As you probably already know, Apple CarPlay is available in many vehicles, but with different connection methods. We’re seeing more and more cars capable of connecting wirelessly because they have Wi-Fi, while others (especially older ones) only connect via cable.
Well, my car is one of the latter. For these cases it is possible to use an accessory that allows it to be used wirelessly. These are small devices that connect to the car’s USB port and to which we actually connect the iPhone. And yes, they make CarPlay wireless, but They have major disadvantages which many do not count on (I did not count on them either).
The connection method is the best, simple and fast
Like everything, there are accessories that allow you to use CarPlay wirelessly at a very good price. From what I have verified over these years, the fundamental difference lies in the type of connections they allow. In my case I opted for one with Bluetooth 5.0 and that was enough for me.
The devices themselves work wonderfully.. These are generally very small devices, so much so that they fit in the palm of a hand. They connect via cable to the car’s USB-A port and don’t require much else to set up. Not even third-party apps.
When connecting them to the car’s USB port, you simply go to the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and pair it with the device. And already. The iPhone will always remember the accessory and every time we start the car, CarPlay will start (almost) the same way as if we connected via cable.
The “almost” comes from a logical difference with the connection that is established when it is the car that natively offers wireless CarPlay or when it is connected by cable: the time it takes to get started. Although it depends on the accessory, typically it lasts 3-5 seconds longer. However, and at least in my case, this is not a major inconvenience and avoids having to connect the iPhone.
Biggest drawback: lag when using the screen
I could say that the last paragraph of the previous section marks the end of the positive points of the accessories that provide wireless CarPlay. And in fact, I say it. The delay in starting CarPlay playback on the car screen doesn’t bother me, but the happens when we interact with the screen.
To understand the reason for the delay, we must look at the technical operation of the device. In short, when you connect to CarPlay by cable, the iPhone’s communication with the car’s screen is direct. When we do it with one of these devices, it acts as an intermediary and therefore it takes a few seconds longer.
And even though it’s understandable and logical, it still seems boring to me. It’s not a huge delay, lasting maybe 1-2 seconds at most, but it’s very detrimental to the user experience. See as an example touching the pause button and playing without stopping until those 2 seconds are up.
This is also very noticeable when interacting with Siri. The assistant is the central axis of CarPlay, essential for asking it to make a call or play a playlist. Whether you call it via the screen or with the voice command “Hey Siri”, the assistant takes a long time to appear. In this case, I would say even more than in performing touch actions.
Ultimately, I can’t escape a busy USB drive and annoying device
Another disadvantage that I found, although it is very particular, is that in the end my car only has one port and if I want to use CarPlay it will always be busy. When traveling with someone, it’s common for my companion to want to charge their cell phone, but that’s impossible if I want to use CarPlay. Yes, this would happen to me via cable too, but not if it was native wireless CarPlay.
In any case, what bothers me the most in this matter (literally) is carry the device “suspended”. I emphasize once again the particularity of my car, which in addition to having only one USB port, it has it on the upper part very close to the dashboard and without any surface on which to hold the accessory.
This means that no matter how small the accessory is, it is still in a delicate, even dangerous position. And apart from the fact that in any bend or pothole it tends to fall, it also risks obstructing the vision of the road if it moves.
For that, If you are considering purchasing one of these devices I recommend that you consider these factors. Obviously I don’t want to spoil them because they are the best (and only) feasible solution for cars without native wireless CarPlay. Apart from that there will be someone who will compensate for this delay in interacting with the screen and who will have no problem carrying the accessory to the dashboard.
However, in my personal case, I ended up returning it. Here too I make a recommendation regarding the purchase and that is that you try to make sure that the store where you purchased it accepts returns. This way you will be assured that you will not have to keep the device if you are not satisfied.
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