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Carlinkit 4.0 Wireless | Use: AndroidAuto on Kia's 10.25" Screen | Three Week Update
First. Carlinkit 4.0 as far as I've been able to research is the same as the Carlinkit 3.0, but adds AndroidAuto support as well as CarPlay. So if you're an iPhone guy there's no reason to upgrade to 4.0 if you have the 3.0, best I can tell.
My experience has been using AndroidAuto on Kia's 10.25" screen (I can't comment on the smaller base trim screen). During my first week with the vehicle I used the Wireless Carlinkit. For the second week, I went wired for comparison. And the next week I used the Carlinkit again.
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Firstly the screen differences.
Wired.
For those of you using the 'wired' AndroidAuto on the 10.25" you've seen what I mean when I say AndroidAuto operates in a split screen. Default screen below, the active app on the left (in this case Youtube Music) with Google Maps on the right. They're swappable by touching Google Maps.
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Wireless Carlinkit Adapter
When you use the wireless Carlinkit that 2/3s screen fills the entire 10.25 screen, with no split screen. You may be like 'oh great, awesome, that's what I wanted in the first place, but understand that it cheats, it 'stretches' the 2/3 screen to fill the screen. Squares appear as rectangles, circles appear elongated like an oval. It's not the end of the world, but it cheapens it a bit and disappoints me. The first screen is the default appearance, the second screen is choosable by selecting an app.
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If what I've researched is true this is one area CarPlay handles it better. If what I've read is true CarPlay properly expands the screen when in full screen rather than stretching it out elongating everything. Maybe @Speedtek22 can confirm.
Connection Grievances
As @Speedtek22 has already mentioned the Carlinkit first goes through an initialization before connecting to an Android phone and initializing AndroidAuto. When it works flawlessly this does take some time. 30 seconds isn't uncommon. If that were the case every time I would have no complaints. But it doesn't always work flawlessly.
What I've found is the Carlinkit connects to your phone with both Bluetooth AND WiFi. I think Bluetooth handles things like phone calls and texting, while the AndroidAuto interface operates through WiFi. Could be wrong but that's the feeling I get.
So what I found is, that when I'm leaving the house in the morning, my phone's WiFi is already connected to the house WiFi. This causes some issues with the Carlinkit connecting immediately it seems. As I drive away from the house I lose that 'house' connection and usually by the time I reach the stop sign down the block it's processing its connection to the phone. If that were the only connection grievance I could understand that that is not Carlinkit's fault and proceed with a glowing review with that one little notation that it's not Carlinkit's fault your phone won't release its WiFi connection to the house. Speculation of course but that's the feeling I'm getting. Unfortunately, it's not only leaving the house where the Carlinkit struggles with its connection.
Sometimes it just doesn't auto-connect. No explanation I've found. Sometimes it doesn't initialize the connection at all like it doesn't see the phone. It just sits at this screen ...
![]()
Sometimes deselecting the device on the right making go grey rather than red, then reselecting it will trigger the initialization but not always.
Sometimes it begins the initialization only to hang during the attempt.
![]()
That sometimes is often. To the point of frustration. I have found the quick solution is to unplug the Carlinkit's USB and plug it back in. Doing that it seems to almost always immediately connect up. But I shouldn't have to do that.
Additional Grievances
Connected wirelessly through the Carlinkit some apps experience momentary hesitations in audio. Primary suspects in my app collection are Audible and Chirp. Both are audiobook platforms, both experience regular and frequent audio hiccups when playing on wireless making those apps nearly unusable. My primary apps that don't appear to be affected would be the Google stuff, specifically YouTube Music and Google Play Books. No issues with those.
Leaving it Plugged In
Leaving it in the always-on USB port. For the two weeks I'd been using the wireless dongle exclusively I left it plugged in 24/7 to the powered USB port in the console. No issues or concerns thus far with battery drain. I've got very little concern there. Longest time between starts, maybe two days. The dongle's power consumption is minuscule. Regardless not concerned.
I originally had concerns about the always-powered port leaving the Carlinkit powered when I leave the car and thus holding on to my phone's Bluetooth and WiFi. That concern was unwarranted. In my experience as soon as the head unit goes off the Carlinkit dongle disconnects from both the phone's WiFi and Bluetooth.
Conclusion
It works. But not 100%. The 'wired' experience in every case, but having to plug it in, is superior. If you're a tech kinda guy and are comfortable fiddling with stuff then give it a try. If you can't figure out how to change the clock on your stove, likely a pass.
This is a relatively new device for Carlinkit. And as far as I know, the previous iterations didn't do AndroidAuto so maybe some growing pains. I did confirm my Carlinkit has the latest firmware. I'm hopeful that they find a solution soon. Suspect they haven't quite figured out 'ultrawide' screens yet. But they're gonna have to soon with so many vehicle displays going either 'ultrawide' or 'tall' form factors.
If anything changes I'll update the post.
First. Carlinkit 4.0 as far as I've been able to research is the same as the Carlinkit 3.0, but adds AndroidAuto support as well as CarPlay. So if you're an iPhone guy there's no reason to upgrade to 4.0 if you have the 3.0, best I can tell.
My experience has been using AndroidAuto on Kia's 10.25" screen (I can't comment on the smaller base trim screen). During my first week with the vehicle I used the Wireless Carlinkit. For the second week, I went wired for comparison. And the next week I used the Carlinkit again.
Firstly the screen differences.
Wired.
For those of you using the 'wired' AndroidAuto on the 10.25" you've seen what I mean when I say AndroidAuto operates in a split screen. Default screen below, the active app on the left (in this case Youtube Music) with Google Maps on the right. They're swappable by touching Google Maps.
Wireless Carlinkit Adapter
When you use the wireless Carlinkit that 2/3s screen fills the entire 10.25 screen, with no split screen. You may be like 'oh great, awesome, that's what I wanted in the first place, but understand that it cheats, it 'stretches' the 2/3 screen to fill the screen. Squares appear as rectangles, circles appear elongated like an oval. It's not the end of the world, but it cheapens it a bit and disappoints me. The first screen is the default appearance, the second screen is choosable by selecting an app.
If what I've researched is true this is one area CarPlay handles it better. If what I've read is true CarPlay properly expands the screen when in full screen rather than stretching it out elongating everything. Maybe @Speedtek22 can confirm.
Connection Grievances
As @Speedtek22 has already mentioned the Carlinkit first goes through an initialization before connecting to an Android phone and initializing AndroidAuto. When it works flawlessly this does take some time. 30 seconds isn't uncommon. If that were the case every time I would have no complaints. But it doesn't always work flawlessly.
What I've found is the Carlinkit connects to your phone with both Bluetooth AND WiFi. I think Bluetooth handles things like phone calls and texting, while the AndroidAuto interface operates through WiFi. Could be wrong but that's the feeling I get.
So what I found is, that when I'm leaving the house in the morning, my phone's WiFi is already connected to the house WiFi. This causes some issues with the Carlinkit connecting immediately it seems. As I drive away from the house I lose that 'house' connection and usually by the time I reach the stop sign down the block it's processing its connection to the phone. If that were the only connection grievance I could understand that that is not Carlinkit's fault and proceed with a glowing review with that one little notation that it's not Carlinkit's fault your phone won't release its WiFi connection to the house. Speculation of course but that's the feeling I'm getting. Unfortunately, it's not only leaving the house where the Carlinkit struggles with its connection.
Sometimes it just doesn't auto-connect. No explanation I've found. Sometimes it doesn't initialize the connection at all like it doesn't see the phone. It just sits at this screen ...
Sometimes deselecting the device on the right making go grey rather than red, then reselecting it will trigger the initialization but not always.
Sometimes it begins the initialization only to hang during the attempt.
That sometimes is often. To the point of frustration. I have found the quick solution is to unplug the Carlinkit's USB and plug it back in. Doing that it seems to almost always immediately connect up. But I shouldn't have to do that.
Additional Grievances
Connected wirelessly through the Carlinkit some apps experience momentary hesitations in audio. Primary suspects in my app collection are Audible and Chirp. Both are audiobook platforms, both experience regular and frequent audio hiccups when playing on wireless making those apps nearly unusable. My primary apps that don't appear to be affected would be the Google stuff, specifically YouTube Music and Google Play Books. No issues with those.
Leaving it Plugged In
Leaving it in the always-on USB port. For the two weeks I'd been using the wireless dongle exclusively I left it plugged in 24/7 to the powered USB port in the console. No issues or concerns thus far with battery drain. I've got very little concern there. Longest time between starts, maybe two days. The dongle's power consumption is minuscule. Regardless not concerned.
I originally had concerns about the always-powered port leaving the Carlinkit powered when I leave the car and thus holding on to my phone's Bluetooth and WiFi. That concern was unwarranted. In my experience as soon as the head unit goes off the Carlinkit dongle disconnects from both the phone's WiFi and Bluetooth.
Conclusion
It works. But not 100%. The 'wired' experience in every case, but having to plug it in, is superior. If you're a tech kinda guy and are comfortable fiddling with stuff then give it a try. If you can't figure out how to change the clock on your stove, likely a pass.
This is a relatively new device for Carlinkit. And as far as I know, the previous iterations didn't do AndroidAuto so maybe some growing pains. I did confirm my Carlinkit has the latest firmware. I'm hopeful that they find a solution soon. Suspect they haven't quite figured out 'ultrawide' screens yet. But they're gonna have to soon with so many vehicle displays going either 'ultrawide' or 'tall' form factors.
If anything changes I'll update the post.
