Costco Members: Aluratek Wireless Adapter for Apple CarPlay (White)

bsweetness

Nov 19, 2023 12:32 PM

819 Posts

Joined Jul 2010

bsweetnessNov 19, 2023 12:32 PM

819 Posts

Quote from theimage13

:

So just to be clear: your car already has to have CarPlay, but now you plug this in instead of plugging your phone in?

So this is a $70 adapter for people who don't want to take their phone out of their pocket?

I guess I could see this being good if your lightning port is shot, but otherwise...really? Seventy dollars just to have something else plugged in instead of your phone? Wow.

There's also another use case that happens to fit my situation. Some cars with Car Play have issues with it crashing, being inconsistent, or not working at all. Generally seems to be the fault of the automakers for not providing updates or using poor USB ports. Our RAV4 falls into this category. At least for RAV4s, many people online report using something like this alleviates the issue. I'm willing to give it a shot.

5

ThePamdalorian

Nov 19, 2023 05:53 PM

146 Posts

Joined Oct 2007

ThePamdalorianNov 19, 2023 05:53 PM

146 Posts

Quote from theimage13

:

So just to be clear: your car already has to have CarPlay, but now you plug this in instead of plugging your phone in?

So this is a $70 adapter for people who don't want to take their phone out of their pocket?

I guess I could see this being good if your lightning port is shot, but otherwise...really? Seventy dollars just to have something else plugged in instead of your phone? Wow.

I used to think the same way but I tried one. And it really is very convenient and worth the cost. I don't have to keep my phone tethered to my dash now and now I am not limited by the length of the cord. I don't have to pull it out of my backpack and hook it up every time I start the car. And then unhook it. You could just be like, install a longer cord. Well, they go from 3 feet to 6 feet. And it's hard to keep 6 feet of cord stored away nicely in the dash.

Sometimes convenience is worth the money and for some, $70 isn't that much for it.

I bought a different model on amazon.com for about the same price.

9

stuff4dave

Nov 19, 2023 11:42 PM

992 Posts

Joined Jul 2005

stuff4daveNov 19, 2023 11:42 PM

992 Posts

Quote from theimage13

:

So just to be clear: your car already has to have CarPlay, but now you plug this in instead of plugging your phone in?

So this is a $70 adapter for people who don't want to take their phone out of their pocket?

I guess I could see this being good if your lightning port is shot, but otherwise...really? Seventy dollars just to have something else plugged in instead of your phone? Wow.

Quote from bsweetness

:

There's also another use case that happens to fit my situation. Some cars with Car Play have issues with it crashing, being inconsistent, or not working at all.

Also, unless you have a newer car with USB-C ports, you'll likely get faster charging using a dedicated charger with a USB-C connected to the 12V DC (cigarette lighter port).

The USB-A port for carplay/android auto usually only charges phones at 10W, so you can get faster charging rates using your own charger and connecting via this wireless dongle

3

Slimeyface

Nov 20, 2023 12:48 AM

11,357 Posts

Joined Aug 2008

SlimeyfaceNov 20, 2023 12:48 AM

11,357 Posts

Quote from salmanslim

:

This works with tesla? Not that i need carplay in tesla just having an itch to spend!

Dude there are so many better opportunities to spend in the coming weeks if you don't find anything you are fond of right now.

Just wait and save your money.

2

shagz7

Nov 20, 2023 01:06 AM

764 Posts

Joined Dec 2004

shagz7Nov 20, 2023 01:06 AM

764 Posts

Quote from lwang9

:

Does it work with Tesla?

No. Tesla doesn't support CarPlay

1

semechki312

Nov 20, 2023 01:50 AM

145 Posts

Joined Dec 2017

semechki312Nov 20, 2023 01:50 AM

145 Posts

Using a wire to connect your phone has a downside: it starts charging, which can wear out your battery over time. I like the direct connection for its lag-free experience and better quality, but I'm open to wireless CarPlay for navigation and podcasts.

5

smoker68x

Nov 20, 2023 02:13 AM

1,361 Posts

Joined Jan 2005

smoker68xNov 20, 2023 02:13 AM

1,361 Posts

Exactly, I was going to mention that specifically. With my old iPhone's, I was using wired CarPlay constantly, and my battery suffered. After switching to wireless CarPlay, the batteries on the newer phones were much better, noticeably.

3

DCM67

Pro

Nov 20, 2023 03:25 AM

1,076 Posts

Joined Feb 2010

DCM67

Pro

Nov 20, 2023 03:25 AM

1,076 Posts

Has anyone confirmed that this falls into Costco's Return "anytime" policy or found it available in store?

I've been trying several from Amazon and I find that I'm just going to have to choose " the one that works most of the time". They seem all to loose connection sometimes or get stuck connecting occasionally. I'd rather pay the $20ish extra and buy this one from Costco, if I can return it in the future if needed.

cybercho

Nov 20, 2023 04:57 AM

728 Posts

Joined Jul 2013

cyberchoNov 20, 2023 04:57 AM

728 Posts

Quote from CleverCreator6791

:

costco does not have a lifetime return on electronics.according to to their website it's 90 days. but it's unclear if this counts as that.

They do in my Costco at zip code 19454. 90 days returns are for certain electronics in my location which is why I'll be trying it for a few months.

cybercho

Nov 20, 2023 05:03 AM

728 Posts

Joined Jul 2013

cyberchoNov 20, 2023 05:03 AM

728 Posts

Quote from theimage13

:

So just to be clear: your car already has to have CarPlay, but now you plug this in instead of plugging your phone in?

So this is a $70 adapter for people who don't want to take their phone out of their pocket?

I guess I could see this being good if your lightning port is shot, but otherwise...really? Seventy dollars just to have something else plugged in instead of your phone? Wow.

Many want this convenience and are willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, wireless carplay on cars that come with it on the head unit can still be wonky according to auto reviewers. Having a dedicated device might actually work better. We'll see when it arrives. Most people on Best Buy complaining probably don't know how to troubleshoot the most simplest things on their tech and if there's one single problem, they explode and leave these reviews. I've bought tech that had mixed reviews and found they mostly work fine, but need occasionally troubleshooting. All tech needs a bit of troubleshooting.

1

cybercho

Nov 20, 2023 05:10 AM

728 Posts

Joined Jul 2013

cyberchoNov 20, 2023 05:10 AM

728 Posts

Quote from semechki312

:

Using a wire to connect your phone has a downside: it starts charging, which can wear out your battery over time. I like the direct connection for its lag-free experience and better quality, but I'm open to wireless CarPlay for navigation and podcasts.

Also, I read an article stating that starting your car with your phone plugged in always sends a power surge to your phone. Circuitry in your phone prevents damage, but there's always a risk. The author said to always start your car, then plug your phone in.

semechki312

Nov 20, 2023 08:15 AM

145 Posts

Joined Dec 2017

semechki312Nov 20, 2023 08:15 AM

145 Posts

Could it be that reliability varies among car manufacturers? I find it interesting that in certain markets and years, like 2021 and 2024, Mazda offered wireless CarPlay for the CX-5, which seems unusual. My 2022 CX-5 even has a hotspot so I wound not be surprised if there was some dispute with Apple and their weird licensing. I think I'm going to pull the trigger and try this one out. I can always return it. My Mazda has 2 USB ports that I can use simultaneously (I can use CarPlay for navigation and a second phone as a separate audio source). So I can always switch to wired connection if reliability is an issue during roadtrips.

Costco Members: Aluratek Wireless Adapter for Apple CarPlay (White)

$70

$90

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