(Apple Carplay) Finally Cord-Free

I wanted to take the time and write about a Wireless Carplay gadget I bought quite some time ago to eliminate additional wires in my automobile. Knowing I wouldn't have to have a wire from my phone directly to the radio within my car was its most significant selling feature. I have enough cables in my life, and the thought of having an additional one going from my phone to the USB Carplay connection in the vehicle was offputting. Besides, I wanted the port open on my iPhone in case it needed a proper charge. The USB connection directly to the radio offers little if any charging capability.

I had seen advertisements for "Wireless Carplay," and I decided to pull the trigger. I jumped on the bandwagon and bought the CPLAY2AIR offering. Keep in mind this was the only actual offering at the time. It was, and still is, one of my most used purchases of the last couple of years. The unit was advertised as being small, compatible with a long list of vehicles (including mine), and super easy to install. So, as they say, the proof was in the pudding.

In my experience, the unit just works! I have to be truly honest in saying there were some hiccups in the beginning. The unit demonstrated some lag in the early going. This was quickly resolved with the free firmware updates passed on. It's a very simple concept! You buy the advertised dongle, plug the dongle into the open CARPLAY (USB-A) port and run the Bluetooth and WIFI functions through your phone and radio's head unit. I specifically called out (USB-A), but please note a (USB-C) workaround is available for those with newer cars.

My phone never leaves my pocket, except when charging, yet it still works without hiccups with the vehicle's head unit. I start the car, it goes through a simple boot process to connect, and within a few seconds, we are ready to roll!

There have been instances where it has frozen or not connected. In these instances, I remove and reattach the unit. (I chalk this up to being on the beta IOS system for Apple). The boot process starts again and on with life. In those cases where Apple may have done an IOS update, it is prudent to check to see if you have the latest firmware. They have released several firmware updates over the last year alone.

As advertised, the unit is small, and I have it safely tucked away in my center council. You can't complain about this unit's size, and it should stow away neatly in just about any car. Like I stated earlier, "it just works!"

Later car models have started to take notice and incorporated wireless Carplay into the factory head units. I welcome this, but it wasn't and still isn't available on 95% of the vehicles on the road today. It is for this reason these aftermarket dongles are needed. Anything we can do to remove the unending amount of wires within our lives is greatly appreciated.

I can speak with knowledge on the CPLAY2air but advise that it took about a week or longer to receive this. The orders for the CPLAY2air are fulfilled overseas, and this would account for the long lead times. Make note that alternatives are available with new competition springing up daily. One such competitor looks to be a replica (Carlinkit). The one advantage a Carlinkit has over the CPLAY2air unit is availability. You most likely will receive it within a day or two. If you are anything like me, you hate to wait for anything. In either case, wireless Carplay is the only way to go in my book!