Wireless CarPlay box / AI box questions

DANgerous

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Hi all, for some reason wireless CarPlay is not available in Hong Kong for my Taycan, so I have to make do with a wired connection which isn't great for what should be such an advanced vehicle [and civilisation!]. So I am considering getting a dongle that is either just a wireless CarPlay adapter or full AI box. There are many available. However I have questions for anyone that has one:

1. If you leave the dongle plugged in when you leave the car, does it drain the battery? I am guessing the car still thinks a phone is plugged in.
2. How does the device handle multiple users? e.g. sometimes I drive the car, sometimes my wife. How would it determine whose phone it should connect to, or how to manually switch?

I realise there are many different devices out there, but most of them seem to have similar OS/firmware. However if you do answer, please let me know which one you have and your impressions. Thank you in advance.
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DANgerous

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I don't have the answers to your questions, but didn't know CarPlay dongles were a thing. Thank you for that info !
Thanks. I'm not sure you need one in the UK, unless you have an Android phone and/or want Android apps that don't work in CarPlay (e.g. Netflix) to use in the car.

Anyway, for me my use case is just to have CarPlay wirelessly. After much research I've taken the plunge and have ordered a Carlinkit 3.0 device for that very purpose (it doesn't do anything else). Still awaiting delivery, so the jury is still out.
 

Windpower

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I use an Amazon Echo Auto in my Tesla since the Tesla doesn’t support CarPlay. It works well. CarPlay is potentially better since it’s screen based while the Echo Auto is 100% voice commands. But with the Echo Auto, you have all of your Alexa commands.
 
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DANgerous

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(Update 18th Feb)

I just received my CarLinkit 3.0 device this morning. Click here for the one I ordered from AliExpress.

Pros:

+ Fast delivery, nice packaging (not necessary, but makes it feel legit)
+ From this link I was able to order it with a USB-C connector which the Taycan needs
+ Plug and play. All you have to do when you first plug it in is connect to it via BlueTooth from your phone. It then asks "Do you want to use CarPlay with this device", you say yes, and it uses wifi (and not Bluetooth from there). That's it, you don't have to do that again.
+ CarPlay boots up fast. I didn't time it, but I didn't see any difference between wired vs. wireless boot times. I'd guess around 30 seconds from turning the car on.
+ The CarPlay interface seems just as slick/fast as when wired. No additional noticeable lag.
+ No noticeable lag in audio quality (not sure if there should be any, but I'm guessing there must be given the data is now being sent over wifi instead of wired). N.B. I'm using Tidal hi-fi/master on Burmester. Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile, so maybe audiophiles will notice a difference.
+ Other CarPlay dongle reviews I read said there was an audio lag when starting music, as it needs to buffer. I didn't notice any more lag than the wired Carplay.
+ Works beautifully and automatically with my phone in my pocket.
+ The dongle turns off when the car is switched off. So I don't need to worry about it draining my battery!

Cons:

- Literally none, I can't think of any.

Untested: Now tested:

+ Multiple phones: Connects to whichever one it detects first, but gives you a few seconds to choose before it boots into CarPlay. Very nice.
+ Long-term use: Zero issues. Didn't experience any crashes or lag in that time. Audio sounded great. Waze worked. Some other reviews of similar devices say that sometimes these devices get hot or crash with prolonged use, I haven't experienced that.

Overall: I'm absolutely delighted. It beats me why Porsche in Hong Kong can't enable wireless CarPlay like in other countries. This eliminates that issue for me, I just wish it was OEM!
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