On the part of your car, you are theoretically bound to what the vehicle specifies. But there have long been clever minds who can still make the cable that is often required for Android Auto obsolete.
Shortly after the turn of the year, Motorola surprised everyone with a new adapter. The MA1 was presented and would also like to enable the wireless connection to Android Auto. In recent years there have been exciting crowdfunding projects on this topic, especially with AAWireless and Carsifi. Now the big manufacturers are also getting into this topic.
Why are such adapters necessary at all? There are plenty of vehicles out there that support Android Auto but absolutely need a wired connection to do so. These adapters are a bridge. You are connected to the car by cable, but establish the connection to the smartphone via WLAN. A very simple idea that has become successful in recent years because many Android phones now enable wireless Android Auto.
MA1: Motorola, unfortunately, wants a whopping 90 euros
What does the Android Police test say? The Motorola adapter is impressive. Setup is easy, the connection was very stable, and the adapter works as expected in most cars. Once paired, each subsequent start is done automatically in a few seconds. In the end, Android Auto was usable like on a cable, the colleagues report.
The only catch is the high battery requirement, but that’s in the nature of things. Nevertheless, the wireless connection is much more attractive for all those who primarily drive short distances and do not want to search for or plug in the cable every time. That’s why there is a clear buy recommendation from colleagues if your driving profile is similar. Or if you have wireless charging in the car, but Android Auto can only be used via cable – like in our Skoda.