When we buy a brand new car, our technological heart beats strongly for the standard multimedia system, which allows many functions, but then when we start to use it, we realize some absences imposed due to safety, such as the ability to watch videos on YouTube. Given that certain actions should not be carried out while you are driving, there are small boxes on the market that we could almost define as mini travel PCs that bring a version of Android modified ad hoc and without limitations to your vehicle. Among the many on the market we tried the AUTOABC solution or the Magic AI Box Mini which I will tell you all about today.
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UNBOXING AND CLARIFICATIONS
It should be noted that this type of product must be connected to the car port which integrates an infotainment system compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto (generally cars from 2015 onwards). Precisely thanks to the operating system integrated into the product, it is possible to deceive the infotainment, making the box detect as an iPhone, actually bringing to the car screen a totally free operating system with no limitations, in which it is possible to install practically all the applications of the Play Store.
Naturally, the reactivity and speed of these devices depends on the hardware they are equipped with and the AUTOABC solution offers multiple hardware configurations for the same product, but I'll talk about that later. Coming instead to the unboxing paragraph, inside the package we naturally find our Magic AI Box Mini, manuals in English and two cables for connections to the car's USB socket, one with a USB-A/USB-C connection and the another with double USB-C connection, to be used based on what you have available on the car.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The AUTOABC gadget has very compact dimensions, with a shape that is not almost square but with all the rounded profiles and in the car it takes up little space, so much so that you could store it in the glove compartment. The feeling to the touch is nice considering the use of plastic materials for a good part of the body of the product, while on the lower side we find a grilled surface and a metal plate for heat dissipation, in order to avoid overheating when we use the product.
On the back side of the Magic BOX AI Mini we find the Type-C input for power, as well as a double LED, one of which is red to certify that the gadget is powered and one is blue to certify the connection to a smartphone . There is also a small slot in which to insert a micro SD card to expand the integrated memory or to read files directly from the latter. In the version we are testing we have no possibility of inserting a SIM but on the manufacturer's website there are versions with nano format SIM slots, to make the device totally independent from the smartphone, and which also include a greater quantity of RAM and internal storage.
Basically, AUTOABC Magic BOX AI Mini can be connected to an Android smartphone or an iPhone via Bluetooth, or use the internet via the hot-spot of the associated smartphone. A "negative" point is given to the cables in the package which are really short: in some cars you may have a little difficulty positioning the product but fortunately we are not talking about proprietary cables.
HARDWARE
The device is powered by a 2290-core 4-bit Qualcomm QCM64 processor, supported by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage space, but as already mentioned before, on the manufacturer's website there are variants with 4/64 GB SIM slots and 8/128 GB. You will understand for yourself that these latest variants will be more performing than the version we tested, but I assure you that the basic version is more than sufficient for the majority of user requests. I haven't encountered any particular slowdowns but the pumpier versions certainly offer better performance and fluidity.
There is also a Bluetooth and WiFi module, for pairing smartphones, but above all to allow you to exploit the mobile phone's hotspot, because basically the box will connect to the WiFi connection of the car infotainment.
DATASHEET
Here is the complete technical data sheet of AUTOABC Magic AI Box Mini:
- Processor: Qualcomm QCM2290 4 cores 64 bit
- 2 GB RAM + 16 GB ROM
- (4+64 GB with SIM support and 8+128 GB with SIM support variants available)
- Operating System Android 11
- Wifi 2.4/5 GHz
- Bluetooth 4.2 + 5.0
- Dimensions x 80 80 13 mm x
- Weight grams 50
COMPATIBILITY AND OPERATION
As with other products in the same category, there is only one essential requirement to be able to use AUTOABC Magic BOX AI Mini: even if it is a full-fledged Android box, it is necessary that the car in which it is going to be connected, is compatible with Apple CarPlay and specifically the compatibility is given for cars from 2015 onwards but not of the BMW brand.
Using this gadget is really simple and the whole experience is practically totally plug-and-play. Simply insert the device into the USB socket of your car dedicated to CarPlay and wait a few moments: after a few seconds, the system will delude itself that an iPhone smartphone has been connected, and the initial screen of the product will appear on the screen, i.e. a sort of Android Auto mixed with typical CarPlay colors, typical in devices of this type.
AUTOABC Magic BOX AI Mini is powered by Android 11 customized by the manufacturer, but with a very basic graphic interface which makes the entire user experience decidedly more intuitive and more suitable for cars. No frills such as the presence of widgets or folder creation, but you can quickly access some functions such as the task manager, or quickly switch to the native interface of the infotainment but also go back in the menus directly from a small digital button, a sort of dot that when pressed offers the aforementioned functions.
The icons are of the right size and not small for a user experience that is much more suitable for use in the car and on the move, with large and clearly distinguishable elements. From the first start, in the Magic BOX AI Mini you will find apps such as YouTube, VLC, APK Pure and of course the Play Store from which we can download all the applications we want such as Netflix, Pluto TV but also apps for controlling the home automation of our home. home. The view will typically be in landscape mode just as if you were using a smartphone.
Then there is a specific app thanks to which you can connect your smartphone. Whether it is an Android device or an iPhone, the smartphone can be connected to the BOX wirelessly, to be able to use CarPlay and Android Auto via this box. Which means that, if your car does not integrate these wireless technologies, but allows you to use them only by connecting your smartphone, the Magic BOX AI Mini will transform it, making it also compatible with wireless mode.
All applications work well on this device, for example Telegram, which starts quickly and also allows you to listen to voice messages. But the potential extends beyond this to streaming content on platforms such as Netflix and Youtube, as well as connecting a Bluetooth controller and, for example, accessing server games via a dedicated app such as the XBOX one and thus transforming your system. in the car in a gaming console with latest generation titles. Not bad for passing the time while you're parked and waiting for someone, or for entertaining your kids while you're on the road.
PRICE AND CONSIDERATIONS
The selling price of the AUTOABC Magic BOX AI Mini is €128 if you purchase it on Amazon Italy with Prima shipping but if you purchase it from the manufacturer's official website you can get it starting from around €60 by redeeming the exclusive coupon , being able to also choose the most correct version for your needs, for example the 8/128 GB one with SIM support which, net of the discount, you could get at the same price you pay on Amazon, but with significantly superior performance.
Underlining the safety risks and the fact that obviously you should never use devices like this to watch a film on Netflix while driving, at least not the driver, it is a product that does what it promises, without annoying lag or anything else .
Hi, I also recently bought an ibox Autoabc dashboard, but I can't download any apps on the device e.g. (waze, whatsapp, Google Maps, Chrome) I wanted to know how to do it because the play store tells me that these apps are not compatible with the device, thanks, let me know