The PICASOU 2 has the same great Wi-Fi specs as the M.I.C. so I expected the same great wireless performance here too. Wireless Apple Carplay took 11 seconds and Android Auto took longer at 23 seconds to pair and connect to the AI Box, which matches the M.I.C. CarPlay as it is right now is essentially just an external display for your phone, and Siri can only handle requests that relate to your device. So while Siri can change the volume, it can't raise the temperature or activate your cruise control. Unlike the two competing adapters, the T-Box Plus does support dual Bluetooth. So you can connect to wireless remotes and Bluetooth game controllers for navigating apps, browsing menus and controller-based gaming. Unlike the Picasou 2 and M.I.C. adapters, the T-Box Plus doesn’t have HDMI output, so this adapter can’t be used with an external monitor, TV or projector. It’s let down by its shared low Wi-Fi performance along with the fifth-place Ultra, and it was the second slowest to launch into its main menu. But its software seems to be more optimised than the other AI Boxes. And as a result, it is the fastest to boot into wireless CarPlay and the second fastest into Android Auto.

Its launch speed in the 4 test android apps was high to good, not the best, but you will likely not see a significant difference between the speed of the top 4 AI Boxes. However you get CarPlay for BMW, you'll be able to do it at a time that suits you, without having to leave your car at the shop overnight. Before you know it, you'll be using all your favorite iPhone apps in your BMW, which is exactly why so many people want Apple CarPlay for BMW and MINI. BMW Apple CarPlay RetrofitSeems to work well, you are instantly given the option to use it the first time you connect the phone . The only downside is the car doesn't have wireless charging so CarPlay will eat the Battery of the phone. This menu system is one of the better-looking interfaces on an AI Box right now with a choice of three main layouts, with the ability to customise and move the main top row of panels to your liking, and along the bottom, there are two buttons on the left to go to the home screen and invoke the Google assistant, followed by four favourite apps of your choosing, and on the right-hand side there is the time, date, and small status bar icons, that when tapped act as a shortcut to go into the adapter’s preference pane. We have tested eight devices, and the experience with each was similar. What they all share is that once you have your phone connected, you’ll appreciate the ease of wireless CarPlay or Android Auto. But you'll also notice a slight lag from hitting a button on the screen to when it responds (for example, when pausing a song) compared with using the direct wired connection.

Its YouTube app runs in full-screen tablet mode, which isn’t as nice as the same app on some other AI Boxes. The T-Box Plus also has the same issue where it can’t update to the latest version of Netflix, so you’ll have to look at sideloading any updates to access any new app features instead. Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto The Law is actually unclear, but the sentiment is clear.... I for one am not going to risk the points or fine or accident for that matter. The law is changing as people were using this idea as a loop hole.... The interiors of a car are already pretty compact and you don’t want to add anything that is going to make a cluster. Thankfully, MMB Multimedia Android OS Box 2.0 is also compact in size as you don’t have to struggle with a massive device in your car. The sleek and compact design ensures that you have enough room for keeping extra things in your vehicle. Product Specifications

Methodology

This is Carlinkit’s third revision of their Tbox branded lineup. In this latest revision, they have thrown in the same fast chipset as all the other finalists, upgraded its operating system to Android 11, and improved its launcher software. There isn't any native AirPlay to CarPlay feature, but BimmerTech's CarPlay MMI PRO retrofit for BMW comes with both CarPlay and AirPlay support, so as well as all the standard apps from Apple CarPlay, YouTube can be cast via screen mirroring from your iPhone.It’s not quite YouTube on CarPlay, but it’s YouTube and CarPlay without jailbreak, which is at least as good. When you factor in the other extra features a third-party retrofit can include alongside CarPlay, you’re looking at a powerful and flexible infotainment system. Like all AI boxes, you need to give this AI Box an internet connection, via either a Wi-Fi hotspot, tethering to your mobile phone Wi-Fi hotspot, or by using the internal data SIM card slot to give its own internet connection. I tried calling from this adapter and although there is a phone app, it can’t call from an inserted SIM card, instead, it will call from your connected device over Bluetooth. YouTube & Netflix In second place we have the Ottocast Picasou 2 Pro. This is a new entry AI Box that I have yet to bring my full review on this channel, but it made good sense to size it up alongside all the other AI Boxes. Thanks to its overall performance it managed to easily sneak its way into taking second place in my top 5. I couldn’t get The Nifty Box working on any portable CarPlay display, however, it worked fine on my Alpine and the Pioneer CarPlay receivers. Once powered, The Nifty Box displayed the same initial boot animation sequence as the MMB Max before ending on the same main home screen menu. The total boot-up time took 28 seconds, which makes it the second fastest AI Box to the Picassou 2 Pro from Ottocast and 3 seconds faster than the MMB Max. Main Menu Interface