Comparison & Reviews for Wired / Wireless / Built-in Apple Carplay

Some friends often ask questions about the Carplay, such as :

• What is the difference between the " built-in Carplay " and " external Carplay dongle"?
• Can use the Android Auto function in the Carplay dongle?
• How to use a wireless Carplay adapter?
• Can the Carplay dongle support Spotify? and Waze?

There are a lot of questions like this every day, so, today I would like to write this article to make clearance for these questions

To answer the questions above, here it needs to make clearance what is the
built-in Carplay, wired Carplay, and wireless Carplay.

Built-in Carplay

So far, only for the BMW Navigation Head units on our website (Model no: BXXX ) can produce with "built-in "Carplay. This is an optional function, the extra cost is USD22.00. it needs to pay the license so that to activate this function.

The model with built-in Carplay will have an APP ( Zlink ) installed in the menu,
also, there is 1 pcs extra USB cable (for Carplay especially) in the accessories box.

External wired Apple Carplay dongle

For the external Apple Carplay dongle, this is a universal model, it needs to connect the USB when using it, medium-level price, good quality, compared to wireless, the wired connection is better in signal transmission, because it is wire connection.

The price is USD38.00/pcs, but if you order together with our BMW Navigation head unit, it can be USD32.00/pcs and can save the shipping cost.

Link: https://hifimaxnavi.com/collections/accessories/products/apple-carplay-dongle-support-carplay-android-auto

 Wireless Carplay dongle

 The wireless Apple Carplay dongle is a new model in the year 2019, for iPhone, you can connect it via Bluetooth(wireless), it also supports the wired connection. But for android phone, when you use Android Auto, it needs to connect by USB.

Price: USD53.00/pcs, this is wholesale price, shipping cost is extra. Different countries, the shipping cost is different, such as the USA, or Europe, the shipping cost is about USD20.00, of course, you can use the coupon or discount code to lower the price. And the best way is to order it together with the car navigation head unit, that way, will no extra shipping cost.

Link: https://hifimaxnavi.com/collections/accessories/products/wireless-apple-carplay-dongle-wired-carplay-adapter

 Now back to view the questions mentioned above.

• What is the difference between the " built-in Carplay " and " external Carplay dongle"?
  Answer:  Different connection modes, price is different, accessories are different. But both of them can be operated via touch screen or iDrive
  (if your BMW car installed the aftermarket android Navi system)
  
  
• Can use the Android Auto function in the Carplay dongle?
  Answer: Yes, all of them support Apple Carplay and Android auto.
  For Android Phones, it supports most android market phones, but it's not 100% supporting all Android phone and Android auto radio, compare to android phones, the IOS iPhone better compatibility.
  
  Here is one example, the android auto can not show full screen on the Aftermarket BMW navigation system, see the photo as below
  
  
  
  
• How to use a wireless Carplay adapter?
  Answer: For the iPhone, you can connect by USB or can be connected by Bluetooth (wireless), after it connected to Bluetooth, you still can use phone calls or pick calls freely.
  For the connections and operations for wireless apple Carplay dongle, please take a look at the video shown on this page.
  
  
• Can the Carplay dongle support Spotify? and Waze?
  Answer: Yes, now the Carplay supports third-party navigation apps, such as Google Maps, Waze, etc, it also ok to use the Spotify app, as well as WhatsApp.
  
  

Video Demo - Wired / Wireless / Built-in Apple Carplay connection & operations

If you still not clear how to use the wired/wireless/built-in Carplay. please take a look the video as below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB17AQQwIJA&t=382s