REEIIO is a new brand that is appearing in the car technology market. In reality, this brand is part of the AUTOABC circle that we have already known in the past, taking all the mastery and wisdom but with an economic touch. In fact, today we get to know the REEIIO AI Magic Box, a multimedia box to connect directly to your car, to be able to access CarPlay and Android Auto, completely wirelessly and without the limitations of the manufacturer, or to be able to watch streaming video content or use other applications to download directly from the Play Store, all at a price that will make you rush to buy it. Let's take a closer look with our complete review.
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The product comes in a simple box with everything needed for correct operation inside, specifically two USB-A / USB-C and USB-C / USB-C cables whose length is not great but which allows a suitable connection for most cars on the market. Of course, there is an instruction manual and the actual box. The latter is made of plastic with a carbon-effect silkscreen that almost embraces the upper part as well as the four profiles, where on the lower one there is a slot for inserting micro SD cards with support for up to 512 GB while at the top there is the Type-C input for powering the gadget. On the lower profile we find a smooth surface with 4 non-slip silicone feet. I forgot to say that on the front there is also a small status LED that certifies the operation of the product. REEIIO AI Magic Box stands out for its aesthetics, being one of the most beautiful and elegant boxes seen so far, as well as having very compact dimensions, equal to 60 x 60 x 10 mm, which guarantee perfect housing in all cars, taking up minimal space.
The construction materials are good and the product appears to be resistant and reliable, still able to withstand jolts or impacts of various kinds. Remember that your car must support wired CarPlay and have a USB port for data transfer, as the system will bypass the car's native infotainment, making it believe that an iPhone is connected via cable. The presence of the micro SD slot allows you to view content/files/documents in offline mode, useful for example if you have to face a long journey and want to entertain your guests without draining the Giga of your device or if you know that during the trip you will not have network coverage. The integrated REEIIO system also offers the possibility of updating if the company releases updates.
The product was created to be used only and exclusively on cars: its purpose is to provide wireless access to CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as enjoy a series of Android applications and functions, all obviously wireless. In fact, this box also integrates the typical Android and iOS systems for cars, which is useful for using GPS navigation as the box does not offer this connection, so if you want to use Maps, Waze or other navigation apps you can do so without problems, even if in reality through the Play Store we can install navigation apps, but personally I preferred to proceed with the classic Android Auto or CarPlay system, so as not to occupy the memory of the REEIIO AI Magic Box device.
To use it, all you have to do is perform a single action: connect the device to the car with the cable provided. The first time you start it, the system may restart itself once more, as the display resolution will be recognized and the screen will be adapted to your car's screen. Once the system has started, to use streaming services you will need to enable the hotspot on your smartphone and connect to the signal using the box's WiFi connection, enabling everything from the settings. You can also connect to the Magic Box via Bluetooth so you can also use the phone call function, or listen to music via Bluetooth. REEIIO uses WiFi 802.11 ac dual band (at 2.4 and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.3. I would like to point out that if you connect to the Android Auto or CarPlay system, the hotspot must be deactivated.
Under the hood is a quad-core processor with a Cortex A53 structure and a 1,5 GHz clock, which is combined with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, of which approximately 9 are available to the user for installing additional apps. The hardware equipment is basic, but the UI interface is very simple yet well-crafted and during my use I never noticed any hesitation or lag, always obtaining fluidity in the management of multimedia content or in the request for certain actions, such as Bluetooth calls. As you may have understood, REEIIO AI Magic Box not only facilitates wireless access to Android Auto and CarPlay, but is able to effectively transform the car's display into a tablet. In fact, it is based on Android 12, which means that the user can access, directly from the aforementioned infotainment system, some of the most classic green robot applications, such as TikTok, Google Chrome, Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney + and more. The connection, download, or streaming speed will directly depend on the area you are passing through, therefore on the mobile connection you are actually subjected to at the exact moment of testing. The versatility in daily use is extreme, so much so that it significantly improves the infotainment, and therefore is a highly recommended product for all those who are not satisfied with what is actually pre-installed on the car they own. I emphasize that any video content, for example on Netflix, remains running even while driving, something obvious you will say and yet I am always asked this question, so this time I am biased.
The interface does not allow customizations, such as creating folders, but you can only uninstall apps by holding down the relative icon. By the way, there is no app drawer, so to find the installed apps you simply have to scroll down from the app section on the home page. We find the typical Android commands, such as back, home and multi tasking, but you can also enable a floating button on the screen and therefore hide the navigation bar. On this you will also find the Bluetooth, WiFi and micro SD slot connection signals, but also a shortcut to recall the last 3 apps used previously. On the right of the system home we find all the apps, while on the left at the bottom are the buttons for quick launch of Android Auto and Carplay. Just above are two buttons that refer to Netflix and Youtube while at the top we find the scroll bar of the music player. Finally, it is not possible to use the split screen to launch two applications at the same time. Virtually all smartphones on the market are compatible with the REEIIO AI Magic Box, technically we are talking about models from iPhone 6 onwards (or with at least iOS 10) or with at least Android 11 installed.
REEIIO AI Magic Box can be purchased directly from the company's official website at a starting list price of €60,95, a particularly attractive price but WARNING, at the moment the brand offers the REEIIO2025 discount coupon which inserted in the appropriate box of the cart brings the price down to only €45,72 and offers free shipping. At this price we have sometimes seen USB dongles but here we have a complete system but above all fluid and simple to manage.
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My experience has been extremely positive, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of use of an absolutely versatile product ready to completely revolutionize the way you experience your car, both in terms of user experience and in terms of livability on long trips. I consider the possibility of directly accessing Android a unique and rare convenience, thus imagining being able to entertain passengers with a film, an audiobook, or a game, preventing them from getting bored on long journeys and eliminating the embarrassment that sometimes arises with silences. The product has a sufficiently powerful and responsive configuration, I have not noticed slowdowns that would indicate difficulty in use, furthermore the presence of the micro SD slot makes it even more versatile than I would have imagined but above all the possibility of expanding the functions with apps downloadable directly from the Play Store. The aesthetics and perfect compatibility with most smartphones on the market complete the positive aspects of a product that makes versatility its strong point, pushing the accelerator for users who want to always be updated on technology, not only at home, but also in the car.
