Always looking for a solution that allows you to use your smartphone with your car's infotainment system without having cables in the way? You're in the right place because I tried the smallest adapter on the market: MSXTTLY SMT-AC01! Well built and with quality components, a pleasant surprise for those who want to make life on board their car even smarter.
Topics of this article:
On offer on Amazon
Design
The MSXTTLY gadget looks like a small USB data storage key, made of plastic but with a carbon fiber effect silkscreen. It is among the smallest USB dongles on the market, taking up very little space but if you have particular situations you can still use the extension cables supplied, one with a Type-C / USB-A connection and the other USB-A / USB-A so you can use the product in any car, as long as you have infotainment with CarPlay enabled, generally cars from 2016 and this is because the MSXTTLY key will elude the car's system by making it believe that an iPhone has been connected via cable.
Minimalist but functional design, also offering a small status LED on the front near the brand logo but also two small vent grills for heat dissipation. The USB connection is gold plated ensuring greater durability over time, resisting for example any rust as well as allowing greater speed in data transfer.
Features
The operation is “dummies” proof since you simply have to attach the USB key to the USB socket of your car. Be careful though: your car must be equipped with a USB socket with data exchange and not just charging. In my case, however, I had a small hitch at the first start, that is, when I connected the MSXTTLY gadget, the car infotainment gave me a black screen. I then tried to update the firmware of the dongle first by going to the address 192.168.1.101, but despite the action I did not solve the problem. Simply, I first had to associate the smartphone with the native Bluetooth of the car and then connect the key and as if by magic everything started to work.
In any case, once you have paired your smartphone with the dongle's Bluetooth, the Android Auto or CarPlay system will start automatically. In addition, the connection is made via the Bluetooth 5.3 module, while WiFi transmission is at 5 GHz. Every time you turn on the car, the phone connects without the need for further interventions in wireless mode. HOORAY!!!
Another useful feature is the ability to use multiple phones with the same device, thanks to multi-profile management; this is especially practical for families or those who share the car with other users.
Performances
MSXTTLY has been designed to offer optimal performance, with a particular focus on connection speed and stability. As mentioned, after turning on the car, the connection between the phone and the system occurs in a few seconds, about 10 to be precise, making it one of the fastest USB dongles on the market. All the functions of Android Auto and CarPlay work properly: phone calls without audio delay, maps loaded instantly, in short, a driving experience without interruptions and everything can be managed even without hands, since the steering wheel controls are supported.
We can have messages read, both SMS and incoming messages on WhatsApp and Telegram and with CarPlay we can also have emails read. We can set reminders, send messages, listen to our favorite playlists or podcasts and much more.
On offer on Amazon
Conclusion and price
The compact design, ease of configuration and excellent stability in the connection, make MSXTTLY SMT-AC01 an accessory that helps a lot to improve the driving experience. Compatible with a wide range of vehicles and smartphones, I consider it the ideal choice to say goodbye to cables and enjoy Android Auto or CarPlay wirelessly. You can find it directly on Amazon at a cost of around € 46 by redeeming a discount coupon directly from the purchase page. The price may seem high to you but in reality it is in line with many similar gadgets, but in this case the user experience is at the highest levels.
I bought it several months ago, with a thousand doubts (unknown brand), if I had read your review I would have been more relaxed; it works wonderfully on my 2021 Dacia, with my Xiaomi 10T (reviewed by you) with MIUI from xiaomi.eu.