Android Auto has emerged over the last decade as the leading Sat Nav and media centre for modern cars. Long gone are the days of mounting your phone in those rubbery-suction holders that unstick from your windscreen each time you go over a pothole; if you’re getting a new car, you’re going to want to make sure it comes with Android Auto, so you have navigation, Spotify, contact lists, and all the apps you need integrated on a large touchscreen right there in your car.
But Android Auto has had one big drawback since its inception, and that’s the fact that you need a USB cable to hook it up with your phone. Yes, you need to physically tether your phone to your car like it’s 2010 again, which just doesn’t feel like a very ‘2023’ thing to have to do.
That’s where the Motorola MA1 Wireless Android Auto Car Adapter comes in. This flat, discreet little dongle isn’t much bigger than a 50p coin, plugs into your car’s USB port, and wirelessly bridges the connection between your car and your phone. That means that, just as you’d want it to, your phone is ready for action as soon as you hop in your car.
(Image credit: Motorola)
To date, the MA1 is the only wireless Android Auto adapter that uses Google-licensed bridge technology, as well as 5GHz Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth, to create a seamless connection that converts the wired signal to a wireless one.
It’s really seamless too. There’s no need for third-party software, it’s just a case of plugging the MA1 into the USB port you’d normally plug your phone into, pairing your phone with the MA1 via Bluetooth, and you’re away. The first time you connect the MA1 it may take a little longer to initialise, but after that you’re looking at connection times almost on par with an Android Auto wired connection (probably faster when you factor in the few seconds of faffing to hook your phone up to your car with a cable).
One of the best things about the dongle is how compact it all is. Beyond the dongle itself being tiny, the cable is just 3″ long, which is all you need because once it’s set up you basically won’t be interacting with the device at all. You can even use the supplied adhesive gel pad to stick the dongle away and out of sight completely, wowing your cable-bound Android Auto-owning friends with how it all works (instead of explaining the technicalities behind the MA1’s combo of Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth, just tell them it’s black magic).
(Image credit: Motorola)
The Motorola MA1 would make a perfect Christmas gift, effectively upgrading your friend’s or clueless dad’s car for a modest price. You can buy the Motorola MA1 Wireless Android Auto Car Adapter now on Amazon, or find out more about this nifty piece of tech at the official MA1 page.
Motorola’s got plenty more acoustic gadgetry in its labs, from noise-cancelling earbuds to wireless speakers, so to see what they’re up to check out Motorola Sound’s Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram pages.
