AutoLinkr Pro is a wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adaptor worth buying, with a video streaming player attached that I wouldn’t bother with.
AutoLinkr Pro is $130 (uad) on the AutoLinkr site, with a “regular price” of $289 struck through beside it but that looks more like marketing than a discount. It plugs into the car’s USB port and turns wired CarPlay or Android Auto wireless. Your car needs wired CarPlay/Android Auto as this is merely a wee box that facilitates Wifi connections. AutoLinkr covers 97% of vehicles built since 2016, though its not-compatible list includes BMW from 2019 on and a handful of EV makers, Tesla and Polestar among them. BMW doesn’t have wired CarPlay because it tried to force owners into a subscription, an appalling situation.
Pair it once over Bluetooth and it connects by itself on every drive after that. There’s no fiddling with the phone and no cable to find, CarPlay is on the screen when I start the car, and that saves time every time I get in.
Above: AutolinkR AI Box and wireless Carplay Stream while you wait
#AutoLinkrPro, #AutoLinkr, #WirelessCarPlay, #Ottocast, #GayCarBoys
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ABOVE: AutoLinkr Pro
Siri voice control seemed spotty, and latency is noticeable, in fact quite laggy at times. AutoLinkr’s FAQ claims “no lag” for the pricier AutoLinkr Elite. It’s listed at $289, with 4GB of RAM against the Pro’s 2GB, 64GB of storage against 16GB, and a faster CPU.
Streaming is the weak half of AutoLinkr Pro
Google Play Store is built in, so apps such as Netflix and YouTube play on the car’s screen. To stream, you have to use your phone as a mobile hotspot. A micro SD slot takes offline downloads if you’d rather not.
Once it’s paired over Bluetooth and then wifi, you can switch between streaming and CarPlay, but you can’t use both at once. Split-screen, with navigation and video together, is kept for the Elite.
Being able to watch video on the move is a bad idea in any case, apart from the fact that it is quite illegal. AutoLinkr’s safety note says playback is intended for passengers or a parked car, yet its FAQ confirms the box doesn’t restrict playback while driving. We can’t think of a time we’d want YouTube or Netflix on the car’s screen that we wouldn’t just watch on a phone. Buy AutoLinkr Pro as a CarPlay adaptor and leave the streaming alone.
Wireless, until the phone needs a charge
On a long trip you’d probably plug in to charge anyway, and older cars tend not to have charge pads. If the phone goes on a cable regardless, you may as well use corded CarPlay and skip the adaptor. For short hops in and out of the car, the auto pairing is where AutoLinkr Pro is most useful.
If wireless CarPlay is all you want, there are cheaper boxes. The MMB Mini Ultra is a wireless CarPlay adaptor at $51, and the Ottocast Play2Video Ultra does CarPlay and streaming for $126.
Likes
- Auto pairing saves time
- Wireless CarPlay
- Listed at $130
Dislikes
- Laggy at times
- Spotty Siri
- No streaming and CarPlay at once
AutoLinkr Pro
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $130 (regular price $289 shown) |
| Connectivity | Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto |
| Compatibility | Cars or stereos with factory or aftermarket CarPlay or Android Auto, wired or wireless |
| Not compatible | Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Polestar, NIO, BMW from 2019 |
| Streaming | Google Play Store apps via the phone’s mobile hotspot |
| RAM/storage | 2GB/16GB, micro SD expandable |
| Setup | USB port, one Bluetooth pairing, auto-connects after |
| In the box | AutoLinkr Pro, USB-C to USB-A cable, USB-C to USB-C cable, user manual |
| Warranty | 1 year against manufacturing defects |
| Returns | 30 days, refund as store credit, return shipping paid by the buyer outside the US |
| Shipping | 5 to 10 business days |
Above: Polestar 5 Australian Launch Review is Picturesque Tasmania
#Polestar5Performance, #Polestar, #EVReview, #AudiRS, #GayCarBoys
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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