In the world of in-car infotainment, the convenience of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has been widely praised. However, the need to plug in your smartphone every time can be cumbersome and lead to wear and tear on the power port. To address this, wireless CarPlay AI Box adapters have emerged as a solution, offering the ability to connect your phone to the dashboard via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi without the need for physical cables. In this blog, we will compare two popular CarPlay AI Box adapters – MVI’s Carplay Portal 2.5+ and The Magic Box, and explore their features, benefits, and limitations.
- MVI’s CarPlay Portal 2.5+: This all new piece of awesome technology opens up a whole world of video entertainment, Navigation options and wireless Carplay and Android Auto Functionality. It connects wirelessly via bluetooth to your wireless mouse, remote control, tire pressure and OBD! It is powered Qualcomm’s® QCM2290 ARM® Cortex™-A53 Quad-Core 64-bit CPU with 4GB RAM and 64GB Flash, running Android 12.0 system.
Pros:
- Offers wireless connectivity for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
- Portable Simple Plug-In Install
- Runs Android 12.0 System
- Processor: Qualcomm’s® QCM2290 ARM® Cortex™-A53 Quad-Core 64-bit CPU
- Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM + 64GB eMMC Flash
- Type C USB Out with Cord to your CarPlay Input
- Built-in 4G full Netcom module for networking
- Download a large number of APPs in the application store
- Can be used as a standalone device with an HDMI output.
Cons:
- If you choose the HDMI output Add-on you will need a Mini-HDMI which you can source from Amazon.
- Some Apps have issues like HBO Max and Fox Sport.
- Updating the system apps has a different procedure (Provided in product Page)
2. The Magic Box: The Magic Box is a high-end wireless CarPlay AI Box adapter that offers seamless connectivity between your smartphone and car’s infotainment system. It functions as a small Android device with 4GB RAM and 64GB Flash, running Android 11 internally. This allows it to connect to the car over a USB cable and communicate with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems.
Pros:
- Offers wireless connectivity for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
- Allows installation of additional apps from the Google Play Store, such as Netflix, Paramount, and Disney+.
- Can be used as a standalone Android device with an HDMI output.
Cons:
- Requires a separate Wi-Fi access point (in-car Wi-Fi or phone’s hotspot) for initial setup and app installations.
- Switching between the Magic Box streaming UI and Android Auto requires manual toggling of the phone’s hotspot mode, which can be inconvenient.
- Magic Box does not automatically enable Wi-Fi when switching back to its UI, causing some interruptions.
Now which one do you think is better and best suited for you? Watch the video below for the actual performance of MVI’s Carplay Portal 2.5+ after install and decide for yourself.
Are you now convinced? Here’s the link to the product page to get to know it better.
VIDEO AND NAVIGATION PORTAL PLUS FOR APPLE CARPLAY EQUIPPED VEHICLES
