Convert Android Auto to wireless AA, new product announced.

Forums › Android › Convert Android Auto to wireless AA, new product announced.

sdavisnz

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#275753 7-Sep-2020 19:12

Hi,

if anyone is interested,

https://www.xda-developers.com/aawireless-dongle-enable-wireless-android-auto-wired-head-units/

a xda dev has started an indegogo campaign to sell a box that augments AA Wireless, it boots up via usb, connects to phone over bluetooth and then handshakes with the phone over wifi direct to initiate a wireless AA session.

ive backed it, your thoughts?

steve.

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#2559834 7-Sep-2020 19:19

Looks interesting but the boot time seems quite slow. And, personally I don't have much problem just plugging the phone in anyway, it takes me about an extra second as I put the phone in the centre console cup holder where it lives in the car. That way I also know that it will be at least partly charged when I finish driving, unlike with a wireless device you could end up at your destination with a flat battery

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sdavisnz

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#2559845 7-Sep-2020 19:50

But the car does not fast charge your device. Also if you wanted to use a wireless charger in your car you can't.

So id prefer to fast charge. Or wireless charge.

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shk292

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#2559849 7-Sep-2020 19:58

sdavisnz: But the car does not fast charge your device. Also if you wanted to use a wireless charger in your car you can't.

So id prefer to fast charge. Or wireless charge.

I actually prefer to avoid fast charging, due to the effect on the battery of doing this. I find that the slow charge for 50 min twice per day is a useful top up. Just shows how preferences vary!

I guess the advantage of this device is you can leave the phone in your pocket/bag/whatever and it just works

eracode

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#2559925 7-Sep-2020 20:55

Units like this that do the same thing for Apple CarPlay have been around for some time. They have been discussed here on GZ from time to time.

The comments made above by @shk292 (re boot times, charging etc) also apply very much the same to the CarPlay units.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

sdavisnz

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#2559945 7-Sep-2020 21:06

eracode:
Units like this that do the same thing for Apple CarPlay have been around for some time. They have been discussed here on GZ from time to time.

The comments made above by @shk292 re boot times etc also apply very much the same to the CarPlay units.

With due respect, this is the first product for AA, i thought it was worth a mention.

Agree, preferences vary.

I think this topic deserves its own thread.

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eracode

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#2559950 7-Sep-2020 21:10

sdavisnz:
eracode:

Units like this that do the same thing for Apple CarPlay have been around for some time. They have been discussed here on GZ from time to time.

The comments made above by @shk292 re boot times etc also apply very much the same to the CarPlay units.

With due respect, this is the first product for AA, i thought it was worth a mention.

Agree, preferences vary.

I think this topic deserves its own thread.

Sorry - don’t get me wrong - I agree that it’s certainly worth a mention and its own thread. I was merely pointing out that the concept is not a new one - and that they’re not regarded as a panacea in Apple World. You asked for thoughts.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

gehenna

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#2559954 7-Sep-2020 21:21

Backed. Time will tell.

sdavisnz

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#2575589 28-Sep-2020 22:13

The campaign is fully funded now, and the box is being upgraded to 5ghz to comply with new guidelines from Google.

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michaelmurfy

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#2575629 29-Sep-2020 01:24

@BigMal one for you.

Also this looks like a Rock Pi S they're using (https://wiki.radxa.com/RockpiS) for the prototype. These have the ability to boot very quickly with a EMMC module so I have no doubt they'll get the boot speeds up.

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gehenna

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#2698791 27-Apr-2021 15:39

My one just arrived and it works brilliantly! Initial setup was simple via their app and it activates on my display within about 10 seconds of the engine starting. First crowd funding campaign I've backed that's delivered on it's promise in a long time!

networkn

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#2698792 27-Apr-2021 15:41

How long does it take to boot up and connect? My wife has long wanted Wireless on her Audi (along with touchscreen but let's not get started on that!).

gehenna

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#2698862 27-Apr-2021 16:33

The setup process was about 20 seconds to pair the phone to the device first time. The app has OTA update ability too (haven't run an update yet). When I get in the car and start the engine it's already on the screen before I look at it, so it's comparable to the wired AA. It's a bloody good product I must say! And from a campaign perspective they were very transparent and communicative throughout. It's one of the better ones I've backed.

networkn

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#2698863 27-Apr-2021 16:35

gehenna:

The setup process was about 20 seconds to pair the phone to the device first time. The app has OTA update ability too (haven't run an update yet). When I get in the car and start the engine it's already on the screen before I look at it, so it's comparable to the wired AA. It's a bloody good product I must say! And from a campaign perspective they were very transparent and communicative throughout. It's one of the better ones I've backed.

How long did it take to arrive? (trying to estimate if I order one now, when it may arrive)?

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#2698872 27-Apr-2021 16:47

It's a crowdfund from Indiegogo so it depends on what options are available. Looks like they're aiming for June delivery on any new backers. I got in early and backed it the same day as I posted above in September. I think they're prioritising deliveries based on the order of backers, which is fair. My backing number was in the 4000 range so that means they've made and shipped at least 4000 since production actually hit top speed in February.

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#2698891 27-Apr-2021 17:02

I have one of these units too and it works great.

I've been really impressed with the short startup time. My car turns on the USB connector as soon as the car is unlocked, so by the time I'm ready to start the engine, it has already connected.

The companion app also has an option to tweak the screen resolution, which is really handy if the buttons on the screen are too big or too small. I increased the resolution to see more detail on maps, etc.

I did have a minor issue during the setup where my phone was confused about how to get to the internet. It's not the fault of the product, Android just doesn't seem to do a good job with understanding that some wifi networks are not internet connections, so it takes a while to realise that it needs to fallback to mobile data. Despite already using Android Auto, the Android Auto app had opened a Google Assistant screen which needed internet access to check something, then it closed and the Android Auto app appeared on the head unit. Not sure what that was all about.

Likewise, I haven't been able to apply the OTA update. If I have mobile data turned off, the companion app can't find any updates (even if it's already downloaded). If I have mobile data turned on, it finds the update but then gets stuck on "Connecting to device...". The other pages in the app work fine, so the app can see the device, it's just the OTA page that can't for some reason. Seems like they should be able to fix that with an app update. There aren't any bug fixes that I need the OTA update for, but I'm interested to try the auto launch feature that will be included in future.

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