CarlinKit CarPlay AI Box Android 13 Adapter for OEM Wired Touchscreen Cars

So far so good! This is super awesome it’s literally android tablet right on your dashboard. So many negative reviews with the product bricks after couple of weeks. So let see how it will hold up. Car: Lexus tx500h 2024 Phone: iPhone runing the latest iOS beta program. I do many product testing so let see how this will hold up. I will be putting in Tmobile sim for data as well for the best smooth experience. First setup - update as always wis the android always something to update Hook it up on USB-C hdmi docking for easiest setup with mouse and keyboard if you want to it’s optional. Once everything is login and ready to go then put it back in the car. That’s it :) It is a bit pricey but as long it holds up for at least 3 years would be great

Purchased August 17th, 2024. ("Prime Day" sale.) It worked as it should in my 2019 Ford Ranger when I first received it. I added a T-mobile SIM card and that, too, worked exactly as it should. On first boot, notified me that an update was available, which I immediately installed. For a couple of weeks, it did exactly what I it's supposed to do. I could use internet and GPS on my head unit without needing to start a hotspot on my phone, and I still had access to wireless CarPlay (through the CarlinKit unit) if I wanted to use my phone instead. I also set the unit to allow for hotspotting every time I started my truck so my daughter could always use her (wifi only) tablet while we're on the road. Then little things started going wrong. First, the auto-hotspot feature got flaky and I had to consistently, manually, start the hotspot from the headunit. (Annoying, but not a deal breaker.) Then the internet stopped consistently working. Sometimes it would still work, but sometimes the unit would report a strong LTE connection, but Waze and Spotify and YouTube Music all only worked in offline mode. Then, a few days ago, less than a month after purchasing, the unit stopped projecting to my head unit. It's a brick now - it hasn't worked in days and my truck doesn't even know that there's a "CarPlay" device connected. Using the same cable that the CarlinKit is connected with, I tried my iPhone - CarPlay still works from there. That means that both the cable and the head unit are still working the way they should. Definitely regretting this purchase right now...

I tried a few of these boxes and this is the best one. I have connected with 4G through T-Mobile and it works great. Smooth video and transitions. Split screen is great. If you have a good screen be sure to adjust the video settings to a higher level. I think it comes about mid-range by default.

This is a next generation "Magic Box" multimedia adaptor. The first generation of these came out in early 2023 and were notoriously laggy. In particular, the wired to wireless Android auto and Carplay conversion often had audio lags of three to four seconds. The multimedia, Youtube and Netflix functions were spotty at best, often presenting pixelated and choppy videos. This new generation runs on a newer version of Android (13) and appears to have a faster processor. There is still some lag in the wireless AA/CP conversion but not as bad as with the older devices. Its a manageable 1-2 seconds now and really only noticeable when you try to control the audio track from your phone. The multimedia options are improved as well with movement between apps and videos being much more responsive. There are still occasional artifacts in videos but that may well be due to my mobile device connection and not the convertor. Overall, this is a vastly improved device and is available at a lower price than the 2023 version.

Purchased this Item after using the Motorola AA dongle that works perfect with AA, but I wanted a bit more, like access to youtube videos or Netflix file on the road. This device allows you to do just that. There is some lag in the audio and when switching between apps. I do wish you could run AA native directly on this device especially when you use your sim. This would remove the need for your phone and allow AA to run directly from this device. Overall good product in comparison to whats out there. Price is a bit more than I would like from a device like this.

Works great. Pretty stable overall. Also pretty fast

The device failed to establish an internet connection, and I was unable to access Google’s servers, which meant I couldn’t down-load any apps. On top of that. The icons are large and occupy too much screen space, making the interface less user-friendly. Considering the cost, I expected a much more seamless and dependable experience particularly, after spending so much time trying to get it up and running.

I do not recommend this product. The price is very high, but the performance is extremely disappointing. The system is very slow and suffers from constant lag, making it frustrating to use. Most of the apps I wanted to use either do not work at all or have serious compatibility issues. I bought this expecting a smooth Android experience, but it failed to deliver. Another major problem is the heat. The device gets extremely hot during normal use, to the point that it is uncomfortable to hold. Overall, this product is overpriced and does not perform anywhere near what its price suggests. I strongly recommend looking for a different AI Box instead of wasting your money on this one.