Adding hidden USB port for CarPlay/Android Auto?

Has anyone rerouted the data USB port on the upper right of the screen to a hidden location? I want to run a wired CarPlay/AndroidAuto connection to one of those Carlnkit Android "AI" boxes that will be permanently housed in the truck.

My truck is on order and I'm guessing is 2 months out, so I can't just go look myself.

It looks like this cable (in attached photo) goes to the data USB port. I wonder if I can detach that and route it internally to the glove box. Probably too short to run it all the way there, but could still possibly detach it and run a USB C from it to the glove box internally.

PS...my reason for using the Carlinkit Android box is for permanent offline navigation that is not dependent on my phone....I have *ZERO* interest in watching netflix/youtube while driving. The carlinkit boxes don't support wireless CarPlay/Android Auto... and even if they did I'd rather run wired to avoid adding one more layer of lossy Bluetooth compression to Spotify.

 

Not sure about AA, but Wireless CarPlay uses WiFi for the data connection. It only uses BT for the initial handshake and connection to the phone. After that WiFi takes over. Would assume AA does too since BT doesn't really have the bandwidth to support the features of either one.

 

Thanks yeah forgot about how that all worked...definitely not bluetooth, but believe wireless carplay still can recompress stuff Wired CarPlay uses LPCM (just a raw uncompressed digital audio stream), whereas wireless Carplay uses AAC-LC, I believe AAC 256. If you're using Apple Music at least it's still not recompressed, it just sends the stream right from the internet to the head unit of the car. Not sure on Spotify.

The Carlinkit Android box is actually faking being CarPlay, not AA. And don't believe it supports wireless at all (it can support passing through an iPhone using wireless carplay, but its connection the vehicle must be wired).

 

I used CarLinkIts in my previous vehicles that only had wired ACP. They worked pretty good overall. It was worth the few quirks to not have to plug my phone in every time I wanted to use it with ACP, which is always

 

Somewhat off topic, but I tried using Apple Music via Wireless ACP today for first time in the Taco. Amazing how much better the JBL system sounds vs Sirius with better source material. I like Sirius for the convenience, but man the Apple Music tunes sounded SO much better on this system.

 

Makes me wonder what source people are using that complain about the JBL Audio -- I think it sounds pretty darn good for a factory audio system! I use Apple Music most of the time through CarPlay, and I also have "lossless" selected as the audio quality in Apple Music.

 

I notice a definite improvement in another vehicle with wired CarPlay vs bluetooth....'19 Ford F-150 with B&O system (which also gets deservedly mixed reviews). I figure it's the fact that you're applying Spotify compression + Bluetooth vs just Spotify compression...but I could be totally wrong and it could be something internal to the Ford headunit. Manufacturers sometimes do incredibly stupid things. For example, BMW's late-2000s-early-2010s-motorcycle Bluetooth audio systems spec'ed a chip that was only rated for voice-level bandwidth and tried to push stereo audio through it...the bitrate was so low that it was unlistenable, even in the "high-fidelity" of environment of a helmet with 75mph of wind.

 

I was super excited when Sirius and XM came out back in the early 2000s and immediately installed it in my truck. I have never regretted a purchase so much. Apparently their bitrates are around 64kbits/second, with a not-particularly-good codec. Very proprietary though so information is hard to come by. Spotify's "high" quality is 320kbits for comparison. And lossless Apple music sounds noticeably better. 128kbits is typically considered the minimum acceptable LOW quality for music. I do not understand how Sirius continues to exist.

I'm not some high end audiophile. Just some guy who's heard music on CDs before in 1985 and would like my 2025 music to also be of that quality.

 

I think the satellite music channels are generally less than 64kbits/second, I've seen 32-48Kbits tossed around. I'd believe it since the sound quality is barely passable.

I have not tried to see if the SiriusXM app has a native CarPlay app, but that might work too. Da Google says that it is CarPlay enabled. I have unlimited data so unless I was in the boonies I could listen to my favorite shows, just via the app. Gonna go try it now and see if it works The bitrate on the app has to be better than satellite.

EDIT: So there is a SiriusXM CarPlay app, and holy crap it sounds so much better on the JBL system than the equivalent channel via satellite. At least to me it sure did, the satellite version sounded dull and flat, the streaming version sounded much more vibrant and fuller. Plus I can get Rock Bar this way! Yay! I think I will be using the app now vs the satellite version since, to me, it sounded so much better.