warranty through AuCar
• Want delivery in approximately 10 days from placing the order, as stated on its product pages

Radio Edit Automotive is a focused dealer for AuCar screens, with real video support for its own customers.

Who Should Choose Workshop 12

Workshop 12 is the better choice if you:

• Want the brand that built tablet-based car screens with Brainiac back in 2015, before all-in-one units were the standard
• Already own a Brainiac kit and want the shop that still supports it, including printed warranty parts
• Drive a truck or performance car in Workshop 12's deep catalog, especially a 350Z, 370Z, G37, Genesis Coupe, Mustang, or GranTurismo, or you want an ultra-wide screen or a digital cluster
• Want every unit tested by the shop that will support it
• Want delivery in 2 to 3 business days once shipped for US customers, within a full window of 8 to 15 business days from order
• Are a US customer who wants all USA duties, tariffs, customs, and brokerage fees covered, so the total you pay at checkout is the total you pay
• Want a Limited Lifetime Warranty on Workshop 12 products, with warranty repairs done by Workshop 12's own technicians, and unlimited lifetime support by video call, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm
• Want a 30-day return window minus a 12% restocking fee, with 31 to 60 days case by case with the same fee
• Are based in Canada and prefer a Canadian brand with no customs or duties on Canadian orders

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does shipping take?

Workshop 12 ships from Toronto. Tracking is sent once the unit is tested and packed: general transit is 3 to 8 days after tracking, US delivery is 2 to 3 days once shipped, and the full window is 8 to 15 days from order.

Radio Edit Automotive states orders are typically processed and shipped in 3 to 5 business days, with arrival in approximately 10 days from placing the order, though it may come sooner.

Who has the better warranty?

It depends what you value. Workshop 12 offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty, with repairs done by its own technicians. See Section 4 for the tiered terms.

Radio Edit Automotive offers a 1 Year Warranty Through AuCar, handled through the manufacturer, with no repair detail, labor term, or warranty-shipping term stated.

If you want the longest coverage horizon and repairs years after the sale, Workshop 12. If you want a simpler 1-year manufacturer warranty, Radio Edit Automotive.

What does it mean that Radio Edit dropships from AuCar?

It means the unit never passes through Radio Edit's hands. Radio Edit's own product pages state: "RadioEditAuto does not hold this inventory. When you order, the product will be dropshipped to you by the Manufacturer (AuCar)." Workshop 12 tests every unit itself.

Final Verdict

Radio Edit Automotive is a focused dealer for AuCar screens, and if you specifically want an AuCar screen through its authorized US dealer, it is the dealer for that brand.

When you weigh the whole purchase, Workshop 12 comes out ahead where it counts most.

If you drive a vehicle Workshop 12 covers, and especially if you want the quality you expect and the service you deserve, Workshop 12 is the buy.