How does Ottocast CarPlay work and how much does it cost?

Igor Alecsander/Getty Images Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Apple CarPlay can offer a seamless experience when your iPhone connects wirelessly. If all goes well, it can link automatically when get in your car and put multiple apps at your fingertips. Wireless CarPlay isn't supported by every car, however, with plenty of compatible vehicles still needing you to connect your iPhone using a USB cable. Ottocast CarPlay is one solution to this problem, as long as your infotainment system supports wired CarPlay connections to begin with. Ottocast adapters plug into your vehicle's USB port, acting as a bridge between your car and your iPhone to turn your wired CarPlay connection into a wireless one. Ottocast has several adapters on sale that ship with a range of features and compatibility. Making wired CarPlay vehicles wireless Vladimka production/Shutterstock The Ottocast adapter is the middleman between your iPhone and the car's infotainment system. You'll plug it into the same USB port that you'd use for wired CarPlay and leave it in place. The car effectively sees that it's a CarPlay-compatible device, but it's more than just that: It's handling all of the communications with your iPhone wirelessly. Ottocast requires an initial setup process, though. You'll need to pair it with your iPhone using Bluetooth the first time you hook it up to your car's USB port, then approve the connection once you're prompted to. Bluetooth handles the connection before it shifts to Wi-Fi, ensuring there's a secure and stable connection between the Ottocast adapter and your iPhone. After that first pairing, the process should be pretty seamless. The Ottocast adapter will remember your iPhone and attempt to reconnect to it whenever you start your vehicle. It might take a few seconds for this to complete, but you won't need to re-pair every time. As far as CarPlay is concerned, it's business as usual. You won't see a different Ottocast CarPlay interface. It's the same Apple interface that you'll see with standard wired or wireless CarPlay. How you control it won't change, either: The car's touchscreen, dashboard controls or steering wheel buttons will all act as they should. If you're on a call, the microphone will be supported, and it'll still channel audio through the vehicle's speakers. These are the features that make buying an Apple CarPlay wireless adapter worth it. Ottocast isn't the only third-party CarPlay adapter to deliver this functionality, with AAWireless and CarlinKit offering other solid alternatives. None of them are Apple-approved, meaning you won't get support from Apple when using a third-party adapter like this for CarPlay. They should just work, but compatibility may vary. How much does Ottocast CarPlay cost? Ottocast There are a couple of different options if you're looking at using Ottocast for CarPlay connections. The company sells several adapters, each with different apps and features. The Mini Cube has a list price of $49. It's fairly basic, but it does what you'd expect from a third-party CarPlay adapter by turning a wired connection into a wireless one. It's compact, with a right-angled design that keeps it close to the USB port it needs to be plugged into. It also converts your Android Auto to wireless, so if you've got a passenger with an Android phone in a car that also supports Google's infotainment system, they can also connect to it. The Mini adapter is a little smaller, has a standard price of $59, but works in much the same way. Other models, like the Mini Slim, vary in size, but support USB-A over USB-C, for instance. More expensive models like the U2Air Pro are iPhone-only, meaning they'll only work for CarPlay, and are similarly priced at $59. You've also got models like the Play2Video Ultra which, along with CarPlay support, also turn your car screen into a device that lets you stream Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video directly while you're parked up. The top-of-the-line model is the OttoAibox P3 Pro. Costing $219, it's basically an Android mini PC with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of integrated storage. It has a built-in AI assistant, a custom interface for your car, and includes Google Play support, which lets you install apps directly. It's also an Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto) device meaning, with a tap of a button, you can switch between its built-in Android mode and your CarPlay interface. Check compatibility before you buy Hadrian/Shutterstock Ottocast adapters aren't a universal solution for CarPlay. Unfortunately, you can't plug it into a car that doesn't already have wired CarPlay support and use it. The basic requirement for all Ottocast devices to operate is factory-wired CarPlay support, meaning it'll load when you hook up to your iPhone with a wired USB cable. You can check this for yourself by looking up your vehicle's make and model on Ottocast's website, or you can confirm CarPlay support for over 800 models via Apple's website. Ottocast suggests that its adapters will work for cars made from 2016 onwards, but the year isn't a guarantee. You should also watch out for the size of the adapter: Some of these adapters won't necessarily fit, even if the compatibility is there, if the USB port is located in a tight area on your car's center console.  Ottocast's website has the most up-to-date information on this, especially if you run into product-specific restrictions. For instance, the U2AIR Pro won't work on devices that are wireless CarPlay or Android Auto-only systems and it isn't supported by aftermarket Sony head units, either. Compatibility for some Mitsubishi owners is also patchy, too, and Ottocast recommends you confirm compatibility with each manufacturer before you place your order. Will Ottocast work well with your car? If the compatibility is there, and it physically connects to the USB port, there's no reason to assume otherwise. It gives wired CarPlay users the flexibility that wireless users have, because you can just leave the adapter in your car. The connection handshake can take a few more seconds to complete, though, and you might experience the odd bit of lag or disconnection. If it's the only USB port you have, you'll need to charge your iPhone separately. Ottocast CarPlay isn't going to change the Apple CarPlay experience if you already have it. The value is gained from removing the cable, so for regular drivers who use it a lot, that small convenience could make the price worthwhile.