Today we are testing much more than a CarPlay adapter, because This Ottocast P3 AI is a mini computer for your car screenprovided you have CarPlay or Android Auto.
We’re used to seeing adapters for your CarPlay or Android Auto that convert your wired system to a wireless system. Ottocast itself has several adapters like the one we review here. But today we are going much further, because what we are going to test is a mini computer for your car. Your vehicle’s screen will become a tablet with Android 12, with all that means: install the applications you want, including those that allow you to view multimedia.
Features
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor
- Android 12 system
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB Rio Android 12
- Wi-Fi 2.4GHz + 5GHz
- Bluetooth BT 5.0
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- miniHDMI video output
- microSD slot
- NanoSIM slot
- Wireless adapter for CarPlay and Android Auto
- Size 80x80x20mm
- USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C cable
- Cable with double USB-A socket for old vehicles
This is an attractively designed adapter, a way to compensate for its larger size compared to other wireless adapters. Let’s keep in mind that this one does a lot more than those adapters, hence its larger size. We have cables for be able to connect it to the car ports, whatever their type, USB-A or USB-C. In addition, we are dealing with cables of a higher quality than those usually included, with metal connectors and braided nylon, which is appreciated in a product of this price.
This P3 is too pretty to be placed inside any armrest, you can place it perfectly in any gap in your vehicle, or even attach it with adhesive to any surface of that -this. Front lights customizable in color and animations They look great with the car in the dark. In addition, the temperature reached by the device makes it strongly recommended to place it in a place where it can ventilate well, I do not recommend putting it in the glove box or in the armrest.
Installation and use
Installation is really simple because All you have to do is connect the device to your vehicle’s USB port. Make sure this is the port that CarPlay or Android Auto works on. I must say that I carried out the test in a vehicle equipped with a touch screen. I would not recommend its use on other types of screens. For vehicles in which the USB does not provide enough power (older models), a cable with a dual USB socket is included, so you shouldn’t have any problems either. When you automatically start the vehicle, dodo should appear on the screen after a few seconds.
This is the Ottodrive 2.0 system, which replaces the screen that usually appears in your car. You can access it at any time and come back to Ottodrive whenever you want. It’s a screen that any tablet with Android 12 could have, with some widgets designed specifically for the vehicle, such as speed. You can move icons, widgets, delete them, add others… all Android customization options are at your fingertips. Of course you have access to the Google Play Store and therefore you can download any application, including media streaming ones like Netflix, Disney or Prime Video, also Spotify or Apple Music, even IPTV applications.
The animations are quite fluid, the response is good. It’s not a high-end tablet, especially since the screen quality of most vehicles isn’t at that level, but The performance of the Ottocast P3 AI Box is really good. As I said before, the temperature it reaches is sometimes high, but with good ventilation I haven’t noticed any performance issues.
Connectivity includes dual-band WiFi, so to give the device Internet you can use your own smartphone using the Internet sharing option. If you plan to use it frequently, it’s best to purchase a Multi SIM from your carrier and use it directly on your P3 AI Box, so you won’t depend on your iPhone or Android to use it. In my experience Using the device to watch streaming media is excellent
As a media player, it’s a very good option for entertaining your vehicle’s passengers, although your screen size may not be enough to reach the rear. As for the sound quality, it is very good, and there is not the slightest delay between the image and the sound.. I haven’t used the device’s HDMI output, but it’s a very good option for connecting displays to the rear of the vehicle. Use with music applications (Apple Music in my case) is just as good, with very high sound quality, depending on your car radio obviously.
Another possibility offered is the connect Bluetooth controllers for use with video games, which can also be installed on this Ottocast device. I have not had the opportunity to try it, but I think it is good to inform you of this possibility. Of course, you can use Google Maps, or any other app you want as long as it is compatible with Android 12. We cannot forget that It has a microSD for viewing multimedia files
Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto
In addition to everything I told you, we have the possibility of using CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. It’s as simple as wirelessly connecting your smartphone to the P3 AI Box and opening the MultiPlay app. If what you have connected is an iPhone, CarPlay will appear, if it is an Android phone, Android Auto will appear. These systems do not have the slightest difference from the official systems, the only thing this device does is remove the cable, everything else is the same. In this case there will be a little delay, but it is not the fault of the device, since it happens even in official wireless systems.
This is a very recurring question that you ask yourself when you are shown this type of device: Your vehicle must be equipped with wired CarPlay for this device to work and be able to have them wirelessly. If you don’t have it, it won’t do any good. The manufacturer is talking about vehicles from 2016 with wired CarPlay, except for BMW which is not compatible. It also works with “aftermarket” systems (not original to the vehicle) except for the Sony brand.
Editor’s opinion
If you want to turn your vehicle’s (touch) screen into a mini-computer with Android 12, this P3 AI Box from Ottocast is fantastic. With the possibility of Internet connection via nanoSIM, the performance of this device is very good, allowing you to view multimedia content stored locally (microSD) or streaming via any application. Also with the addition of converting your CarPlay or Android Auto system to wireless. Its price is high, but it is worth what it costs: $322 on the Ottocast website (link), with the possibility of get 20% off using code MIGU20 in the purchasing process.
- Editor’s Note
- 4.5 star rating
- Exceptional
$322
- P3 AI Box
- Review of: Luis Padilla
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Posted on:
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Last modification:
Benefits
- Nice design
- Good performance
- No delay between image and sound
- Installing streaming apps
- Android Auto and wireless CarPlay
Against
- Difficult to control without touchscreen
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