Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Most cars, if they support wired CarPlay, probably also support Android Auto (or vice versa, depending on how you roll). Obviously, not all dongles do that. The OttoCast U2-X does, and at a reasonable price. It's nice to have a dongle that supports both if you have a family that crosses the mobile OS streams. It includes a 12-inch USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The U2-X is rated for any vehicle with wired CarPlay from 2016 on, but not for BMWs or Sony aftermarket head units. If your friends and family use Android, it includes Android Auto support, too, so everybody will be able to cast content from their phones. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto infotainment integration in a vehicle is expected now, especially for vehicles manufactured within the last decade. Ever since Apple CarPlay’s introduction in 2014 and Android’s equivalent in 2015, most new cars adopted the technology to sync with a smartphone using either operating system.
In the modern age, we all love technology that has good speed. Be it the internet or any other device that we use. However, there are many devices in the market that takes up to 30 seconds to connect the CarPlay as soon as you enter the car. It was 1 of 2 finalists to offer dual Bluetooth support, and although it was the slowest to boot into its main menu launcher, it was the fastest to boot to wireless Android Auto. However, due to some poor Wi-Fi specs, it’s wireless experience can be a bit laggy and less as responsive than the other 4 finalists. Another feature I love is the loop recording. I don't have to worry about running out of storage space because the oldest footage is automatically overwritten, ensuring that the dash cam is always ready to capture new events. It's incredibly convenient and hassle-free. In the box you get a paper instruction manual, there is the T-Box Plus itself, a USB-A to USB-C power cable, and a USB-C to C cable for modern CarPlay ports in the car.
Dimensions
The remaining home screen consists of one large app panel, which can be altered to display apps like maps, or media apps like YouTube. There is a Now Playing media control panel to the side of it, and below this is a panel consisting of four app shortcuts, which can be customised to launch any app that has been installed on the adapter. Although it might look a little similar to CarlinKit’s earlier T-Box branded CarPlay AI Boxes, inside things are a little different. The Plus features an Android 11 operation system, 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, a fast 8-core Qualcomm 6125 CPU and an Adreno 610 GPU. There is also the usual 4G LTE SIM and SD card slots for local internet and added storage of up to 128GB. Just like the MMB Max, this AI Box has one the best user interfaces out there, but underneath all this shiny exterior, its hardware limits its full potential with some below-average performance in particular app launching and low CPU and GPU benchmarking. So when compared to other AI Boxes in its price range, this adapter takes 5th place out of my Top 5 AI Boxes. So if you’re looking to do more than just watch videos, I believe you can do better by looking elsewhere.
Connecting to Android Auto was more reliable on the Nifty Box, but once in Android Auto, it had the same lower resolution on the high-definition display of the Pioneer compared to how it can display on other capable AI Box adapters. So in light of this, I would not recommend this adapter for Android Auto use unless your system resolution is also low. CarPlay on the other hand performed fine, and like the MMB Max, you can configure the AI Box to auto-launch into CarPlay after its initial boot sequence. I tested recording an audio message via Siri, which sounded good enough as any AI Box, and it didn’t distort or increase the volume in any way. It’s priced second highest out of our finalists, so this makes it harder to recommend this AI Box, unless you’re looking for dual Bluetooth support, more RAM and storage, support for casting and better wireless options thanks to its Zlink5 app. 4. Ottocast Picasou 2 CarPlay AI Box However, Siri is an internet-connected tool, and relies on you having an active data connection. And because Siri is linked to the cloud, there may be a few seconds of lag between you giving it commands and them actually happening. Do you need a cell signal for CarPlay to work?If you own an older vehicle, you can still enjoy a BMW Apple CarPlay retrofit that offers all the same apps you'd get with CarPlay baked in. It only needs a hardware installation.
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