Your car supports CarPlay but still requires you to plug in your iPhone every time you drive? Twelve South has a new solution and it’s only $39.99. The company introduced AirFly Drive on Thursday, a small adapter that turns factory-wired CarPlay into a wireless connection.
AirFly Drive plugs into the car’s USB port and pairs with a phone once. After that, CarPlay connects automatically when the vehicle starts, leaving the iPhone in a pocket, bag or cup holder instead of tethered to the dashboard.
AirFly Drive cuts the cord from wired CarPlay
Apple CarPlay is a software system that brings key iPhone features to a car’s built-in infotainment display. It lets drivers use apps such as Maps, Music, Messages and Phone through the car’s touchscreen, physical controls or steering-wheel buttons.
It’s wonderful, but needing to plug in the iPhone Every. Single. Damn. Time. definitely gets old. AirFly Drive to the rescue.
The idea is simple: CarPlay continues to work exactly as it did before. The only thing that changes is the connection between the car and phone.
And because the phone no longer needs to be connected by cable for CarPlay, the USB cable can be used for charging when necessary rather than being required for every drive.
Twelve South promises the adapter typically reconnects within seconds of starting the car. A single button lets drivers switch between two paired phones, making it possible for two people to use the same vehicle without going through the pairing process again every time.
Works with older cars
AirFly Drive is aimed at the millions of drivers whose vehicles have factory-installed wired CarPlay but lack wireless support. Twelve South says the adapter works with more than 75 vehicle makes and model years dating back to 2014.
The company provides a compatibility list on its website and promises that compatibility will be updated as new phones and vehicle software become available.
The device supports both USB-A and USB-C ports, with a USB-A to USB-C adapter included in the box.
Take note: AirFly Drive is not compatible with cars that only have an AUX input. For those vehicles, Twelve South continues to offer its original AirFly adapter.
For rental cars, too
Photo: Twelve South
AirFly Drive isn’t limited to your own car. Its compact size makes it easy to toss into a travel bag for use with a rental car.
Plug the adapter into a compatible rental vehicle’s USB port, pair your phone and wireless CarPlay should work for the rest of the trip. No cable needed.
AirFly Drive price and availability
AirFly Drive is available starting Thursday, October 1 in black or white. It costs $39.99 and is sold through Amazon.
It is also compatible with Android Auto.
Turn your car's factory-wired CarPlay (or Android Auto) fully wireless. Less cable clutter with no need to pull your phone from your pocket or bag.
Plug it in and leave it connected, no app, no reconfiguring. Automatic reconnection on ignition gets you moving faster, with one-press switching between two paired phones and ongoing compatibility updates included.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
