In this review, I look at the Bruxe V1 CarPlay & Android Auto AI Box. You can buy this AI Box for $69.52 directly from the Bruxe store using my coupon code CARPLAYLIFE at checkout, and for $101.23 from their AliExpress store
TLDR: The Bruxe V1 AI Box is a compact, budget-friendly wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapter that delivers strong video streaming and smooth mirroring, but its closed OS limits app flexibility, and it runs hot under heavy use.
Just when you think there’s no room for a new AI Box in the crowded market, Bruxe drops the V1 AI Box Adapter, a compact and surprisingly capable unit that offers wireless CarPlay, Android Auto, screen mirroring, and two of the biggest video streaming apps. From just $79, this little adapter has quite a few tricks up its sleeve—though not without its limitations.
Design, Build and What’s in the Box
Inside the box, you’ll find the V1 adapter itself, a USB-C to USB-A power cable, a USB-C to USB-C power cable for more modern infotainment systems, a paper instruction manual, and even a mini to full-size HDMI cable. That HDMI cable? It’s for plugging the adapter into a monitor, TV, or in-car HDMI input. A rare but handy addition.
The V1 is incredibly slim—thinner and smaller than some of the smallest wireless CarPlay dongles I’ve tested, like the CarlinKit 5.0. It’s surprisingly premium in materials too, with a space-grey aluminium casing and black tempered glass top and bottom with a customisable LED ring on the top side. Around the edge, you’ll find a mini HDMI port, a USB-A port for media or peripherals, and a small physical switch. This switch, when held down for 3–5 seconds, will toggle between CarPlay and Android Auto car system protocols which makes the V1 a perfect solution if your car system only features a certain platform.
Despite the premium shell, the V1 lacks any passive cooling vents, and that becomes a concern during extended use—it runs warm when not pushed hard, but with video streaming or wireless CP/AA, without airflow, its heat could eventually affect performance over longer sessions of use.
Boot Time, Setup and Interface
Booting up the V1 took around 23 seconds, which is relatively quick in the AI Box world. The interface is clean and simplified, with a home screen that’s filled with widget panels showing time, connectivity status, media info, shortcuts to key features like wireless mirroring and Bluetooth calling, and prominent buttons for launching YouTube and Netflix—the only two streaming apps preinstalled on the closed OS variant I tested.
There are two versions of this adapter: a closed OS version (like mine), and an open version that includes the Google Play Store to download additional apps and this also allows for sideloading of third-party apps. Oddly, at the time of writing, the closed variant costs $10 more, which seems counterintuitive given its limitations. While preinstalled apps can be updated from the adapter’s own app store, there’s no way to install additional apps on the closed OS version.
The V1 runs on a much older Android 9 platform, so running into compatibility issues with certain apps that have moved on from this version may start to show its face. Both variants feature 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a Qualcomm QC2290 quad-core processor running at 2GHz, and an Adreno 702 GPU. While this isn’t a powerhouse setup, its 5 year-old CPU handles the closed preinstalled apps and basic functions better than you’d expect for this price point.
Wireless CarPlay Performance
Pairing to my iPhone 16 Pro for wireless CarPlay was quick at 9 seconds, and a total boot into the CarPlay interface took 33 seconds. Once connected, the experience was solid. There was a little compression on the video feed, but nothing that made the interface unusable or frustrating.
One notable highlight is the audio delay, which clocked in at 1.45 seconds—not the best, but acceptable for casual use. Call delay was recorded at 0.38 seconds, which was decent overall, though the microphone input in CarPlay had noticeable high gain, resulting in louder-than-usual (almost distorted) voice feedback.
It’s worth mentioning that the V1 doesn’t support GPS passthrough or turn-by-turn navigation into the instrument cluster, which is a common limitation on AI Boxes across the board.
Android Auto Experience
Android Auto pairing came in at a respectable 10 seconds, and total boot into wireless Android Auto took 36 seconds. Surprisingly, Android Auto ran even smoother than wireless CarPlay, with a significantly better audio delay of just 0.45 seconds, and call delay was slightly quicker too, at 0.31 seconds. The interface felt snappy, responsive, and well within expectations, especially for an adapter at this price.
Mirroring and Video Streaming Performance
Wireless mirroring worked well for both iOS and Android, with AirPlay taking just 7.48 seconds to connect, and Android mirroring at 7.66 seconds. Mirroring from iOS preserved the correct aspect ratio, but Android mirroring displayed a squashed image, even after trying to adjust it from the build in mirroring settings. Despite this, audio sync was tight, with only around +100ms delay—more than usable for watching videos.
As for its native streaming app performance, the preinstalled YouTube and Netflix apps delivered solid playback. Videos ran smoothly and the audio delay was a mere +40ms, which is impressive given the modest CPU inside. This adapter might not run complex apps well, but for streaming, it delivers.
My Final Impressions
The Bruxe V1 AI Box Adapter is an odd mix of premium aesthetics, budget internals, and genuinely good performance for its price. If you stick to video streaming, wireless CarPlay, Android Auto, and the occasional screen mirroring, this adapter won’t disappoint. At $79 or $89, depending on which variant you choose, it’s very affordable, and it even holds up surprisingly well against AI Boxes costing 2–3 times more.
That said, if you’re looking for an adapter that can handle heavier apps or allow for third-party installations, you’re better off with the open OS version—or jumping up to the more capable Bruxe R6.
But if you’re on a budget, value form factor and video performance, and don’t need app flexibility, then the V1 is well worth shortlisting.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:28 – Unboxing
0:55 – Features & design
2:21 – Boot-up & Menu Interface
4:40 – Settings
6:21 – Getting Online
7:00 – YouTube
8:55 – Netflix
9:59 – Mirroring from iPhone
11:35 – Mirroring from Android
13:39 – USB media playback
15:20 – Sideloading ability
16:08 – Wireless Apple CarPlay
18:26 – Wireless Android Auto
20:57 – HDMI output to display
21:42 – My Impressions
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