Still using Wired Apple CarPlay in your car? These adapters & dongles convert wired Apple CarPlay to Wireless! I picked a few of the most popular and tested them over the past few weeks.
🚨 BUY THEM HERE!🚨
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USB to USB-C Dongle
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CPLAY2AIR
cplay2air.com/en-gb
Ottocast U2-X Pro
Ottocast: bit.ly/OttocastNickOLeary
💰Use: 'TAWN56AKR8' at Checkout for up to 20% on Ottocast website💰
Ottocast U2-AIR
Ottocast: bit.ly/OttocastNickOLeary
💰Use: 'TAWN56AKR8' at Checkout for up to 20% on Ottocast website💰
FEINODI
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✏️ Transparency Note ✏️
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I do earn a small commission from affiliate links above but these do not affect my recommendation by any means. *All adapters for this video were purchased with my own money*. Ottocast also kindly provided a code for discount on their website when using the code above.
IMPORTANT! You will need Apple CarPlay already in the car, these devices do not give your car CarPlay capabilities.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & what I'm testing for
2:02 Unboxing
4:24 The Results
#AppleCarPlay #CarPlay #Apple
📣 SPECIAL THANKS 📣
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Shoutout to Sandown Mercedes-Benz in the UK for providing access to the A-Class for today's video! Check them out:
bit.ly/SandownMercedes-Benz
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I bought a Carlinkit brand device in 2021 for my C205 with NGT5.5 for € 60 or so including shipping costs and it is still working perfectly
Hi Nick, I have 2 MBZ's. I also value your videos! You are clear and concise. Bravo
Ah awesome! Thank you glad you enjoy them!
Just purchased a U2-X Pro Android Auto for my 2019 C63s. Keep up the good work, thanks!
is it any good? any problems with it? i also have a c63s😁
And again Sir , we can't thank you enough for your time and effort, making our rides more fun and safe.
No worries! Glad you’re enjoying the videos! 🙏🤓
The pass-through charging has got to be the most hilarious thing! I could have just used wired CarPlay which has always kept my phone fully charged!
Sorry should have made it clearer in the video As I mentioned in the video for me pass through charging is important as I review cars often and often use my phone to capture clips. To record and grab footage on the screen and plug it in when doing that but every other time, day to day use would be wireless.
And damaged your battery
If my car only had one USB port the charging pass through would be helpful. Most of my drives are short trips across town so a wireless Apple CarPlay is beneficial but for the occasional drive that’s a couple of hours it would be better to only have to plug in the cord connected to the pass through instead of swapping the adapter with the cord.
@@npolearythen why can’t you just unplug the CarPlay and go wired for those moments? I get it’s simpler but you could save money
@OmariFaith I could but I’ve had hundreds of people wanting me to try some adapters out so decided to make a video on them for everyone 🤓
Thanks, Nick - another great video and very helpful. I’ve bought the U2 pro via your link. Thanks again.
Ah awesome! At least you’ll get a little bit off the full price! 🤓🙏
Well done. Very informative 👌
Was waiting for a comparison like this for a very long time. Immediately ordered the Air for my GLB. If it works fine, will get another one for my Volvo as well. Used your referral on their site
Thank you! Ah good at least you’ll get a bit off the price!
thanks again very useful video, I'm learning all features of my mercedes from your videos. Keep going!!
Thank you! 🙏🙏 I’ll keep them coming! 🤓
Hi Nick, Thanks for your excellent assessment. I watched your video this afternoon and ordered the U2 X Pro. I've watched a few clips about these gadgets, your honest approach meant I could go ahead and just do it. Thanks. BTW I (we) have recently bought a new GLA AMG 35. I traded in my C250 2015, and my wife her A250 2014. We are retired and decided that we don't need two cars. I wanted to keep mine and my wife wanted to keep hers. We paid a visit to our usual Merc dealer and saw the GLA in the showroom. We both liked what we saw and bought it. We are very happy with the car it suits us in different ways. Thank you for the thoroughness of your presentations.
Ah awesome! Thank you, thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it!
Does this have KZhead / Netflix ?
Sorry it’s been a little while since I covered these but I don’t think it did. I’m sure it just converted it to wireless but…I did cover a device that does do that made by the same manufacturer: kzhead.info/sun/daWGe7Grr3Owp6c/bejne.htmlsi=DJRcBNQswkFxFkMg
Had no idea this was even a thing, many thanks for the video!
No worries! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have the one you called fein something or other but it came in a different name. Installed a week ago and used all apps on car play extensively including Google maps. Absolutely brilliant. It sits in my glove box double sided taped to the inner wall so not in the way. Even with the box closed zero issues and only 60 quid
Yeah I was surprised at that one! It worked absolutely fine!
any updates on how it's working?
Amazing content. Thank you for your efforts!
Thank you! 🙏
If I want to learn anything about my 2018 C Class, I come to your videos rather than anything else. Clear, concise and informative. Unfortunately I have been told by my dealership that I simply cant have car play running on my model!
Ah thank you! So if I remember but your local Mercedes will be able to clarify, I’m sure that there was an option at factory for a thing called COMAND. You had to select that to get Apple CarPlay if I recall
@@npoleary Thanks for your reply Nick. Unfortunately my dealership have told me it's simply not possible to have CarPlay on my car. That won't stop me watching the videos though. Keep them coming please
Thanks! no sadly you won’t be able to add it to the car after it was made unless a 3rd party retrofit was added. But I’ll defo keep the videos coming!
Great vid as always. I've bought the Motorola MA1 android auto wireless adaptor for my older CLA 66 plate and it is really good.
Thank you! 🙏🙏
Family just got a brand new Genesis and for some heckin reason it doesn’t have wireless CarPlay so this video is a lifesaver. Thanks.
Because it's a HYUNDAI. Good luck with your Hyundai. Been there done that!
Another awesome and informative review, thanks for everything you do for us Benz owner
Thank you! 🤓🙏
Good summary. Would have been great to have a table with the results and prices for the different models. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
I really wanted to put the prices on there but as there were 4-5 different makes, if they changed the price, then the video would be wrong. Plus Ottocast had offers on at the time of recording and I didn’t know how long for.
Nick, I’m MB owner and I value your videos and efforts. You became my go-to-expert in discovering my car. Keep it up.
Wow, thank you so much! I'll keep the videos coming! Any future topics you'd like to see? 😎
@@npoleary Yes please. The regulations is Middle East prevent manufacturers' dash cam to detect the signals and provide AR in SATNAV. I still can buy one separately and install given its location is ready in the car underneath the central rear mirror. Can you dig some info and resolution to that? You know multiple features are associated with it like Cruise Control capturing the road speed accordingly to speed mark.
Yes laws and regulation differ all the way round the world! Rather annoying! Really sorry I wouldn’t know what they are in other countries! It was extremely difficult to find out on board recording dashcam in the UK alone
Very informative video I’m glad I found this. Minutes ago I didn’t know that these products even existed. I’m looking to upgrade to a MagSafe (wireless charger) when i upgrade from iPhone 11 max to the new iPhone 15 max next week. I wasn’t going to bother if I still needed to plug in for CarPlay. Subscribed 🙏 thanks again
Thank you! 🙏🙏 Glad you enjoyed the video! 🤓
Fantastic review! Thank you sir!
Thank you! 🙏
Another helpful review. Cheers!
No worries! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have Carlink 4.0 in my GLE, and it works perfect at 98-99%. Sometimes it disconnect, but you only have to plug and unplug again. I’m very happy with it. But my iPhone heats a lot when I use it. I don’t know if it happens with the rest of the devices.
Hi Nick, very informative Does any of these wireless compatible shown a full on the dashboard? My GLE shown nearly quarter of the screen with the wire connector
No sadly not it’s down the car manufacturer’s screen and multimedia system. So for Mercedes the reason is because MBUX (also known as NTG 6) on Mercedes is available in two screen sizes, 7” & 10.25”. When designing and coding I’m led to believe that you can only choose one (to maintain compatibility) for everything. So to make sure it works on all models, Mercedes of course had to go with the 7” version, which is perfect for 7” owners but of course leads to a cropped experience if you have a 10.25” screen. NTG 7 found in some new cars have higher faster processors and have one screen size leading to a full screen experience on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Hope that explains potentially why it’s like that on some cars!
Thanks Nick. Somehow you always know what's on my mind. I've been looking at these products but wanted a trusted review from someone I trust who's familiar with the Mercedes Benz ecosystem. So far I'm happy with my wired system but may be grabbing one of these someday soon.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video 🤓🙏
thanks Nick , great video ✌
Thank you! 🙏🙏
I bought my Apple CarPlay adapter last month and was searching for this kind of video but could not find it. This will be useful to others in the future who want to change thier wired to wireless CarPlay
Continue to love the video's - I have a 2022 AMG E53. Do you know if you have to plug into the USB-C adapter in the drink/wireless charging area of the console, or could you connect those adapters to the USB-C plugs in the centre armrest area too? The drink/wireless charging area is extremely tight fitting, not sure any of those adapters would fit well.
Thank you! It has to go in the port that works with Apple CarPlay (the one you’d normally use) So if you have one near the cup holders, I’d imagine it would be in there. Also has a symbol next to it too 👍🏼
Hi Nick I’m about to purchase a CLA premium plus, I too have an Astra K Elite nav as my current car, plugging my iPhone into the K centre console has always been no issue for me and I like that it charges and just hides out the way. But was surprised that the only connection to the MBUX system was in that sliding door area which is also where the wireless charger is. Do you think I’d be able to somewhat extend or move that box unit within that space so that it doesn’t hinder my use of the wireless charger? Maybe some sticky pads to hold it further into the drawer at the back or maybe even use an extension cable to wire it out of it completely and maybe hide it in the glove box or something obviously with all wires being hidden behind panels etc, I don’t want to ruin the beautiful interior with ugly cables and I don’t want to mount my phone on the dash. For my small journeys it’s fine to just keep my phone in my pocket but on my big commutes I’d like the hassle free life of just slapping it on the wireless charger and not worrying about it. I’m a big lover of ACP and I absolute hate people who use phones at all whilst driving so this is a perfect use for me. Love your videos, your videos have been a huge help in me deciding to get a CLA class so thank you, and keep up the good work.
Ah awesome thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the videos! Ah that’s a good idea but yes that port that’s labelled is the one for CarPlay so yeah putting it into the glovebox would be quite a neat solution although you’d still see the cable slightly with the wire going in.
@@npoleary no no, thank you. Very informative vids. And I think I’d somewhat disassemble the centre console and hide the wire within the trim itself. A little bit of cable tidying would make this setup very sleek and modern. I’m used to hiding wires and fitting dashcams etc for every friend, family and their dog so I’m hoping this would work for me. Would definitely need one of the units with removable connection though. Again thank you, and even more so for your reply.
Thanks for this interesting review. I will stick with the wired connection for my iPhone. I find it rather useful to charge my phone whilst driving. Having a wireless connection with charging capabilities seems a bit redundant no?
It also has much better sound !
@@IslandDigitalif these adapters are using proper apple protocols, there is 0 difference in audio quality between wired and wireless (unless you’re using an external DAP inline with the iPhone). Both wired and wireless CarPlay support a maximum audio resolution of 16bit/48hz lossless uncompressed audio.
Thanks for the video, nice to see these adapters compared side by side. I’m just wondering what the delay on these things would be. Is it noticeable and is it different for each unit? Would have loved to see that in the review as well.
Thank you! Yes I was going to include it but they’re all the same (visually and audibly). There is however a delay whenever you use wireless on any adapter or native solutions built into cars. Wired of course removes that 🤓
Interesting review and really well presented. Interested to know if you had any problems with reconnection of any of the adapters you tested following initial pairing, especially when connecting within vicinity of home WiFi or with another device BT connected to your iPhone, e.g. Apple Watch? This is something I’ve personally had issues with causing a connection delay with my wireless CarPlay adapter I’ve recently purchased from Amazon. The times I’ve tested this with my iPhone still connected to my home WiFi, connection was delayed and was only established once the adapter forced a WiFi connection to Apple CarPlay.
Thank you! Didn’t have any problems at all, the only thing I will add is the Wi-Fi one. This is not an issue with these adapters, this can happen even with a manufacture fitted Wireless CarPlay, sometimes you can find it will want to stay connected to your home WiFi but as you drive away it’ll connect shortly afterward. Apple Watch no issues at all.
Hi Nick, I have the FeinOdi. Included adapter for USB to USB C is very bad and caused losing connection at every bump in the road. I replaced it for a right angled adapter to be able to close the cover of the cup holders (pro tip 😂😂). Just drove from Holland to Spain without a problem or losing connection. Hope this helps!
Ah thanks for sharing! That’s a good idea! I might look at that right angled thing for the future!
@tuinlaaf1967 do you have a link for the right hand drive adapter.
Thank you for response / really appreciate
New to your channel but find them hugely informative as i just picked up a 73 plate GLB Night Edition today and so far can’t see any wireless Apple CarPlay functionality. Smartphone integration is all activated through the Mercedes Me App and every other service also as the car is brand new. Am I missing something or is the GLB Premium Plus not enabled for it?
Messaged you on the other video 👍🏼 Thank you glad you enjoyed the videos! Wireless is only available on certain models (typically models without a touchpad in the middle). It depends on the specification of your car for CarPlay if it has it or not but if you chat with Mercedes, they can let you know for sure. Usually it’s a USB-C port next to the cup holders.
Hi Nick I bought the Feinodi for 2019 GLC220d 4 Matic , the dongle is paired but nothing comes up on screen Please advise where I am going wrong or if it’s compatible with MBuX On the MB App Store is asking me to do one off payment
Thanks for the info……. This was were i was looking for …..
Ah no worries! 🤓
Hey Nick . Looking forward to go though the video… my most wished video … thanks Nick.
No worries! 🤓🙏
Are three sold in USA as well? Thank you for taking the time to do this review.
Ottocast should shop internationally, they have options for the USA on their website too: bit.ly/OttocastNickOLeary (link with discount code from description of my video)
I have a Citroen C5 with wireless charging. The video was very informative. I am going to look into the cheaper option.
Nick, I'm missing something - why is charging pass though a concern on a device meant to support wireless connectivity..? Why not just use that USB port and get connected and power? Thanks for your videos, I've watched a few.
Hey I have replied to a few comments below on the same question so sorry I should have mentioned in the video to clarify what I meant. Wireless is super convenient but running a KZhead Channel full time, I might need to travel somewhere hours away so I’ll usually do this for pass through charging: Short Trips: Wireless, super convenient, phone can stay in pocket. Long Trips: Wired, so have a charged battery when I get there Hope that helps clarify!
Hi Nick, Thanks for this useful video. Quick question : can any of these allow to play KZhead on MBUX ? Cheers, Kim
No sadly not They only convert wired Apple CarPlay to wireless. There are systems out there that can do it, I might try it in the future and test them out!
@@npoleary Excellent. Please let us know about your recommendations once you've tested them, your recommendations are the only ones we trust.
Love your videos Nick. Learnt so much from them so thanks 👍
Goes to show cheap doesn't always mean worse! Good video.
Thank you! Yeah it surprised me!
Thanks for another great video Nick. I have a GLE and when iPhone is connected by wire the nav info shows up in the centre window in the dashboard (basic direction arrow/next turn/current/next road name). My wireless Carlinkit 3.0 mini works well but doesn't pass the nav info to the centre dash. Did you happen to come across any wireless adapters that do this like wired CarPlay? Thank you !
Thank you! Ah no sadly not I hadn’t been keeping any eye out for that when testing them so not sure on that part.
Very informative and professional Nick, I just ordered the U2-AIR Wireless CarPlay from their site and at the moment its on offer for £56, seems like a bargain.
how is it working for you?
@@amdaring all good, there have been a few times when I’ve not been able to connect but overall I’ve had a good experience. Installation was simple and there were no issues whatsoever with the set up.
@peterhollis8291 ah awesome thanks for sharing feedback with others! The connection thing can be sometimes because Wireless CarPlay is still connected to your home Wi-Fi. I’ve found this a few times with mine too but it’s quite normal for it to happen from time to time even with official equipment on a car that can do it natively.
@@npoleary thanks for the info Nick, sounds like that’s the issue 👍
No worries! Happy to help! And thanks for sharing your feedback too! 👍🏼
Another great video. Surprised after all these videos, Poole haven’t put you in a Merc!
Thank you! No I doubt they’d do that, that would be a lot of money! 🤓 Might be in the middle of changing my car though 🤫
Hello (I'm from Canada) I watch your videos a lot, it's very interesting and very well explained........ I had a question for you with the Mercedes Me app, when I start the car remotely, is this normal? that the vehicle turns off when I unlock the door, the car stops turning and I have to restart the car with the button I have a new 2023 C 300.
Hey! Thank you! Glad you enjoy the videos! Sadly I wouldn’t know, that feature does not exist here in the UK. I think it is though, I seem to recall someone asking a long time ago on one of my videos and someone replied yes it was normal.
I'm happy u test speed
Ive bought one of these adaptors ( I went for the Strong Fight product), one thing that I cant seem to fathom is how to toggle quickly betwen carplay whether wired or wireless and Comand, any help appreciated 👍👍
Which ones the strong fight product? Not heard of that phrase before
Hi Nick - have you tested if maps would display on heads-up display. I have C2play and I have noticed maps do not show up on heads up display. I have 2022 GLS 450. Additionally I have noticed while connected to CarPlay through these adapters they do not apply any music equalizer changes in effect and sound quality isn’t great then. Please let me know if you are able to see maps on your onscreen display while using these adapters. Thanks
No sadly Apple CarPlay will only operate on the centre screen. Apple did announce last year they were working with manufacturers to enable Apple CarPlay in the instrument cluster but this is extremely early stages. It won’t have support in new cars for a while yet if manufacturers choose to use it. There is one manufacturer who has done it already, I might cover them soon 👀
Thanks for your efforts Nick. Just wanted to share to MB owners that my cplay2air was not fully compatible with my MB C63S AMG. Sometimes it would work- sometimes I would have a black screen and I would have to fiddle with it to get it up and running- thus unusable on the long term. The support proposed a FW update, which made things even worse. I tried to return it, but was told I have to send it to China and indicate a value of 5 usd (I paid 129 usd for it). As i was uncertain the unit would be reimbursed, I preferred not to incur an extra 30 usd shipping fee and now it’s sitting in a drawer taking dust. Not recommended for C-Class models and certainly others I don’t know about.
Thanks for sharing! I had tested in a C-Class and it worked okay, wonder if it was for a particular year or something
@@npoleary As mentioned it would work at times- but not consistently. My AMG is a 2021 model. Cheers!
I agree cplay2air did work on my 2019 c-class but 8/10 it would give a black screen and then had to push home button and then top screen go to apple carplay. I got annoyed by this. So i bought the ottobox this works better, but still if you stop for gas and get back and start then it stops working. Also the ottobox bluetooth keeps working after the car is shutdown, but you phone still connects but the receiving end will hear a hard beeping noise. So its not perfect. Luckily i will upgrade to a c-class 23 soon :-)
Hello, would the dongle work if connected in the usb ports inside the arm rest? My 2021’ amg has a wired CarPlay port next to my cup holders and I’d prefer to have the dongle hidden inside the arm rest ports if possible. Thank you!
@roneljusto8602 just replied to your other comment as well: It has to be plugged into the same port of the car that accepts a wired connection. Some allow more than one port but you can try…if you plug your phone into the centre ports, if it works through CarPlay, then the adapter will work in there too. If it doesn’t then you’ll have to use the cup holder one.
I’d used otticast/ cplay2air also, then i switch to the old school wired carplay, coz wireless carplay with/without wireless charge make the phone terribly hot.
Nick, I bought the FEINODI Wireless CarPlay Dongle and it works well in my 2020 E Class. However, when I put my iPhone on the wireless charging plate the phone cuts out as it overheats so I'm thinking I may as well just plug the phone into the USB slot and cut out the middle man. Have you had any similar experiences or comments?
Ah awesome! No sadly this is what wireless chargers do, they create heat which doesn’t help if the phone is being used (for CarPlay etc) It can happen on any phone charging wirelessly if it’s being used
After having tried both CarlinKit and Ottocast U2-X pro. Carlink was trash; U2-X pro works flawlessly.
Thank you for the video. Appreciate the effort you put in to create something valuable to viewers. However, I heard mbux OS version update is around the corner and with it comes wireless android auto. Have you heard of any such news?
Thank you! I’ll keep the videos coming! There is a new generation MBUX out in some Mercedes models, but it’s not a software update it’s a completely different system found only in new cars. Cars that use wired connection sadly don’t have a wireless receiver at all for CarPlay or Android
Nick that was useful thanks the sound was a bit choppy in this video. Could be me but I thought I would just mention it.
Hey Vin, oh? Really? I edit all of the videos myself and watch them back usually at least twice with headphones. Where abouts did you hear this in the video? Could you let me know? I want to so sure that the quality of my videos is the best I can do
@@npoleary choppy all the way through probably my end sorry
on the argument of charging the phone, i think a nice magsafe mount would go nice with this, so you can have your phone nicely mounted and charging, but still dont have to fight with plugging it in everytime you jump in your car
I have a magsafe mount from Moment and have wired carplay. I enjoy that combo and since I generally use maps a lot on my daily commute to alert me to changes in traffic conditions, I don't mind not having wireless carplay yet.......buuuut, we rented a car once that had wireless carplay and it was very nice not being forced to plug my phone in each time just to be able to use it. For short trips, wireless would be my go to, for my work commutes that are almost an hour and a half each way, I'm staying plugged in anyway.
Great video! Thanks!!!
Thank you! 🙏
Nick, did you notice a change in audio quality between each unit ? some say that using a cable provides the best music quality but I have not noticed a decrease in sound quality on my OTOCAST.
Day to day use, no not at all. I did test that too (didn’t mention in the video as for most people they wouldn’t notice). I tested several audio tracks, some with extreme bass and high frequencies, piano tracks etc. I did notice slight distortion but only on high end sound systems and at almost max volume. Most people wouldn’t notice so I felt it best not to mention as very few people have a high end system like that anyway. And most importantly if you’re that concerned with audio with that sort of sound system, you wouldn’t do wirelessly in the first place and would be using .wav files or FLAC files 🙃 I’m fussy when it comes to audio, gotta have good quality! 😅 it passed the test for me
I've been using an older version of the C2Play for years but got tired of the slow boot up time. I've been comparing the Teeran and Schmidt Spiele as replacements (both on Amazon). The former will boot up as fast as 12 seconds from a cold boot. When already plugged in, it can boot up to full functionality in less than 5 seconds. The Spiele is usually 18 or so seconds. Did you compare map performance? I've noticed the C2Play uses the cars GPS while the other two use the phone's GPS. It's not an issue if you have the phone on the dash, but I usually keep my phone in my back pocket and GPS performance can be pretty bad.
Oh really? That’s cool they sound fast! CarPlay will always use the phone’s GPS as it is your phone. Your phone calculates all of the functionality and merely displays it on the screen so won’t ever use the in-built gps, that’s for the car’s Sat Nav.
@@npoleary There's definitely something different between the 2. If the phone is in my back pocket, CarPlay will pick up my location instantly. The other two adapters usually require I take the phone out of my pocket before it picks up GPS. I did a quick video this AM to show the speed of the Teeran. kzhead.info6bmcS1HUhIA?feature=share
Oh yeah that’s pretty fast! 🤓
Hey Nick, is that a B Class your in. Hard to tell, I'm looking at a 2020 B Class 180. In Australia that's the only version available here. What are your thoughts please. Cheers Rob
Ah no it was an A-Class 🤓 I have reviewed it on my channel before! 👍🏼 kzhead.info/sun/m7Fre9OFg2VonJs/bejne.html
Hi Nick. Love your videos - they’re really helpful. I have 2020 C205 cabrio with Burmester and I stream music through Qobuz using wired CarPlay. I can stream at 24bit where possible, I understand this works successfully through the lightening connector at higher bit rates, but this isn’t possible if using wireless Apple Earpods. Presumably for highest quality streaming, the sound quality would be worse if using one of these wireless devices for higher bit rates in the same way. My question is - can Burmester convert higher 24bit rates or do I continue to use the lightening connector to enjoy hires music. Also, is there a hard drive or storage device on the car to store hi-res music files - eg an old iPhone in the armrest I can control from COMAND. Thanks!
Awh thank you! Sadly not gone into 24bit audio too much as very few people can tell the difference especially with most equipment readily available today. Yes you’re absolutely right that wouldn’t transmit over Bluetooth but wireless CarPlay does use Wi-Fi to transmit although it still wouldn’t reach those audio levels. Using a wired connection enables Lossless for CarPlay via Apple Music as long as you have it enabled (not sure on other 3rd party apps). This will playback 24-bit/48 kHz and Hi-Res Lossless 24-bit/192 kHz as far as I’m aware. However when it comes to the car, Mercedes don’t actually post what the Burmester surround sound system does with such audio codecs and the bit rate. I am under the presumption it doesn’t play lossless audio natively. The reason why I say that is because recently Mercedes, Dolby and Apple announced they’re going to offer Dolby Atmos and Lossless in some high end surround sound systems in some new cars available as an option. news.dolby.com/en-WW/219301-driving-sound-forward-mercedes-benz-partners-with-apple-music-and-universal-music-group-to-deliver-the-ultimate-in-car-sound-experienc I could be wrong on that, if anyone reading this does know the true answer, would be happy to know and learn for future questions and answers!
as always, this clip very useful 👍
Thank you! It took quite a while to produce! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Nick
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
Nick, which ones had the best lag when making a call?
All wireless adapters have a slight delay, but I didn’t notice any differences between them 🤓
Hi Nick, just wondering if the adapter only work with connecting the port which is near the cupholder, if the ports in the armrest are working as well? If I put the adapter in the front, it will take the wireless charging space. Many thanks for you help.
It depends on the car’s port that actually does CarPlay. It has to be plugged into the normal Apple CarPlay USB port. Sadly the others won’t work
Hi Nick, thanks for your videos and they are so helpful for all Mercedes’s owners! I have a problem with my A180 amg line that I don’t know how to get the 2 clusters in the same time on my front screen 😢. I did everything from your recommendations and i still have only one cluster like Rpm or speed one.. how i can get 2 in the same time? Thanks. Ps: it is the same car you are in now 2021
Thank you! Ah sadly Mercedes A-Class’s had options for two screens. One was 7” and one was 10.25” 7” screens only have enough space for one dial where as 10.25” screens are bigger and can accommodate two dials
@@npoleary thanks a lot Nick! We really like your videos and they help us a lot using our cars properly 😉. Cheers
@loayrashwan8243 thank you! I’ll keep the videos coming! 😎
Thanks for this great video. I have a question. Once we connect to Carplay or Android Auto, the MBUX screen does not show the full screen. Is it a limitation of using carplay or Android Auto? How can we get a full screen when we connect carplay? Please share your suggestions.
Sadly not all cars can do full screen CarPlay. There are other manufacturers who have come across the same before. The reason is because MBUX (also known as NTG 6) on Mercedes is available in two screen sizes, 7” & 10.25”. When designing and coding I’m led to believe that you can only choose one (to maintain compatibility) for everything. So to make sure it works on all models, Mercedes of course had to go with the 7” version, which is perfect for 7” owners but of course leads to a cropped experience if you have a 10.25” screen. NTG 7 found in some new cars have higher faster processors and have one screen size leading to a full screen experience on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Hope that explains potentially why it’s like that on some cars!
Hi Nick, I have a MB 70reg. Are you able to safely leave wireless car play adapters connected to your cars USBC port without draining your car battery when you lock up and leave ur car? And do the wireless adapters use much car battery when in use? Thanks for the informative videos
Yeah of course! When you turn the car off and open the door, all the power is cut to the USB ports I don’t know what their power consumption is but it’ll be way less than charging a phone
U still have to charge ur phone anyway, wireless CarPlay drain your battery fast, and with cable you get better connection. In fact audio is way better when it’s connected by wire than wireless.
Nick, having wireless Car Play has got me thinking about what happens to users of Mercedes Me when 3G is turned off, perhaps later this year. Will owners of pre 2020 cars lose all the Mercedes Me benefits, or will Mercedes offer a workaround ?
Yeah I’ve heard of this happening too with the 3G network being switched off. I can imagine it would affect a lot of devices and cars too! Not sure why the UK have decided to turn 3G off so soon, I’m pretty sure most pay terminals (card readers in shops) use 3G. For CarPlay that wouldn’t affect anything in the car, CarPlay runs off of your phone 🤓 so as long as your phone can run on 4G or 5G, you’ll be good 👍🏼
I have added an aftermarket head unit to my car, and I am currently connecting my I phone to the head unit via a USB cable, would I be able to use one this adapters to go wireless?
Possibly! They are designed to convert wired to wireless for all CarPlay makes and models. Either check with the adapter manufacturer, or make sure they have a refund policy in place 🤓
My cplay2air worked well then started to drop off after 15min. Updated the firmware etc to no avail. Maybe it’s the CarPlay? Not spending my money to service the CarPlay. Back to wired.
Great video Nick, just what I was looking for to compare adapters on show. I do have a question, I am picking up a brand new Mercedes A-Class today, I know it has CarPlay. However, I've read contradicting information as to whether it's wireless CarPlay built in. The dealer in question isn't too sure, do you know?
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it If it’s the new A-Class (facelift) it will have wireless CarPlay 🤓 (for the UK anyway) I just picked mine up (my latest video 👀)
@@npoleary It was indeed, just got it home, totally in love, and you were right, it worked as if by magic. Another great video as always :)
Awesome! 🥳 I’ve already clocked up the miles on mine 😅 been busy! 😂
@@npoleary Ditto man. We should arrange an A-Class meetup 🤣
@jonathani wish I’d have bought something better than an A180 for that! 😅
If a Mercedes (MB) model has wireless Apple Carplay, does it disconnect when a passenger charges his phone with the USB-C wire? On that note, if the (MB) car has wireless Apple Carplay, can a phone connect to the car via a USB-C wire at all? Thank you in advance. Great videos.
No it shouldn’t do. The second “plug-in would just charge”. Same as if you plugged in your phone. Yes you can, if you’ve connected Wireless Apple CarPlay, then it will only connect via wireless. To connect wired only, unpair the phone via Bluetooth and delete the pairing in the car and then connect via cable.
Hows the phone battery drain ?? Can this be left connected with car when not driving?
Well if you’re using CarPlay Wirelessly yes it will drain the phone battery but for shorter journeys it’s pretty good. That depends on your car, most cars will cut the power to USB ports, for Mercedes looks like the power is turned off when the door is opened.
Top notch vid nick
Thank you! 🙏🙏
I love the fact that you have an Astra. ❤😄
Well spotted! 😅 Had it for 3-4 years now…Changing it soon 👀
Hi thanks for the video. My cars interior looks just like yours, 2021 MB. My wired connection port to access apple CarPlay is located directly behind my cup holders in front of the track pad. Would these dongles still work if I connected it into the usb-C/A port that’s inside the arm rest? Or does the dongle have to connect in the same port where I have the wired CarPlay connection? Thank you!
It has to be plugged into the same port of the car that accepts a wired connection. Some allow more than one port but you can try…if you plug your phone into the centre ports, if it works through CarPlay, then the adapter will work in there too. If it doesn’t then you’ll have to use the cup holder one.
Thank you for information Nick , really appreciate ,My car Mercedes C 300 d, has not MBUX System /sofware install and is 2019 model ,so can't be upgrade to have apple car play , Mercedes deals only do Service ... Can you please inform if there is alternative way to install apple car play ?
Thank you! Really sorry I wouldn’t know as I’ve not worked on cars personally to that level. In Mercedes, MBUX was the first software in a car to allow upgrades after it’s been built. If it wasn’t selected to have CarPlay for example on a car with COMAND then with the on board equipment, then sadly it’ll never have CarPlay. The only thing you can possibly look at is 3rd party options. But that would involve taking out the existing system which I wouldn’t know how to do.
Amazon has a really good deal right now on the Ottocast U2 X which is their redesigned 2023 model. It's reduced in price with an included $20 coupon. I paid $56 American. I'm gonna give it a shot and see how it runs for a couple of weeks. Amazon has a terrific return policy. Pretty much you can return anything. So I will return with my results.
Hey Nick Don’t suppose you could recommend a good phone holder for those of us who don’t have car play as older model of mercedes please?
Sadly not tried phone holders but keep an eye out over the next couple of months. I have a plan for people who don’t have CarPlay natively on their car. Make sure you’re subscribed (it’s free) with notifications on so you don’t miss it 👍🏼
@@npoleary great look forward to it!
Hi, but you need carplay service from mercedes already buyed? Or those solutions will work without the service of carplay?
You need Apple CarPlay on the car in the first place yes. These devices to not add Apple CarPlay to your car, they just convert wired to wireless.
QUALITY AUDIO MUSIC Question, have you noticed a better quality with any of these adapters? I noticed that CarPlay with cable is much better audio quality when playing Spotify. Thanks
I’ve found the audio quality is always better over a cable where as wireless on any car / adapter fitted afterward it’s slightly less. Only slightly though and most may not notice.
Top notch @npoleary
Hi Nick , I got E class 2019 AMG LINE as far as I am aware all the recent model comes with Apple car play as standard, but my one doesn’t have the feature. For your information I included the picture of infotainment, please can you let me know how can I upgrade with Apple car play and android .
Really sorry I wouldn’t know exact specs of cars as it varies massively round the world. However E-Class’s if I recall needed a thing called COMAND. It was basically the updated multimedia system in Mercedes at the time. Sadly it cannot be fitted aftermarket as I’ve heard Mercedes dealers can’t retrofit items like that.
Hi Nick....question. How does one go about having both wireless Apple CarPlay AND wireless charging in the vehicle? What product or products are needed? I can't help but think (correct me if I am wrong) that nobody has a single product that provides both wireless Apple CarPlay capabilities and wireless charging and that such a device would probably need 2 wires, one to charge the phone (higher wattage) and one to provide the bluetooth signal to a vehicle's USB port that normally provides a wired Apple CarPlay connection to provide for wireless Apple CarPlay. Thoughts? Thanks.
Well some cars have Wireless CarPlay and a wireless charger but I’ve not come across a 3rd party product that does both. You could always get a wireless charger and plug it into a 12v socket but I’d much rather just plug a phone in. They won’t get as hot and charge faster too
@npoleary I have the same car as yours but the sedan version, I have been looking at Carsifi Wireless Android, do you recommend?
Not used that one before I might cover some more in the future though! 🤓
Nick, which ones don’t need to have the wifi enabled to work? Are there any which just needed Bluetooth?
Apple CarPlay always runs over Wi-Fi that’s how it works. Sadly there is no such thing as CarPlay over Bluetooth, Bluetooth can’t transmit images in that way and isn’t as reliable as Wi-Fi.
Hi Nick. Love watching your videos. Learnt a lot from watching them. I have an A200 68 plate. Does the car need to have CarPlay to be able to use a CarPlay dongle? I purchased one from Amazon and it didn’t work. How do I find out if the car is compatible with apple carplay.
Thank you! Yes the car must have CarPlay first, these do not add CarPlay as I mentioned in the video. Does your car have CarPlay? Can you plug it in currently?
Hi thanks for getting back to me. My car has mbux and has the type c connection. The one in the front console has the symbol as mentioned in your video. When I plug my iPhone in. Nothing happens. Does it need to be activated by Smart integration package?
The symbol doesn’t mean anything apart from saying it’s a USB-C port. Have a look on the Home Screen on the centre one and go to Mercedes me & Apps or Apps (I can’t remember the name on that model) but have a look in there next to the app called Browser. If you see smartphone integration then you know you have it. When you plug a phone in it will start automatically so this makes me think you might not have it.
Thanks Nick. I think you are correct, I don’t have it. Looks like I need to purchase the application to enjoy apple CarPlay. Thanks again for your support.
No worries! Before you buy be aware the screen is cropped on first gen MBUX. It looks like this: kzhead.info/sun/o9ige9KSgaCXhZs/bejne.htmlsi=eutUOiZyMrVCJucL It’s a year old showcasing iOS but at least you can see before you do buy. If you have already bought it, when I last bought something they did offer a 14 day cooling off refund period, reach out to Mercedes me if you change your mind.
Does what's app come through on the wireless adapter? ?
Yes it’s the full CarPlay experience All apps are unchanged, it’s exactly the same as wired CarPlay
Hi as normal great knowledge , would that be your car your trying them on ?
Yes 🤓 For some reason one of them didn’t work on my Vauxhall Astra (upgrading it soon though! 👀)
I had CarlinKit 3.0, it worked very well, only after a year it broke 😡. Too bad Apple doesn't make these devices. Probably more expensive but more solid.
Hello Nick, My MBUX system doesn't have Apple CarPlay however I understand that it can be purchased for about 350. Will any of these these products provide Apple CarPlay instead of spending the 350? Thank you.
Hey! Sadly no the car has to have it in the first place, I made sure to mention this in the video. These products quite simply convert wired to wireless (if a car doesn’t have it)
i have in my MB SLC the Carlin Kit adapter, but now an important thing. As mentioned power from the battery of the iPhone is a limited thing for longer rides for sample to a holiday destination or on business trips. Need now a cable again is a contraproductiv request to the cablefree dongles. Then I can direkt plug my phone to the car USB. Solution I made. There are magnetic wireless charger by QI available in very compakt size like the Apple charger which you can fit on your dasboard. Power will you get by chargers which you connect to your 12 V cigarette lighter. with such a combination i have the option to let my phone in the pocket on a short trip or tab my phone on the magnetic charger and by my experience this works for a day trip without any problems.
Good evening Mr O'Leary. very good on the cables, when some of my friends need a cable they usually as me for one, as iv got every cable you could think of keep up the cool reviews i was off for coffee today down at lidl car park where i came across a gent charging his EQC Merc i thought spot on, i asked him about the flappy paddles and charging he was there for one hour he came up from London to Nottingham which is 200 miles while i was there talking to him i could not believe it in that hour he hit the 100% charge as wee no not that long ago on average most cars could only get to 80% charge after that it was a waist of time continuing to charge, his price was £31 i have to say that is good im very impressed, im looking at the end of this year maybe saving up my deposit i have a lot of time working out what I'm going to buy with option PCP for me is the best way to go especialy for electric cars as in 4 years from now i bet the batteries are at least 100 Kilos less in weight take it easy happy driving 👍
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the videos! Ah yes well it depends on where you get your electricity from when charging an EV. Cost and time of charge all vary! I’ll cover more on these topics in the future definitely!
I should have asked what power that charge point gives out I’ll find out as it’s the charge point I have to use, as I don’t live near the road in other words not able to charge from a home charger
You can check on Zapmap 🤓👀
@@npoleary I will thank you 👍🏻
@@npoleary iv just given a guy a ear bashing over the new NEW Range Rover Velar Model Year 2024 flapping his gums on lights wheels etc ye not bad till it gets Stolen there the number 1 car for this on Rybrook TV
Those CPlay2 air adapters only converts wired apple car play to wireless or it can also be use to as apple car play ?
Yes they only convert Wired to Wireless, your car will need to have wired CarPlay to be compatible 🤓
Nick. Can you please create a vid about hybrid cars such a250e about actieradius of the battery? Etc?
I did! Back in 2020: kzhead.info/sun/i9KGprxxeJScoX0/bejne.html It was only a few months into making videos though Or a more recent one on mild hybrids vs plug-in hybrids: kzhead.info/sun/iJGNo8drr6KLY58/bejne.html
@@npoleary its more i have a mercedes a250e from 2020 and everything j do the range keeps on 55km in battery. As i read it can be 72km. How can i get it to the utmost? Even when it is 26 degrees it keeps the same as with wintertime. Any idea? Does wintertires has something to do with it?
Well yes everything you could possibly do has an affect on the range. Here pretty much the full list: Starting charge of the battery, where you drive (town vs motorway), use of A/C & heating, driving style, driving mode, windows open/closed, factory-fitted options such as wheel sizes, accessories fitted (post registration), variations in weather & vehicle load. The numbers you see on any car are just estimates 🤓
Did I miss audio delay or lag? I have an adapter that is laggy (By 2023 standards) and it also effects phone calls. Are any of these a better and smoother option?
No sadly all Wireless CarPlay have a delay. Even the officially supplied and fitted ones built in at factory from car manufacturers have a slight delay. One of the reasons why I don’t use wireless headphones to edit my videos and a cable for gaming at home, if response time is important then wired will always be better on that front. Wireless is just more convenient 🤓
I’m a bit confused here. Whats the point of having a wireless CarPlay adapter if you’re just going to plug it in to pass through charge? Effectively meaning you still have to plug it in? Genuinely asking because I may want to try this with my car which currently offers wired CarPlay only.
I should have explained more in the video sorry. I said in the video “it’s important to me” but didn’t say why. Jumping in and out of the car for short journeys, wireless is great. Longer journeys I’d rather arrive with a full battery especially with running my KZhead channel. I respond to all of the comments (where I can) on my phone 😅 Plus I need it plugged in when filming the screen and capturing CarPlay for videos. Normal use though, wireless is great 👍🏼