Plug n Play Wireless AndroidAuto

I just got mine this week. Any of you guys have the built in wifi subscription on your tuck and figure out how to use AA wireless and be on the truck's wifi?.. I didn't do tons of research before backing the indiegogo for it, but it seems like it uses a temporary wifi signal from the unit to connect to your phone (rather than something like bluetooth). But that makes it where I'm using my phones data instead of the wifi from the truck, kind of annoying, but still convenient for short trips

 

Funny... and no offense meant here... but if you have to plug AA in when you want to use it (or not), might as well plug the phone in

And I thought it used Wifi to talk to the phone, so BT was left free to still be connected to the Entune unit?

 

If it connected to your trucks wifi, then how would it connect to the phone?

Don't think this is possible....

 

It uses BT for the initial connection between the phone and the AAWireless device and then hands off the connection to wifi, leaving BT connected between the phone and radio.

I'm not sure what your first comment means. Are you asking why you would want the AAwireless device if you have to plug it in?

 

No, only that you plug in the device when you want to use AA, and unplug when you don't.... Kind get to the same thing just by plugging the actual phone in .

 

The AAWireless stays plugged in , in my center console any time I'm driving, with AA set to autolaunch on start. Except on long trips where my phone battery would drain too fast. In that case I just plugin my phone.

 

LOL... i misread your post. I thought you were unplugging the AA device so it wouldn't connect via WiFI to your phone and drain the battery.

 

No worries.

 

No I didn't understand that AA Wireless uses a wifi connection and Bluetooth to establish wireless Android Auto, I thought it was just bluetooth (didn't research much before funding way back when). When I am hard plugged into my phone for AA my phone can connect to the vehicle built in wifi.

So when AAwireless is in use, it uses the wifi connection on my phone so it's using data instead; not a deal breaker or anything, just wish I looked it up more before paying for a full year of the built in wifi for my taco

 

Went on a small road trip this weekend and tested out some battery usage in various scenarios on my Pixel 3 when using the AAWireless device:

• Phone connected to the AAW device and actively using AA on the radio screen, navigating in Google Maps, and playing music in Plexamp for ~45 mins, the battery went from 90% to 68%. So 22% usage during that time, or about 30% over an hour that would be.
• Phone connected to AAW device but not using AA on the radio screen. Over an hour the battery went from 61% to 49%. So only used 12% battery over that hour, much better than when using actively using AA on screen.
• Phone connected to AAW device and actively using AA on the screen with nav and music again. This time though I put it on my Qi charger pad in the truck, with Qi button turned on. Over an hour the battery went from 74% to 52%, so about 22%. I noticed about 3/4 of the way through that time though that it has stopped charging on the Qi (orange light had gone out), I think because it got way too hot. It was almost burning to the touch! So it only Qi charged for part of the time before the overheat protection must have kicked in and it stopped charging. AA did stay running the whole time and didn't shut off over that hour though. I'm sure that's not good for the phone to be that hot though, so I don't think I'd do it again.

 

That's some pretty disappointing data then. Make AAW only useful for super short trips. I might have to rethink my wiring plan if I'm going to have to swap between them regularly.

 

Did you give them that feedback?

 

You mean the AAW devs? I didn't and hadn't really planned to. I mean I could, but I'm sure they have a bunch of testers already and this was more just me doing some of my own testing to see how running AA wirelessly affects my personal phone's (Pixel 3) battery life, so I can decide how I want to use it day-to-day. Figured I'd share the info here though too since there had been some discussion of it in the thread.

For me it is easy to plug/unplug. I have a 6MT and a different knob, so my boot hangs down a bit. I already had a cable plugged in and wrapped around the shifter too, for plugging in my phone for AA when I needed, from before I got the AAW device. So there is a nice little "pocket" it lives in with the cable.



Currently I think its niche is going to be shorter trips where there is lots of starting/stopping/getting in and out. For normal day-to-day use I'll probably leave the AAW device unplugged so AA doesn't use my phone's battery passively and also because it interferes with just using my phone for music/podcasts via bluetooth. On longer trips I'll definitely want to plug my phone in directly so it doesn't deplete the battery and I end up running it out or almost out. But in that in-between trips usage, I think it will be really nice to have, especially if I need (good) nav and/or I'm making multiple stops and don't want to have to keep plugging and unplugging it every time.

Had I known that going in, I might have just skipped buying it. But since I have it, I think I'll still get some utility out of it.

There's still some scenarios too where I'll want to see how it affects the battery, such as using AA on screen for music but without a destination set in nav (not sure whether having a destination set in Google Maps makes it more active or whether it will basically be the same just bc nav for AA is running anyway). So next time I make a trip I'll probably do some more tracking.

 

I don't think the battery issue is unique to the AAWireless device but instead just Android Auto Wireless in general.

Ive seen a few other complaints on the Android Auto sub reddit from people complaining about battery usage with headunits that have native AA Wireless. I think it's just very data/phone/battery intensive while running.

My pixel 3 is starting to show it's age, I'm assuming with a newer phone/larger battery the issue would be less noticable.

 

Just got the update that I'll be in the next batch of units getting shipped out. Super stoked but kicking myself because I saw this on Reddit back in October, didn't get in on it but pulled the trigger in December. Oh well.

 

Yeah that is what I was getting at - battery drain is just life with using AA wirelessly, not specifically to do with using the AAW device.

I had been hoping to replace my Pixel 3 with a Pixel 5 (it is basically the perfect device for me in every way), but I'm cheap and like to wait for deals. But there hasn't been any deal on the P5 that I've ever seen, and soon it is going to get to the point where I'd rather wait for the P6, and it starts all over again!

 

I haven't gotten mine yet, but after reading some posts, it's a bit disappointing with AAW. And since I have a Pixel 2, it probably won't be better....

I had one idea that I made a while ago, but haven't tested it yet since I haven't gotten my AAW device yet. It's a USB port switch.
So one end always stays connected to the Taco and one of the other two ends stays connected to AAW Device. When you plug your phone into the other end, it automatically disconnects the AAW Device and connects your phone to the Taco. This way, you don't have to disconnect USB ports all the time. I relocated my USB port to my center console, so I can tuck this away.

 

That's a cool idea!

 

There are somewhat similar devices made to allow you to be wired up to your charger and it splits the data to the headunit. Only works when the phone is capable of PD type charging though. Yours doesn't sound like that would be a requirement though, since you'd have to switch ports.

 

How long did it take for you guys to get it once it shipped? I got an email saying it was shipped with tracking but it hasn't updated since the 13th.