In this review, I look at the Mgears Mstick4 Android Auto AI Box Adapter. You can currently buy this adapter for $269 (with a $20 off voucher) from Amazon US, from Amazon CA, or for other regions, buy directly for $269 from the Mgears online store.
TLDR: The Mgears Mstick4 might just be the fastest and most feature-packed AI Box I’ve tested yet! With its powerful MediaTek G99 chip, ultra-smooth performance, and game-changing AV sync adjustment, this tiny adapter has a lot to offer. But is it worth the price? And does it have any deal-breaking flaws? In this video, I’ll be putting the Mstick4 to the test, showing you its key features, performance benchmarks, and real-world experience in my Cupra Born. Let’s find out if this AI Box deserves a spot in your car!
Two years ago, I reviewed the Mgears Mstick1, one of the few AI box adapters that ran on the Android Auto protocol. At the time, this made it a unique offering. The Mstick1 had a lot going for it, but it fell short in some areas compared to competing brands. Since then, Mgears has iterated on the Mstick, leading to the latest version: the Mstick4. This AI box still operates over the Android Auto protocol, but considering that most cars now support both CarPlay and Android Auto, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. In fact, overlooking it could mean missing out on one of the best AI boxes available today. In this review, I’ll explain why I believe that’s a bold but justified claim.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Inside the box, you get a paper instruction manual, the Mstick4 adapter, and two USB cables—one USB-A to USB-C and one USB-C to USB-C. Both cables are nicely braided and of good quality. An additional bag includes a power extender cable for vehicles with underpowered USB ports, as well as two USB-A and USB-C cables with screw connectors that secure the connection to the adapter, preventing accidental disconnection. However, this security feature does not extend to the connection with your car’s Android Auto USB port.
Setup and Onboarding
Connecting the Mstick4 to my Cupra Born system booted up the AI box in just 19 seconds. I was pleasantly surprised by the onboarding process—something I’ve yet to see from other AI box brands. It’s refreshing and helps users who aren’t technically inclined set up the device with ease.
The main reason for this onboarding is to pair the Mstick4 with the Mgears companion app, available on iOS and Android. Once installed, the app assists with troubleshooting, remote settings adjustments, and additional features that integrate with the AI box software. Notably, you can mirror content from the AI box back to your phone, but not the other way around.
Interface and Usability
Once onboarding was complete, I was taken to the Mstick4’s home screen, and again, it was a breath of fresh air. Like the Mstick1, it features a minimal yet customizable side dock for easy navigation, eliminating the need for a floating button—though this can be enabled in the settings if preferred. The home screen itself is clean and resembles an iPad or Android tablet, with a date and time widget, pre-installed app icons, and a shortcut to the app list screen.
App icons can be added or removed, and widgets can be placed on the home screen if needed. The high default DPI setting allows for a dense icon layout, but a simple swipe up reveals all installed apps. This intuitive approach makes navigation easy. There’s even an option to display recently used apps at the top for quick access.
With full access to the Google Play Store, you can update or install any missing apps. After installing a few test apps, I checked the hardware specs and was surprised that Mgears opted for the MediaTek Helio G99 CPU instead of the more common Qualcomm chips. My previous experience with MediaTek chipsets in AI boxes wasn’t great, so I initially expected poor performance. However, after running 3DMark and Geekbench 6 benchmarks, I was blown away. The Mstick4’s CPU is 1.5 to 1.7 times faster than the current Qualcomm 6225 CPUs, with a GPU that’s more than twice as fast—great for gaming and video playback.
Performance and Heat Management
Excited by the potential, I ran my usual test apps. The Mstick4 outperformed every AI box I’ve tested in app launch times, even beating the high-end Rocket AI Box. More brands should consider adopting the G99 chipset, as it’s the next step forward for AI boxes in my opinion.
Mgears has also addressed overheating, a common issue with AI boxes. The Mstick4 includes an active cooling fan within its compact, iPod Shuffle-sized casing. This keeps the CPU cool, improving performance in hot car interiors. Unlike passive heatsink-cooled AI boxes that throttle performance when overheated, the Mstick4 remained cool even after an hour of benchmarking and intense gaming. The fan is mostly silent, though I noticed some vibration noise from my car’s interior rather than the fan itself.
Audio and Video Performance
I tested YouTube playback to check for audio sync issues, a common problem with AI boxes. Out of the box, the Mstick4 performed well, with an average audio delay of just 0.51ms and smooth frame rates. However, Mgears has gone a step further by including an adjustable AV Sync app—something I’ve only seen on Amazon’s Fire Stick. This allows precise audio delay adjustments, ensuring perfect sync with the car’s display. After tweaking the setting to +3, I achieved near-zero delay in my Cupra Born. This adjustment applies to all apps, making it an invaluable feature.
Spotify, Google Maps, and Netflix also launched faster than most AI boxes, with only the Rocket AI Box slightly beating it in Spotify and Netflix startup times. However, the Mstick4 costs significantly less than the Rocket while offering similar performance and more features.
Customization and Features
The Mstick4’s settings menu reveals a wealth of customization options. Covering them all would make this review too long, but Mgears has listened to user feedback. You can customize the side dock, replacing buttons with your preferred shortcuts. The built-in microphone can be toggled between the AI box’s mic, the car’s mic, or Android Auto’s default mic input. The same flexibility applies to GPS, allowing you to use the car’s built-in GPS or the Mstick4’s internal GPS antenna.
Other notable features include radio audio override, individual volume controls for each app, and extensive display settings. You can adjust DPI scaling between mobile and tablet modes or override the car’s display resolution, which is particularly useful for Mercedes owners.
The Mstick4 also supports pinch-to-zoom, but my 2025 Cupra Born struggled with this gesture, causing the screen to freeze and crash. Hopefully, Mgears will release a future update to fix this issue once they test it on similar displays.
What’s Missing?
There are a few downsides. The Mstick4 doesn’t support SIM calling, and more notably, it lacks wireless CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Mgears has never included this feature in their AI boxes, which is a shame for those with wired-only systems who want a wireless option. Mgears has stated their focus is on media playback rather than connectivity, but this decision limits the Mstick4’s appeal compared to other AI boxes that offer both features.
If your car already has wireless CarPlay or Android Auto, this is less of an issue, but switching between the Mstick4 and wireless CarPlay required multiple system navigation steps. This process could be even more frustrating for Android Auto users.
Final Thoughts
Despite these omissions, the pros of the Mstick4 far outweigh the cons. It offers a wealth of useful features that no other AI box brand provides. For media playback without AV sync delay, the Mstick4 is unmatched. No other AI box offers an AV Sync adjustment, making this the best option for anyone dealing with display latency issues.
Its full-screen display support, radio audio override, and landscape/portrait mode adaptability make it incredibly versatile. While the price is on the higher side, it’s still $100 cheaper than the Rocket AI Box while offering comparable performance and more customization options. If you’re looking for an AI box today, the Mstick4 should be at the top of your list.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Brief Intro
00:43 – Unboxing
02:22 – Features & Design
03:54 – Hardware spec
05:44 – Boot-up & Menu Interface
08:56 – Settings
09:40 – Onboarding & Mgears App
10:34 – Mirroring AI Box to Mobile/Tablet
11:09 – Settings continued
11:38 – AV Sync feature
12:53 – Display Size
13:29 – Built-in Mic & App Volume
14:28 – Radio audio override
15:24 – BMW Wireless connection mode
16:50 – Split screen mode
17:36 – Sound Studio equaliser & Auto-Tune
19:17 – Benchmarks
19:56 – Maps & pinch & zoom
20:55 – Spotify audio & sync
21:33 – YouTube sync
22:38 – 4K 30 & 60 FPS playback
23:21 – TF Media 1080P & 4K playback
25:52 – Netflix
26:26 – Google Play Store
26:32 – Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto support
27:05 – Working with Existing Wireless CarPlay
28:02 – SIM calling & Wi-Fi Hotspot
28:35 – Gaming
29:31 – Can it play Call of Duty Mobile?
30:45 – Angry Birds 2 & Asphalt Legends
31:57 – Price & my impressions
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