The smartphone is an integral part of our life and therefore having some of the functions of these devices on board your car is necessary, but no matter how modern our car is, not all modern cars allow you to connect your phone wirelessly, therefore having to resort to the USB cable, especially if you own an iPhone. But for long stretches, using the digital entertainment system becomes tedious and so how do you have the Android Auto or CarPlay system wirelessly? Simple, just buy a USB dongle like the MAXCOM MC02 Wave, which has compact shapes and above all plug & play.
Over the years, both Android Auto and CarPlay are bringing significant improvements and updates to their interface, offering more and more functions, services and content, even if they do not replace the native infotainment system of our car, but they allow us to manage the smartphone almost entirely "remotely" using voice commands and those available on the steering wheel without taking our eyes off the road. A real convenience, which now becomes even more interesting precisely because of the possibility of doing it wirelessly, without cables to hinder our driving experience.
As already mentioned for other similar products, it is necessary that your car supports the CarPlay system with cable, as the MAXCOM MC02 Wave dongle will bypass the system by making it believe that an iPhone has been connected via cable. Furthermore, the USB port to which the songle is associated must be of the data transfer type. Yes, the MAXCOM gadget has shapes and dimensions that resemble a banal data key, in fact the product measures 32 x 23 x 12mm with a USB interface to which you can connect any extensions, supplied in the sales package. Specifically, two cables with fabric reinforcement, one of the USB-A/USB-A type and the other USB-A-USB-C so that you can adapt the product to any car. The extension has a length of 12 cm, ideal if the USB port of your car is difficult to access.
MAXCOM MC02 Wave is a USB dongle with not particularly attractive finishes, but which brings some peculiarities, including a series of heat dissipation grids so as to keep the components inside it cool and ensure fluidity of the system, even on these days where temperatures exceed 30 degrees. We also find a small LED that certifies the operation and connection, offering green light if an iOS system is connected or blue light if we connect an Android system. The ultra-compact dimensions allow you to hide it for example in the space of the central tunnel or inside an armrest, if you have the USB socket inside this.
There are no keys or buttons but everything happens in plug & play mode, that is, you just need to insert the dongle into the USB of your car and wait for the system to recognize the key. No particular configuration is necessary, but you simply have to turn on the WiFi and Bluetooth of the smartphone and search via Bluetooth for the MAXCOM MC02 Wave dongle. Nothing different from the configuration of any wireless or Bluetooth device. Furthermore, this gadget allows you to update the firmware or report problems, by connecting to the IP address 192.168.1.101.
I personally used this product on a DR 5.0 and never encountered problems with disconnections or difficulty accessing the system and functions offered, both with Android (Motorola Edge 30 Neo) and iOS (iPhone 11 Pro) smartphones. The operation is similar to the wired version, allowing you to navigate, call, listen to voice messages, set reminders and much more, using both the car display, voice commands, steering wheel controls.
Cold start takes about 13 seconds and in any case, with MAXCOM MC02 Wave you will no longer have to take your smartphone out of your pocket and connect it via cable, you will just need to get into the passenger compartment to benefit from all the functions of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. For long trips, of course, due to greater battery consumption, I recommend monitoring the autonomy of your smartphone.
In conclusion, I think that the MAXCOM wireless solution for Android Auto and CarPlay is a great product and can actually be very convenient for those looking for a quick and painless way to transform Android Auto or Apple CarPlay into wireless variants. Unfortunately, the only big flaw is that despite the brand being sent for testing, a purchase link is not currently available. Even going to the official MAXCOM store, there is no indication of price or way to purchase it, other than an invitation to contact the staff.
Considering that the only flaw of the product that is the subject of this review is the absence of a selling price and a certain impossibility to purchase the product unless you go through the official store and wait for an offer to be made, I leave you with 3 very valid alternatives of cheap USB dongles that can be purchased directly from the Amazon store, compatible with both CarPlay and Android Auto.
