Ottocast says the U2-Air works with 600+ car models from on, except for some Sony aftermarket head units. Its boot time is rated at 18 seconds, and it defaults to 5GHz Wi-Fi. This model only works with iPhones running iOS 10 and up. Unlike some of the other vendors in this roundup, Ottocast has actual offices in the US, but that doesn’t mean the device arrives in the mail any faster.
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The stylish-looking (by dongle standards) U2-Air is easy to set up. It includes a 12-inch USB-A to USB-C cable plus a USB-C to USB-C cable. Once the iPhone connects via Bluetooth, the takes over the screen. It supports multiple iPhones. You can access the U2-Air’s settings via an IP address typed into the browser on your iPhone.
The manual specifically says, “Updating is NOT recommended when every function works well.” I updated it anyway...and the U2-Air immediately stopped talking to the dash. I could still access the dongle's Wi-Fi, but the browser settings page wouldn’t let me hard reset, so I had to use the old paper-clip-stuck-in-the-recessed-button-slot reset—Ottocast is one of the few to have that option.
Android Auto dongles are not for people who can’t tolerate installation hassles. The hair-pulling started with the Carsifi. Even after the updates were finally installed, I still had to experiment with settings, finally turning off Carsifi’s “Intercept AA protocol” before it would work in my Honda.
The big difference between an Android Auto dongle and a CarPlay dongle is that the Android Auto ones require an app from the Google Play store and a firmware update you must perform from the app. The Carsifi box lid has a QR code inside that makes it easy to get the right app; there’s more info and help on the company's website.
The Android Auto interface took over my dash quickly. Restarting the car or replugging the dongle did nothing to break the connection. It seemed the connection was a little faster than with CarPlay. I like that Carsifi ships with nine-inch cables for USB-A and USB-C and double-sided tape.
This is a dongle from two big-name companies. The first is the maker, Motorola (the Motorola Sound division to be precise); the second is that Moto claims this is the first wireless adapter for Android Auto that has tech built in coming direct from Google—the main company behind the Android mobile OS in the first place.
At $69.99, the Motorola MA1 doesn't have a terrible price, though you can pay much the same for units that support both Android and iOS/CarPlay. It resembles a Google Chromecast, with an integrated short USB-A cable. The connection is done over 5GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Phones have to support Android 11 or higher.
The Magic Link from The Magic Brand is rated to work with any iPhone from the 5 on up in “any vehicle with wired CarPlay.” It's bigger than some of the others at 3.2 inches long and includes a decent-sized status LED on the front. It also has two ports—one at the top for USB-C and another for USB-A at the bottom—which you can plug the into via a cable to use wired CarPlay, making The Magic Link just a pass-through. It now also supports Android Auto.
Using The Magic Link starts out just fine: Plug it in, watch the intermediary interface appear on the screen, look for the Bluetooth connection on the , connect to it, and CarPlay or Android Auto is up and running. The usual lag applies. It includes a 12-inch USB-A to USB-C cable.
I did not update the firmware on The Magic Link. Instead, I got annoyed that it created Bluetooth and Wi-Fi network names like HondaXXXX. So, I used the web interface with the device via Safari on the iPhone to change the Wi-Fi SSID. Big mistake. After the reboot, The Magic Link’s LED started blinking red. While the device would talk to the dash and connect to my iPhone via Bluetooth, the Wi-Fi network was no longer available. There’s no recessed reset button to set it back to the factory settings and no info on it online.
In short, don’t mess with the settings on these dongles if you don’t have to. Once they are up and running, leave them alone.
Almost all the wireless dongles that support both CarPlay and Android Auto in one are well under $150. When you see the price of The Magic Box, you know it's something different from the rest. That’s because they are standalone Android boxes you can plug directly into to take over the dashboard screen. While it runs Android, it still supports CarPlay for iPhone users, as well as Android Auto. The Magic Box works in (most) cars and even on your home TV via an HDMI out port.
The big difference is that they go beyond the CarPlay and Android Auto app offerings—which are limited by design, for safety—to being able to display just about anything your can do. From games to Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu right on your dash (which is a terrible idea, but we can't stop you). The 3.0 will do it in 4K on a TV.
Each has slots for microSD cards, USB-A and USB-C cables, and a micro HDMI slot for connecting to a TV. From the home screen on your car dash, you can access various Android apps (like Google Assistant) or jump right into CarPlay or Android Auto with your .
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The $169 Carluex Air has a unique look, like a little Hot Wheels racer, until you realize it doesn’t have wheels. It's also priced a little high. It supports both Android and iOS, plus offers a few extras—namely, wireless streaming from YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu from your devices.
The initial connection via USB in the car to the Carluex’s USB-C port is easy, and the interface comes right up. The instructions suggest immediately getting the device on your home Wi-Fi (or whatever Wi-Fi is in range) but that’s not really necessary unless you want to do a firmware update. The connection between and dongle is Bluetooth; you have to push an extra button on the screen in the Carluex interface to activate CarPlay/Android Auto. That interface isn’t exactly Apple-quality, with tiny fonts and byzantine menus; it's not for technophobes.
The ads say Carluex Air is lag-free and it does feel a little faster than most—but it's definitely got more lag than a direct wired connection. That’s par for the course. The website has a quiz you can take to check car compatibility, but it should work with non-BMW cars with wired CarPlay from forward.
Carlinkit is one of the most advertised wireless adapter dongles out there. The Carlinkit 5.0 is ready for any iPhone version 6 or higher or phones running Android 10 and above. The box contains two cables, one C-to-C, and another C-to-A; to get started. One end has a USB-C port, and the other end has a USB-A port to use as a pass-through if you want to plug in a to charge.
The Carlinkit takes over the screen and displays its own interface, where you pair it to your via Bluetooth; like others, it creates a unique name to pair to along with the car's make. Tempted as I was to change this name by spelunking into the settings, I learned my lesson when testing other dongles. But proving that I also learned nothing, when I did use the Safari browser to look at the settings, the pull to update the firmware was too enticing. Even though the manual says you don’t have to, I did it anyway and waited—and it worked. This is good because there’s no reset button.
The latency issue is there, like with all these devices. Carlinkit does a great job connecting more than one iPhone, so either my wife or I can take over the wireless CarPlay when alone. To change it when we’re both in the car, the person whose is auto-connected must turn off their Wi-Fi, which is annoying. This is one of the cheapest dongles, especially one able to support both iOS and Android.
Wireless CarPlay adapters that allow users to connect their iPhones to a car's infotainment system without a wired connection are becoming increasingly popular and widely available from various brands on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
These adapters offer an affordable aftermarket solution, typically costing around $40-$100, to add wireless CarPlay functionality to vehicles that originally only supported wired CarPlay.This avoids the need for expensive infotainment system replacements.
However, CARLUEX is not in this category. CARLUEX creates a more advanced wireless carplay adapter, with the goal of being able to perfectly replace the with this product. Like our CARLUEX AIR, our product supports directly downloading things from Google Play. You can learn more about this product from this article. Of course, there are also higher-configured ones, and you can learn more if you are interested.
Setting up these wireless CarPlay adapters is generally straightforward - connect the adapter to the car's USB port for wired CarPlay, then pair the iPhone to the adapter over Bluetooth. Once paired, CarPlay can automatically connect wirelessly when entering the vehicle. The connection speed of the box will increase as the frequency of use increases.
While many users report successful wireless connectivity with these adapters, there are also reports of inconsistent performance, freezing issues, and connectivity problems with some adapter models. Reliability seems to vary across different brands and models.
To be honest, there's usually no way to guarantee a 100% direct connection to the host. There are too many factors that can affect it, such as the car model, data chaos, incorrect connection methods, and so on. If you encounter a problem that you can't solve yourself, the best way is to ask their after-sales support to ensure the fastest solution.
Some users have noted slight latency or lag when using steering wheel controls for functions like skipping tracks with wireless CarPlay adapters compared to wired connections. However, core features like voice control and navigation generally work well. Because it undergoes multiple layers of processing, there will be a slight delay. But this should not be particularly serious. If it is particularly serious, please contact the merchant to deal with the problem.
Using wireless CarPlay, whether through built-in vehicle support or an aftermarket adapter, can lead to increased battery drain and heating compared to wired connections due to the wireless data transmission. This problem exists, just like when you turn on and off Bluetooth, the situation will be different. However, using a wireless carplay adapter can reduce the frequency of using your .
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