In this video, I look at the CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA Dongle for Android Headunits running Android OS 4.4+.
You can buy this adapter for $65.99 from Amazon US → https://amzn.to/38QeNeg (use code: CCPA0528 for 10% off) or for £65.99 from Amazon UK → https://amzn.to/3MtqSUx or for €65.99 from Amazon DE → https://amzn.to/3xceG5U.
If you have an android headunit running Android OS 4.4 or higher, this dongle simply inserts into its USB port and with the built in AutoKit app installed, it will enable both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired and wireless Android Auto to your Android head unit.
In the box, you get a small paper manual with instructions on how to install the AutoKit app onto your Android headunit as well as how to connect your iPhone or Android device to the dongle, for CarPlay, Android Auto as well as screen mirroring from your mobile device too.
Installation
The dongle comes with its own application installer that’s built into the dongles file system. You simply plug the dongle into the headunit’s USB port and lunch your favourite file manager app. Once the files on the USB dongle have been detected, you simply tap on the app launcher to install the connecting Autokit app onto your Android headunit. The manual also has some alternative methods to get this app installed on your system, but I found the installer was the fastest and easiest way.
With the dongle already plugged into the USB port, I launched the installed AutoKit app and the software began to detect the dongle. From here, you can connect by wire or wirelessly to your devices, but first, I jumped into the app’s own settings menu to see what else this dongle can do.
Home Screen & Settings
The settings menu is quite feature-rich, with lots of options and settings to tailor your experience. Such as altering resolution output and frame rate, toggling driving position, changing the Wi-Fi band, and audio channels, to switching the microphone source and charging modes.
Wireless Apple CarPlay
Connecting your iPhone for Wireless Apple CarPlay is as simple as pairing your iPhone to the dongle’s Bluetooth ID, that’s labelled on the top left of the dongle’s Home Screen. Once paired you’ll be asked to enable CarPlay and your iPhone will soon connect and begin to share CarPlay wirelessly to your Android headunit display.
From here I found wireless CarPlay to perform well, with the usual wireless audio delay traits in music playback, navigation and calling. Overall, Apple CarPlay looked and worked great on my Dasaita 10” display. Tapping the assigned home button would take you out of the app and back to your Android system’s home screen. Microphone support sounds good too. Here is a test recording that I captured from the dongle on my headunit.
Wireless Android Auto
For wireless Android Auto, the method is just the same, by pairing your Android device to the dongle over Bluetooth, Android Auto will soon pop up in a few seconds.
From here everything ran great with all my Android Auto apps running as intended, wirelessly and responsive, switching back to the Android OS with the tap of the Exit button.
Screen Mirroring
This dongle is also capable of screen mirroring your mobile device to your Android display. I could only get my iPhone working via a cabled connection, which looked good and responsive but when playing back a YouTube video I encountered some heavy frame stuttering and the audio was slightly out of sync too. So I wouldn’t recommend you buy this dongle for screen mirroring specifically.
If you wish to power or charge your mobile, this dongle’s passthrough USB port supports power passthrough too without crashing the dongle like it use to, and you can set the dongle to support two different levels of power it provides in the settings menu.
Wired CarPlay, Android Auto, Power Passthrough
Both wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also supported through its passthrough USB port, so you can charge and run either car platform from a USB-C or Lightning cable connected to your device, which is a good option to have if you don’t have a separate car charger in the car.
This CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA wireless dongle for Android headunits retails for $65 with an Amazon coupon, in the UK it retails for £65.99, and in Germany, it retails for €65.99 (both with coupons added), and you can check out my links above to learn more about it and to buy yourself one.
Final Thoughts
It’s a great way to breathe new life into your Android headunit, if it doesn’t already come with either wired and wireless CarPlay or Android Auto. Even if your headunit supports wired CarPlay or Android Auto, this dongle will still operate alongside it to offer its wireless capabilities. Your Android headunit doesn’t need to have CarPlay or Android Auto enabled on it, it is all handled through this dongle hardware and its software, that you’ll need to install onto it. So make sure you are able to install Android apps onto it before you purchase this dongle, if you can it’s as simple as plug and play, and you can have this great performing dongle add a wireless and wired connection from your Android or iPhone to your Android headunit display.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:26 – Unboxing
0:41 – Installation
1:07 – Home screen menu & settings
1:37 – Wireless Apple CarPlay
2:13 – Microphone test
2:30 – Wireless Android Auto
2:45 – Screen mirroring/casting
3:04 – Power passthrough and Wired CarPlay
3:21 – Wired Android Auto
3:34 – My Impressions
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