[Prime] Ottocast U2-Air Wireless Carplay Adapter 2024 Upgrade $78 (Was $119.95) Delivered @ CGAUTO via Amazon AU

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[Prime] Ottocast U2-Air Wireless Carplay Adapter 2024 Upgrade $78 (Was $119.95) Delivered @ CGAUTO via Amazon AUAffiliate
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guidedlight on 06/04/2024 - 08:11 amazon.com.au (1037 clicks)
Last edited 06/04/2024 - 10:04 by 2 other users
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This adapter is a must have for anybody who uses a wired CarPlay connection in their car.

It will automatically wirelessly connect your car to your iPhone when you start your car.

Some caveats:

  • Does not work in BMW cars. Also does not work in these specific vehicles; 2019 Honda CRV; 2017-18 Mazda CX-5; Tesla; 2017 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport; 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
  • Does not provide charging capabilities like regular wired CarPlay (obviously).
  • It’s quite annoying/difficult to switch between multiple iPhones with this adapter. I would only use it with one iPhone only.
  • Does not offer mirrored Apple Maps in drivers display (for vehicles that provide that. e.g. Volvo/Polestar).

There is also a Wireless Android Auto version here;

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Automotive Apple CarPlay Ottocast Wireless Adapter

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Comments

  • hopper on 06/04/2024 - 08:16

    I recently used android auto wireless connection and noticed that phone became quite hot within 20 mins (was using Google maps). This was on rental atto 3. Many suggested using wire is best option for long trips.

    • linkindan on 06/04/2024 - 08:59

      I did a 4 hour trip on wireless CarPlay with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, had no issues whatsoever

      • hopper on 06/04/2024 - 09:00

        Apple is always good in software. It's Android the culprit 😢

        • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 10:52
          +2

          I regularly use Android Auto wirelessly and have never noticed heating issues in over 6 months if use, including sitting in the centre console or in my pocket.

          I use a carlinkit 5.0 that I got for about $75 from a previous deal. That can also charge through a pass through charging cable. It supposedly does Apple Carplay but I have never tried it.

          I have also used wireless Android Auto with several Kias at work with built in wireless. I found a newer Kia Stonic works much better than one identical but 9 months older, meaning far less drop outs even at close range, which I attribute to software, as the hardware seems identical.

    • edfoo on 06/04/2024 - 09:03
      +2

      This is very common with every mobile phones. As opposed to linkindan, all the iPhones I have owned (currently on 15) also do get hot when using GPS guidance.

      • linkindan on 06/04/2024 - 10:13
        +1

        Of all the reported issues with the 15PM, I haven’t had any of them

        It does get a little hot if I leave it on camera mode for an extended period, but that’s only when set to video and I have the settings on 60fps and 4K

      • Stinger au on 07/04/2024 - 10:38

        If I forget to end trip in google maps on my iphone 14, I will eventually notice because it has gotten quite warm in my pocket. Similarly, sometimes the mymaccas app will not register that I've picked up the order and once I force kill the app it will start to cool down.

    • guidedlight on 06/04/2024 - 09:19
      +1

      My guess it was wireless charging, not Android Auto that caused your phone to become hot.

      • hopper on 06/04/2024 - 09:27

        Nope, it wasn't. I just left it in cup holder.

    • Mitch889 on 06/04/2024 - 09:33
      +3

      Sounds like an issue with your Android phone. Never had issues with wireless CarPlay in the five years I’ve been using it across five different iPhones.

      • hopper on 06/04/2024 - 10:03

        That's why I mentioned android auto in comment

      • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 11:29

        I agree. I'm using a Moto Edge 30 Neo, which is not a high performance phone, and never noticed a problem. My wife's 4 year old Moto phone does struggle a little but it's more with jittery audio at times when navigating.

        I keep getting asked by the phone about my experience and if I have even a single dropout that day I say bad. I have noticed it improving.

        I think some if the dropouts occur when you drive near other cars or enter a queue of traffic, which I think is because Android Auto uses WiFi and if nearby cars are using the same WiFi channel that can cause momentary issues.

        With the carlinkit 5.0 that I have you can select the WiFi channel, so I set mine to a slightly higher 5GHz channel and that seems to help. You can also change a buffer setting, which I bumped up from 300ms (perhaps it was 500ms?) to 1000ms (i.e. 1 sec, so it does delay the start of music slightly) and I believe that helped a lot and I don't really notice the delay.

        It's a bit tricky to get into that settings mode without using their app on Android.

        The reason is that Android Auto (not settings mode for the dongle) first connects to the dongle via Bluetooth, then recognises it as a wireless Android Auto device, then this triggers Android Auto to activate a WiFi hotspot on the phone and tell the dongle to connect to the phone's WiFi hotspot. However the settings mode requires you to connect the other way, from the phone to the dongle's hotspot.

        To connect to the dongle's WiFi hotspot you have to turn off your Bluetooth to prevent Android Auto doing it's reverse hotspot routine, then connect to the wifi of the dongle unit using the password 12345678 (or something like that, Google it if that doesn't work), then go to a web page at 192.168.50.2 (or something like that, again Google it needed), then when you change key settings you have to go back to the normal wireless connection mode by turning Bluetooth back on and disconnecting from the WiFi to get out of the settings mode, for instance doing a firmware upgrade when it needs to get data from the internet via your phone's mobile data. It often requires several goes at back and forth between Bluetooth on and off, and connecting from the phone to the dongle's WiFi vs it connecting from the dongle to the phone's WiFi. You can do this out of the car by plugging the dongle into a computer or power brick just to power it on.

      • Wombatstew on 06/04/2024 - 14:03

        Wife’s iPhone and mine both can hot in wired CarPlay. We typically have google maps/ Waze and Spotify playing. We’ve done 10 hour drives with no issues in cutting out or phone shut off but still very hot.

  • damonism on 06/04/2024 - 09:22

    Anyone have a recommendation for one of these that does wireless CarPlay and supports more than one phone? I have one of the $10 (or something, it was stupidly cheap) AliExpress ones from when it was posted here and it’s perfect other than the fact that to switch phones you need to unpair one and re-pair the other one. But apparently some do support more than one phone in some form.

    • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 11:32

      You would have to Google this. I have heard that some do multiple phones. Perhaps the Motorola dongle?

      Edit: the other way of switching between multiple phones is to turn the Bluetooth on and off on the desired phones. This means if your Bluetooth would normally have preference, the other phone will be able to connect, though I think because the phones actually initiate the connection process it's about which device connected first on the one at a time dongles. So if my wife gets in my car when I've already gotten in, I have to turn off my phone's Bluetooth for her phone to be able to play music.

  • Slave1 on 06/04/2024 - 09:25

    I bought mine for the same price - don’t recall this ever being more than $99 in the 12 months since I had mine. It’s good though. Bluetooth sometimes drops out causing you to have to unplugged and reconnect but generally it’s a stable connection.

  • mstlx on 06/04/2024 - 10:12

    Sorry noob question. Do you need the Android Auto to have been activated from the car manufacturer? Otherwise you cannot use the wireless android auto adapter?

    • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 11:02

      If it works on the head unit, it should work wirelessly. You may have to plug it in once, then you can do wireless after that.

  • phuctrann on 06/04/2024 - 10:23

    Does anyone know if these have a delay when changing songs using car buttons? Bought the cheap one from AliExpress the last time it was posted but just has a 2-3 second delay when changing songs.

    • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 11:00

      I have not noticed the buttons causing a delay vs changing a song on the screen using touch. The buttons are hard wired.

      A delay may be caused by the player software. I have noticed Spotify will sometimes have a delay, but mainly when I'm requesting a one-off song as opposed to a playlist where it can probably cache ahead, or sometimes when I first start playing a playlist. But this happens whether in the car or not. I just put it down to loading over the internet. I think Spotify would have to have something like the localised caching servers that Netflix has for movies, and reason that sometimes the local caching server doesn't have the song I request cached, or perhaps my mobile data is patchy in certain spots.

    • edfoo on 06/04/2024 - 11:02

      All wireless adaptors have delay, some worse than others. I have the upgraded model of this Ottocast U2-Air, it's U2-Air Pro which has less lag (or delay) than this U2-Air.

      • rygle on 06/04/2024 - 11:34

        There is a delay with the wireless dongle, but not with the buttons themselves.

        See my comment above where I adjusted the delay setting on my carlinkit 5.0 higher to help with buffering/stuttering a little. You will probably find the lower delay in that newer version of the U2 is just a software tweak.

  • slknv on 06/04/2024 - 12:10

    Bought this last week for $55 on amazon, just returned it because you're not able to program a startup delay in the settings - would always require unplugging and replugging in every time the car was restarted which kind of defeats the point of a wireless carplay adapter. Some manufacturers don't require a startup delay, some do. Waiting on delivery of a carlink 5 2air which apparently has much more customisation in the startup settings.,

    • JSONBourne on 07/04/2024 - 14:44

      You definitely can program this. You have to join the network and go to 192.168.1.101 in your browser.

      You can choose startup delay, audio delay and also GPS mode (phone only, assisted with head unit). I've had this unit for years and it works great. Usually firmware updates every month or so as well.

      • slknv on 07/04/2024 - 15:52

        I did login to the unit configuration screen, but the only startup delay available was Default/Mode 1/Mode 2, without the ability to set an exact number of seconds for startup delay. Wondering if I got sent a dodgy unit. Returned it already anyways.

        • JSONBourne on 07/04/2024 - 16:11

          Nope that's the standard options. Each of those options is designed to encompass most cars. Did you try all 3 settings?

          • slknv on 07/04/2024 - 16:43

            @JSONBourne: Yes of course. No bueno :(. The carlinkit 2air is meant to have more open settings, so you can specificy an exact amount of time instead of an arbitrary amount so hoping it will do the trick. Common problem apparently

  • Mokej on 06/04/2024 - 15:17

    Better ones on Ali for half the price

    • frogduck on 06/04/2024 - 20:51

      Are you able to share some good ones for Android auto if you're familiar? I wasn't sure which to get on Ali

  • almnd on 23/04/2024 - 14:15

    It works out $60.79 with the code CBT20APR at eBay

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/386873605861?itmmeta=01HW4JGGX6Y…

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