Wireless Carplay adapters

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Been looking into wireless carplay adapters for my Clarity. Most require android software based headunits.... which the Clarity isn’t. I found this one though that seems to be legit.... Carplay2air

https://carplay2air.com/products/cp...y-android-auto-module-and-mirror-link-feature

Not sure if the convenience is big enough to spend $160 yet... but definitely will need it if the rumors are true that the 2021 iPhones are losing the lightning port and going completely wireless.

Anyone have a wireless carplay adapter up and running with their clarity?





Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
https://www.amazon.com/Carlinkit-Wireless-Navigation-Function-Bluetooth/dp/B07S1M8C34

$50 less

Check this one as well. Not sure what the differences are.

https://www.amazon.com/Carlinkit-Wireless-Original-activator-Steering/dp/B07T8NQJX1

Found this in the questions section:

"Question:
Will this work with honda accord 2017 with built in carplay and android, but i use iphone so carplay.

Answer:
the current firmware can not work well on this car by now, you can buy it when we fix the bug in the future, thank you
By Carlinkit Brand Store Seller on October 25, 2019

Answer 2
Yes but you will have to get “honda hack” for it to work. Its basically a quick root"
 
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NocEdit said:
Where do you see the android version number in the system info? I don’t see any mention of android software anywhere on my clarity headunit.
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The same place as you'd see it on any Android 4.x device. Just because Samsung or Blu or LG or Honda puts a custom UI frontend on doesn't make the backend not Android.
 
I have the Carlinkit from Amazon for $65. You do need to get the Honda hack for it to work though. You stick the adapter into any USB port and then connect the phone to it through Bluetooth and Wifi. You then install the Carlinkit apk which autoruns everytike you turn the car on. Takes about 30 seconds for the app to start but it looks like regular CarPlay. The only 2 cons I have are it’s not instant like plugging in and when you use your right turn signal the audio cuts out a split second as it cuts from the camera back to the CarPlay
 
bkniceley said:
... when you use your right turn signal the audio cuts out a split second as it cuts from the camera back to the CarPlay
Click to expand...
If you're not using LaneWatch you can just disable it from the standard frontend settings? I don't see why it cuts into audio, but if you want to use LaneWatch, I recall seeing various flags you can modify through X-plore or other root browser (since you have HH) for HW behavior, audio stream bias, etc.
 
bkniceley said:
. The only 2 cons I have are it’s not instant like plugging in
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What does it do to the overall responsiveness of the system? I find the Honda center console to be barely responsive enough as it is and I set the nightly auto-reboot up on it. This is one area Honda cheaped out, using Android 4 which dates from 2013 is just plain cheap, and then putting in the lowest spec CPU that can run all the stuff they have there is also just cheap. I mean we are talking a couple of dollars here on a flagship car. Google stopped doing security updates for this version of Android in late 2017. Honda, I am sorry to say, does not get the "silicon" world at all. For a high tech country, Japanese industrial executives are living in the past for the most part.
 
Arctiic said:
If you're not using LaneWatch you can just disable it from the standard frontend settings? I don't see why it cuts into audio, but if you want to use LaneWatch, I recall seeing various flags you can modify through X-plore or other root browser (since you have HH) for HW behavior, audio stream bias, etc.
Click to expand...

Yeah I’ve thought about disabling it but I do use it, is there a page somewhere that lists these different flags? I just know I’ll mess something up if I try.

Wayne Wilson said:
What does it do to the overall responsiveness of the system? I find the Honda center console to be barely responsive enough as it is and I set the nightly auto-reboot up on it. This is one area Honda cheaped out, using Android 4 which dates from 2013 is just plain cheap, and then putting in the lowest spec CPU that can run all the stuff they have there is also just cheap. I mean we are talking a couple of dollars here on a flagship car. Google stopped doing security updates for this version of Android in late 2017. Honda, I am sorry to say, does not get the "silicon" world at all. For a high tech country, Japanese industrial executives are living in the past for the most part.
Click to expand...

Yeah the system sucks but I’ve found it doesn’t make the responsiveness any worse. Of course, I don’t have it loaded with a bunch of crap. Just google keyboard, the wireless CarPlay app, and viper4android. I’ve got the iPhone jailbreak so can use YouTube, etc... without installing anything else on that head unit
 
Wayne Wilson said:
Honda, I am sorry to say, does not get the "silicon" world at all.
Click to expand...
Honda designed the Clarity's infotainment system in 2016 and said, "Done." Then they hired more engineers to do the dashboard for the Honda e. I doubt they're using Jelly Bean anymore.

upload_2020-1-9_14-59-12.webp
 
Wayne Wilson said:
What does it do to the overall responsiveness of the system? I find the Honda center console to be barely responsive enough as it is and I set the nightly auto-reboot up on it. This is one area Honda cheaped out, using Android 4 which dates from 2013 is just plain cheap, and then putting in the lowest spec CPU that can run all the stuff they have there is also just cheap. I mean we are talking a couple of dollars here on a flagship car. Google stopped doing security updates for this version of Android in late 2017. Honda, I am sorry to say, does not get the "silicon" world at all. For a high tech country, Japanese industrial executives are living in the past for the most part.
Click to expand...

I really doubt it's just hardware, considering it's Jellybean. I think it's likely the telematics bloat plus whatever differences in kernel to meet OTR operating standards (I've read somewhere operating temperatures were a particular concern for auto industry)...but yes, I wholeheartedly agree the end result is so atrocious it borders on violating my 8th amendment right. If you've got Dev Ops enabled you can try disabling animation scalings, and there might have been a touch sensitivity tweak somewhere in diagnostics, but...don't get your hopes up on the difference.
 
Arctiic said:
I really doubt it's just hardware, considering it's Jellybean. I think it's likely the telematics bloat plus whatever differences in kernel to meet OTR operating standards (I've read somewhere operating temperatures were a particular concern for auto industry)...but yes, I wholeheartedly agree the end result is so atrocious it borders on violating my 8th amendment right. If you've got Dev Ops enabled you can try disabling animation scalings, and there might have been a touch sensitivity tweak somewhere in diagnostics, but...don't get your hopes up on the difference.
Click to expand...
Where can I get a teenage tech geek to translate this into OAME?
(Old Analogue Man English)
The last computer software I understood was CP/M and the last hardware was 8088s.
Thag not understand. Is my Boomer showing?
 
Only use carplay and since it runs off my Iphone 11 it’s very responsive. My main concern is when Apple gets rid of a plug and goes completely wireless in 2021 iPhone. I usually upgrade my phone every two years... but my cars which cost 30x more every 10 years. Hopefully this won’t cause a problem with carplay when my Honda reaches year 3 of ownership.

I guess I could resort to leaving an old iPhone in my car all the time plugged into carplay. But then I’d need to pay for wireless.. or atleast connect to a hotspot on my current iPhone which might be a good way to operate now using an old iPhone 6s I have laying around.
Also wouldn’t get the benefit of it detecting my recent searches for addresses.

Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
KentuckyKen said:
Where can I get a teenage tech geek to translate this into OAME?
(Old Analogue Man English)
The last computer software I understood was CP/M and the last hardware was 8088s.
Thag not understand. Is my Boomer showing?
Click to expand...
I'm flattered, thanks, but I'm old enough to remember booting Windows from floppies or when VB6 was still relevant .

If you're asking about the tweaks I mentioned, these are fairly commonly used in Android OS. The first I mentioned is accessed through Developer Options, which you first need to enable by going to the Settings via the drop-down Notification Bar > About Device, then tapping Build Number a few times. I can't remember the exact sequence, but the 2018 Clarity has a "passcord" combo needed to unlock, which you should be able to find easily enough through Google or YouTube. After that, go back out to the previous menu and near the bottom a new "Developer Options" entry should be there. CAUTION: don't change any settings in here without thoroughly researching and understanding first what they do! Continuing on, enter DevOps and scroll down to the Drawing grouping, and find three settings: Window / Transition / Animator animation scale. These control the rate at which the respective animations are rendered on-screen visually, and turning all three off will give a slight boost in overall responsiveness, albeit not a huge difference.
The second tweak I mentioned is somewhere in the Diagnostics menu, which is accessed by holding down Audio + Menu + Brightness from the home screen. Same CAUTION note applies in here!! Unfortunately, this menu seems to have recently changed either through an OTA update (or I tweaked something I shouldn't have), but I specifically recall being able to adjust touch sensitivity and lowering long-press durations in ms units, etc., all of which can help make your touches seem more responsive.

Hope that helps!
 
NocEdit said:
Hopefully this won’t cause a problem with carplay when my Honda reaches year 3 of ownership.
Click to expand...
That’s my big thing, how we are stuck with old tech that plays in a fast moving tech world. Apple could very well update CarPlay and we could find ourselves with a car that won’t do it anymore. I really underestimated what a big deal having good hardware and ota updates are. One more thing the Japanese don’t understand.
 
NocEdit said:
Been looking into wireless carplay adapters for my Clarity. Most require android software based headunits.... which the Clarity isn’t. I found this one though that seems to be legit.... Carplay2air

https://carplay2air.com/products/cp...y-android-auto-module-and-mirror-link-feature

Not sure if the convenience is big enough to spend $160 yet... but definitely will need it if the rumors are true that the 2021 iPhones are losing the lightning port and going completely wireless.

Anyone have a wireless carplay adapter up and running with their clarity?





Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...

I bought this very adapter (carplay2air) for my Clarity, and it works beautifully. Pretty much plug and play. The first time it does require a few bluetooth pairing steps and then a firmware update. After that initial setup, it now automatically connects without me doing a thing. It uses bluetooth to connect to the phone and setup a wifi connection, and then uses this wifi to communicate with the phone to operate CarPlay.

It does NOT require the "Honda Hack". I've had it about a week, and it has been flawless. I leave the iPhone in my pocket, and CarPlay is available for use pretty much as soon as the infotainment system boots up (sometimes taking a few extra seconds to connect to the phone). In fact, it's been more reliable than the wired connection which sometimes required me to unplug and replug the phone to get it to work after returning to the car.

It is super convenient! Whether this convenience is worth $160 to you is a personal decision.
 
Sounds great! Are you able to set up 2 phones to connect? If so, how do you chose the active phone at any given time?
 
Vinoh said:
Sounds great! Are you able to set up 2 phones to connect? If so, how do you chose the active phone at any given time?
Click to expand...

I believe it is possible, but I only have one phone and live alone, so can't easily check. When it's in the process of connecting, my phone shows up as a button on the center screen as the default (and only) choice. I simply ignore this screen and it disappears after successful connection. My guess is if you have two phones, they both would appear here, and this is where you could change which you want to connect.
 
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