In this video, I check out the TIMEKNOW 3-in-1 Wireless CarPlay AI Box . You can buy this AI Box for $75 from their official store on AliExpress 👉🏻 https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFCniTD, and for £145 from their Shopify Store 👉🏻 , and it will be on Amazon soon 👉🏻 https://amzn.to/45YJmqq.
This CarPlay adapter features a closed Android 11 OS, with key entertainment apps pre-installed, including YouTube, Netflix, YouTube Music, TikTok, Spotify and Disney+, the adapter also offers both wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and you can cast video from your mobile phone too. There’s also local playback of USB music and videos and it has an HDMI output port to stream its content onto a connected external display.
Features & Design
In the box you get a paper instructions manual, there is the Wireless adapter itself, a USB A to C power cable, a USB C to C cable for modern CarPlay ports, and there’s a 1m long full-size HDMI cable supplied too.
It has a compact size, making it easy to stow in a central compartment. There are plenty of holes around the casing to keep the chipset inside cool, which can run quite hot. On one end there is the USB C port to connect to your CarPlay port in the car, and on the other end, there is a USB A port for media playback, and next to it is a full-size HDMI port to mirror the adapter’s display onto an external monitor.
Boot-Up & Menu Interface
Boot-up time into the main menu took 33 seconds. This includes a short animation sequence before resting on its rather nice-looking main menu interface. This interface is a little different to most popular AI Boxes, which is a refreshing change to see.
There are two main themes, light and dark, and the home screen is split into a series of panels. Along the top, there are a few quick action buttons to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Next to this is a small button to access the LED colour selection screen – why they feel you need regular access to this area, I don’t know – and to the right, there are tabs to quickly access the Home screen, the Application icon screen and Settings screen.
In the main area of the screen there are a series of panels that scroll horizontally. There is time and date, which I found required an internet connection before it could display the correctly time and location. A media playback panel displays USB and Bluetooth music and it will also display content playing from Spotify and YouTube Music here too.
Next few panels are basically shortcuts to the various pre-installed entertainment apps, launch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and access to USB media and the adapter’s main Settings screen. In the Settings area, there are quick options to connect to a Wi-Fi network and a Bluetooth mobile device for calling and music streaming from the connected mobile. You can also configure the intro animation and alter the adapter’s main theme between light and dark modes.
The General Settings area digs a little deeper, where you can configure language, time zones and clock formats, boot preferences for CarPlay and Android Auto, through to setting DPI and volume levels, and checking for updates. Updates can be applied over the air, but unless you have any compatibility issues with the adapter, I would leave this alone.
Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto
It took 12 seconds from Bluetooth pairing to viewing the CarPlay home screen. There is some level of multi-user connection but it would only show the last connected device – giving you some ability to cancel any auto connections and to pair an alternative device. In the Settings area you can choose to fire up CarPlay or Android Auto immediately, all of which took 50 seconds for both CarPlay and Android Auto, from boot. The CarPlay display stream wasn’t a high DPI on the very capable Pioneer display, but it ran at the right resolution on the HD display in my VW Golf. Music resumed just fine after messages, calling and boot up, and the microphone quality when calling was good and I didn’t experience any significant call lag.
Android Auto took a similar 12 seconds to pair with my Google Pixel. Like many other AI Boxes, the display resolution was lower than CarPlay, which resulted in either poorly formatted or fuzzy quality display and icons. Calling was also fine, and there wasn’t too much delay with screen interactions. There was some noticeable delay in interactions, likely due to the low quality stream from the phone and its Wi-Fi specs, so I would hesitate to recommend this adapter if you plan on using it mainly for Android Auto.
Pre-Installed Apps – YouTube, NetFlix Etc.
All of its pre-installed apps require an internet connection, that without a SIM card tray or slot, you only have the choice from a local Wi-Fi hotspot in the car, or wirelessly tethering from your phone. Once connected apps like YouTube, Netflix will be able to stream their content to the CarPlay display.
Depending the DPI level you choose, all apps will display differently. YouTube audio is in sync with its video stream, however due to the low spec in this adapter’s hardware, some interaction delay in browsing and its general framerate can show this adapter’s lack of performance. For casual watching it can seem ok, and you can easily navigate back via the adapter’s small back and home overlaid buttons.
Netflix performed well enough on this adapter too. The Small DPI setting seemed to look better in this app. Accessing theses apps whilst running CarPlay or Android Auto isn’t as seamless as some other adapters. Only went swapping manually to Wi-Fi are you reminded to disconnect, where I would have liked to see this screen inside the app itself or before launching it, so I could more easily disconnect from my mobile and enable Wi-Fi.
YouTube Music and Spotify ran ok, with YouTube Music having most of its videos unavailable on this platform. Spotify runs in a similar player that also changes with DPI size settings. Both run well and display their content in the media playback panel on the home screen.
USB Connection & Media Playback
Sadly, this adapter’s USB port doesn’t support a wired passthrough for CarPlay or Android Auto. You charge your device from it, but not at any significant speed to keep your device charged whilst it is also being used.
Playing back video and music files from an inserted USB drive is a better way to avoid this adapter’s limited internet connection options. Saved files will playback through its built-in media player. My test video files ran okay, however on high bitrate files, the picture quality became pixelated during any fast-moving, highly detailed scenes.
HDMI & Casting
Connecting an HDMI cable to the adapter allows you to send the adapter’s content to an external monitor in the car. Using the USB port, I could pair a wireless remote with the adapter, so this adapter could be controlled whilst being connected to a TV or display monitor, for use outside of a car environment. This will use up the USB port, but I successfully connected a USB hub to run the remote receiver and USB drive from the single USB port. Connected to a TV it ran its own TV-friendly software, which formats most of its apps for use on a bigger screen. You can cast from a phone also in this mode, however, audio and framerate were a little behind when casting from my iPhone.
Casting from the phone to a CarPlay display was better and in sync. Casting from Android was much better than some other adapters I’ve reviewed, which like on iPhone, made it a seamless experience whilst both devices are operating over the same network. Options to cast video either directly from within apps like YouTube or you can select the OS screen mirroring option to cast your entire display instead. As always, you are limited from casting any copyrighted app content. But apps like YouTube, TikTok and Plex seem to work well here, with good picture quality and audio sync.
My Impressions
This 3in1 CarPlay AI Box from TIMEKNOW currently retails for $75 from their store on AliExpress and , it is also coming to Amazon soon https://amzn.to/45YJmqq. and you can support the site and click these links to learn more about this adapter and buy yourself one.
Overall, this adapter has similar specs as most of the other 3in1 adapters that are selling today. Its update to Android 11 over many that still rung Android 8 helps with app support, however being a closed platform, and there’s no ability to side load apps, applying updates can be difficult. Firing up Disney+ proved this, as I was unable to update the app, which stopped me from using the Disney+ app alltogther. To work around this you can go into the factory menu using code 1268 and upload an updated APK file.
Very few adapters like this one make it so easy to cast from devices, I liked its modern launcher menu and simplified layout and access to key apps and services, and its two themes and LED customisatino help it sit nicely with any car interior.
My Android auto experience with this adapter could have been better, and I would be looking elsewhere for a better, more stable and higher resolution experience than what this adapter provides.
It’s Wi-Fi chip and CPU made me want more from this adapter, but you do have to consider that at its cheapest price, it is priced can be cheaper than some wireless-only adapters, whilst offering more functionality and entertainment. If you’re on a budget and looking to expand your infotainment to videos from YouTube and Netflix, and casting from a phone to your CarPlay display, then the TIMEKNOW CarPlay AI Box is worth looking at.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:37 – Unboxing
0:50 – Features & design
1:19 – Boot up & Menu Interface
2:33 – Settings
3:11 – Wireless Apple CarPlay
4:10 – Wireless Android Auto
4:44 – Android Apps
4:57 – YouTube
5:29 – Netflix
5:55 – YouTube Music & Spotify
6:25 – USB Media
6:45 – HDMI output & remote support
6:59 – TV connection
7:23 – Casting YouTube
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