New Cheap CarPlay Option

[RenegadeXR]

I haven't seen any posts discussing this, but about maybe 4-5 months ago, several Chinese manufacturers are making a USB dongle that allows CarPlay on Android tablets and head units running 4.0 and higher:

https://www.amazon.com/Carlinkit-Don...gateway&sr=8-3

Demo:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IxkudKNvdvQ#t=260

I think this is going to be a game-changer. It opens a ton of possibilities. For example, if you didn't want to rip out the stock radio on your 5th gen, you could foreseeably just use a dash-mounted screen running Android and use it as a CarPlay unit for a total cost in the low $100's.

You could probably even get fancy and do something like Phone <=USB=> CarPlay adapter <=> Screen <=USB=> Center console USB port. This would theoretically retain totally stock radio functionality, including steering controls, displaying track information on the HUD, while offering the best sound quality that the stock speakers can offer. Or you can use Bluetooth between the Screen and stock radio, but the 5th gen has an old standard and it can sound crappy.

Obviously, this would not be for people who want the benefits of an upgraded head-unit including the possibility to install a better sound system, but it would offer amazing convenience.

Example of a possible setup. You could use thin USB cables with right angled connections to clean it up a bit.



Original image credit:
https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=449623

What do you think? I can see manufacturers picking up on this and offering some cool all-in-one solutions / packaged deals with everything you need to get up and running. Heck, in a couple years, we could start seeing standalone Wireless CarPlay displays, meaning less wires to hide and the possibility of using a much newer Bluetooth standard to bridge with your phone and effectively get better quality wireless audio in your car, again with no mods required.

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by RenegadeXR

I haven't seen any posts discussing this, but about maybe 4-5 months ago, several Chinese manufacturers are making a USB dongle that allows CarPlay on Android tablets and head units running 4.0 and higher:

https://www.amazon.com/Carlinkit-Don...gateway&sr=8-3

Demo:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IxkudKNvdvQ#t=260

I think this is going to be a game-changer. It opens a ton of possibilities. For example, if you didn't want to rip out the stock radio on your 5th gen, you could foreseeably just use a dash-mounted screen running Android and use it as a CarPlay unit for a total cost in the low $100's.

You could probably even get fancy and do something like Phone <=USB=> CarPlay adapter <=> Screen <=USB=> Center console USB port. This would theoretically retain totally stock radio functionality, including steering controls, displaying track information on the HUD, while offering the best sound quality that the stock speakers can offer. Or you can use Bluetooth between the Screen and stock radio, but the 5th gen has an old standard and it can sound crappy.

Obviously, this would not be for people who want the benefits of an upgraded head-unit including the possibility to install a better sound system, but it would offer amazing convenience.

Example of a possible setup. You could use thin USB cables with right angled connections to clean it up a bit.



Original image credit:
https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=449623

I think it’s funny there is a Honda logo on the CarPlay screen in your camaro lol.

I think it’s a set in the right direction for older cars. But most newer cars have it built in. So not sure what kind of legs it has.

I replaced my 2012 camaro radio with a newer radio from pioneer for the only reason of having CarPlay in my daily driver Silverado

[RenegadeXR]

Originally Posted by 45thCamaro

I think it’s a set in the right direction for older cars. But most newer cars have it built in. So not sure what kind of legs it has

It would be for anyone without CarPlay who wants it in an older vehicle without making a permanent mod or spending a lot of time and money. This would solve the current issues where people just mount their phones directly near the console for things like navigation and end up getting distracted. It would also offer some level of convenience from having to constantly dock / undock your phone, as this screen would stay in your car at all times.

Down the road I could see manufacturers making such purpose-built units. With Wireless CarPlay, it would also be a very cost effective means to bring hands-free calling and bluetooth to cars that never had it. Your phone could be kept in your pocket and an integrated omni-directional microphone on the display would give high quality audio. It could be a self-contained brain for the car's multimedia, needing nothing but an aux cable really just to pipe it through speakers on the oldest of vehicles. Imagine somebody with a vintage car that has high value if kept stock -- this would be a great application for that situation.

If there's a market for an Apple Watch as an "accessory" for an iPhone, I think there is a market for an accessory that would stay in cars like this. The idea of having yet another tablet / screen in your life may sound cumbersome until you realize like something like this really isn't, since at the end of the day, CarPlay is just a projector of sorts.

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by RenegadeXR

It would be for anyone without CarPlay who wants it in an older vehicle without making a permanent mod or spending a lot of time and money. This would solve the current issues where people just mount their phones directly near the console for things like navigation and end up getting distracted. Down the road, with Wireless CarPlay, it would also be a very cost effective means to bring hands-free calling and bluetooth to cars that never had it. It could be a self-contained brain for the car's multimedia, needing nothing but an aux cable really just to pipe it through speakers on the oldest of vehicles.

So my pioneer has wireless CarPlay. I don’t use it because I hate Bluetooth audio. The sound quality sucks.

[One-Bad-ZL1]

Has anybody tried this dongle in there car? I'm curious to know if the 2010-2015 stock head units are android based. Anyone confirm this?