CarPlay box / AI box recommendation

kanthai

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Hi,

I got my 2021 Taycan 4S a month ago with 3600km on the odometer now. It sure is a great car! Despite the PCM problem every once in a while, I forgot all of it while driving.

The main problem for me is that I use Android (Fold 3) and my Taycan doesn't have Android auto support (Hopefully will be with PCM update in the future).

I got an old iPhone to use with the Taycan. Everything was fine, except phone calls from my Andriod phone will not go through. PCM will disable Bluetooth when CarPlay is in use.

I've read about a CarPlay box / AI box called UX999 someone here mentioned that it works pretty well for them. I got one but the problem is that the GPS signal from the Taycan antenna doesn't pass through to the box, rendering the built-in google map useless.

However, the box has an app called "Speed Play" which acts as a bridge for wireless android auto for my phone and the PCM. Due to Taycan's widescreen resolution (1600x720), the android auto screen got stretched a bit to fill the space. Latest android auto update brings split-screen support for the widescreen resolution, but I cannot make it appear on UX999.

Do you have a recommendation for any other box?

Thanks.

TL;DR: UX999 has a problem with GPS signal passthrough for Taycan. Android auto didn't have a split-screen and got stretched.

UX999 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002996407751.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.2eaa4c4d5sR29L
There is a newer one called UX999 Pro, which suppose to be better with the Zlink app instead of the SpeedPlay app for android auto. Did anyone here try it?

Porsche Taycan CarPlay box / AI box recommendation WhatsApp Image 2022-01-09 at 11.19.35 PM


Porsche Taycan CarPlay box / AI box recommendation WhatsApp Image 2022-01-09 at 12.04.37 AM
 

dnanian

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The Exploter ApplePie 2 (which sounds like the same thing) and the ZLink app works better. However, as far as I can tell it doesn't do GPS passthrough at all, and uses GPS from the phone. But it's more reliable, does split screen, etc.
 

dnanian

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As a follow-up, the 6 January Exploter ApplePie 2 update adds the ability to do OEM GPS passthrough. Doesn't seem to work on all phones, but does seem to work in general, as far as I can tell. Given the phone it worked with also worked without it, and the one that didn't, didn't, I have a feeling the OEM GPS usage is only for on-device apps (using the ApplePie's GPS), and not for Android Auto, which is different than what CarPlay does...and maybe different from what native Android Auto does.
 
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kanthai

kanthai

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As a follow-up, the 6 January Exploter ApplePie 2 update adds the ability to do OEM GPS passthrough. Doesn't seem to work on all phones, but does seem to work in general, as far as I can tell. Given the phone it worked with also worked without it, and the one that didn't, didn't, I have a feeling the OEM GPS usage is only for on-device apps (using the ApplePie's GPS), and not for Android Auto, which is different than what CarPlay does...and maybe different from what native Android Auto does.
Thanks for the update. Would you mind checking the built-in google maps on the box itself get a GPS signal?

If it is not too much trouble, would you please check the gps signal with the "GPS Test" app from the Play store and share the result?

I may bite the bullet and buy ApplePie 2 to replace UX999 if it can get gps signal passthrough.

Thanks again!
 

dnanian

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I'll give this a shot when I get a chance. (Sorry, I didn't get a notification of your reply.)
 


Draman

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I have the Apple Pie Mini 2.0, I did not get a GPS signal until I turned on the OEM GPS option. The QR code to download Zlink also doesn't work for me so while I am able to run Android, it's not Android Auto. Hoping the vendor can get me a working link because Zlink is not available on google play, and a random version I found on XDA gives me an error (version mismatch or something like that)
 

dnanian

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I have the Apple Pie Mini 2.0, I did not get a GPS signal until I turned on the OEM GPS option. The QR code to download Zlink also doesn't work for me so while I am able to run Android, it's not Android Auto. Hoping the vendor can get me a working link because Zlink is not available on google play, and a random version I found on XDA gives me an error (version mismatch or something like that)
That's weird, because mine came with ZLink already installed.
 


Draman

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That's weird, because mine came with ZLink already installed.
It's installed on the device, but following the instructions you are supposed to run Zlink on the device and go through the setup procedure. During setup, the final step involves a QR code to download the app on your phone as well. Without Zlink installed on both the device and your phone, the device will run Android and use your phone for data etc, but it's not Android Auto. It's basically a standalone Android device, as if I had a tablet installed in the dash that's using my phone as a hot spot. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it's working for me. The main issue with it like this (that I've noticed so far) is Spotify is very clearly not designed to be used in a car, the buttons and such are tiny. The Android Auto version of Spotify is much, much easier to use. As is, on my phone there's just a never ending progress bar in the status pull down that says "Searching for Android Auto", it never actually starts
 

dnanian

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This isn't what I did. I simply opened it and connected via Bluetooth to ApplePie and it connected using Android Auto. I didn't have to install anything on my phone - after all, AA is built-in. There's no need for ZLinks except to provide the AA endpoint on the ApplePie device.
 
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kanthai

kanthai

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This isn't what I did. I simply opened it and connected via Bluetooth to ApplePie and it connected using Android Auto. I didn't have to install anything on my phone - after all, AA is built-in. There's no need for ZLinks except to provide the AA endpoint on the ApplePie device.
This is what I did with Speedplay on the UX999 as well. Just open the BT Phone app on the box and pair it with your phone and AA started working, no need to install anything on your phone.
 

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Yep you guys are correct. My unit was not working correctly until I updated the firmware on it. After doing that, everything is gravy, no need to install anything on my phone. The only issue I have now is the unit seems to crash about 25% of the time if I do something using regular PCM (the main culprit being going into reverse; after going back into drive and the reverse camera turning off, the unit crashes and restarts. It also happens if I decide to adjust audio settings or whatever else using PCM, but obviously the big annoyance is with the rear view camera).
 
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kanthai

kanthai

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Got the ApplePie 2 aka. APM888 today.

Happy to report that the GPS signal from the Taycan's antenna indeed passthrough to Google Map on the box. However, the GPS test app shows no GPS sat signal (No fix). I'm guessing the CarPlay protocol may have provided continuous GPS coordinates to Google Map directly, instead of just a GPS signal from the antenna.

Additionally, the Zlink5 app for wireless Android Auto/CarPlay which superseded the Speedplay app does support a high-resolution display with a newer AA split-screen feature.

All of my previous gripes from the previous iteration (UX999) are fixed on the APM888. I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase and would recommend other Taycan owners to get one, at least for wireless AA/CarPlay support.
 

DANgerous

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All of my previous gripes from the previous iteration (UX999) are fixed on the APM888. I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase and would recommend other Taycan owners to get one, at least for wireless AA/CarPlay support.
If anyone just wants wireless Carplay, and nothing else, I think the recommendation above might be overkill. I recommend the Carlinkit 3.0 just for this purpose. See my other post here for a review if interested (I have no affiliation). Although I think you can get wireless Carplay out of the box in some countries, but I know that in some countries you can't (like HK).
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