How Does Ottocast Car Play Work And How Much Does It Cost?

Overview

How does Ottocast Car Play work and how much does it cost?

Sometimes you just want to jump in the car and have Apple Car Play load automatically.

Details

Apple Car Play can offer a seamless experience when your i Phone connects wirelessly. If all goes well, it can link automatically when get in your car and put multiple apps at your fingertips. Wireless Car Play isn't supported by every car, however, with plenty of compatible vehicles still needing you to connect your i Phone using a USB cable.

Ottocast Car Play is one solution to this problem, as long as your infotainment system supports wired Car Play connections to begin with. Ottocast adapters plug into your vehicle's USB port, acting as a bridge between your car and your i Phone to turn your wired Car Play connection into a wireless one. Ottocast has several adapters on sale that ship with a range of features and compatibility.

The Ottocast adapter is the middleman between your i Phone and the car's infotainment system. You'll plug it into the same USB port that you'd use for wired Car Play and leave it in place. The car effectively sees that it's a Car Play-compatible device, but it's more than just that: It's handling all of the communications with your i Phone wirelessly.

Ottocast requires an initial setup process, though. You'll need to pair it with your i Phone using Bluetooth the first time you hook it up to your car's USB port, then approve the connection once you're prompted to. Bluetooth handles the connection before it shifts to Wi-Fi, ensuring there's a secure and stable connection between the Ottocast adapter and your i Phone.

After that first pairing, the process should be pretty seamless. The Ottocast adapter will remember your i Phone and attempt to reconnect to it whenever you start your vehicle. It might take a few seconds for this to complete, but you won't need to re-pair every time.

As far as Car Play is concerned, it's business as usual. You won't see a different Ottocast Car Play interface. It's the same Apple interface that you'll see with standard wired or wireless Car Play. How you control it won't change, either: The car's touchscreen, dashboard controls or steering wheel buttons will all act as they should. If you're on a call, the microphone will be supported, and it'll still channel audio through the vehicle's speakers. These are the features that make buying an Apple Car Play wireless adapter worth it.

Ottocast isn't the only third-party Car Play adapter to deliver this functionality, with AAWireless and Carlin Kit offering other solid alternatives. None of them are Apple-approved, meaning you won't get support from Apple when using a third-party adapter like this for Car Play. They should just work, but compatibility may vary.

There are a couple of different options if you're looking at using Ottocast for Car Play connections. The company sells several adapters, each with different apps and features.

The Mini Cube has a list price of

More expensive models like the U2 Air Pro are i Phone-only, meaning they'll only work for Car Play, and are similarly priced at $59. You've also got models like the Play 2 Video Ultra which, along with Car Play support, also turn your car screen into a device that lets you stream Netflix, You Tube and Prime Video directly while you're parked up.

The top-of-the-line model is the Otto Aibox P3 Pro. Costing $219, it's basically an Android mini PC with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of integrated storage. It has a built-in AI assistant, a custom interface for your car, and includes Google Play support, which lets you install apps directly. It's also an Apple Car Play (and Android Auto) device meaning, with a tap of a button, you can switch between its built-in Android mode and your Car Play interface.

Ottocast adapters aren't a universal solution for Car Play. Unfortunately, you can't plug it into a car that doesn't already have wired Car Play support and use it. The basic requirement for all Ottocast devices to operate is factory-wired Car Play support, meaning it'll load when you hook up to your i Phone with a wired USB cable. You can check this for yourself by looking up your vehicle's make and model on Ottocast's website, or you can confirm Car Play support for over 800 models via Apple's website.

Ottocast suggests that its adapters will work for cars made from 2016 onwards, but the year isn't a guarantee. You should also watch out for the size of the adapter: Some of these adapters won't necessarily fit, even if the compatibility is there, if the USB port is located in a tight area on your car's center console.

Ottocast's website has the most up-to-date information on this, especially if you run into product-specific restrictions. For instance, the U2AIR Pro won't work on devices that are wireless Car Play or Android Auto-only systems and it isn't supported by aftermarket Sony head units, either. Compatibility for some Mitsubishi owners is also patchy, too, and Ottocast recommends you confirm compatibility with each manufacturer before you place your order.

Will Ottocast work well with your car? If the compatibility is there, and it physically connects to the USB port, there's no reason to assume otherwise. It gives wired Car Play users the flexibility that wireless users have, because you can just leave the adapter in your car. The connection handshake can take a few more seconds to complete, though, and you might experience the odd bit of lag or disconnection. If it's the only USB port you have, you'll need to charge your i Phone separately.

Ottocast Car Play isn't going to change the Apple Car Play experience if you already have it. The value is gained from removing the cable, so for regular drivers who use it a lot, that small convenience could make the price worthwhile.

Key Takeaways

• How does Ottocast Car Play work and how much does it cost

• Sometimes you just want to jump in the car and have Apple Car Play load automatically

• Apple Car Play can offer a seamless experience when your i Phone connects wirelessly

• Ottocast Car Play is one solution to this problem, as long as your infotainment system supports wired Car Play connections to begin with

• The Ottocast adapter is the middleman between your i Phone and the car's infotainment system