The Sundarban
Printed Feb 26, 2026, 8:00 AM EST
Patrick Campanale has been within the tech space for smartly over a decade, specializing in PC/gaming news and reports, as smartly as maker-centered merchandise to invent small companies.
With a start in expertise back in 2010 surrounding the Palm/webOS ecosystem, Patrick spent his formative years rising mobile applications as smartly as blogging for various publications, eventually leading to starting his appreciate web pages in 2014. After working a expertise blog for a few years, he stepped out of that characteristic and into the sector of high-pause custom PC manufacturing and building, with a focal point on YouTube video production and overclocking. Then, six years ago, Patrick joined the 9to5Toys team as an editor/author/reviewer with over 14,000 articles being printed there there, ranging from deals and roundups to in-depth reports on the latest expertise, video games, 3D printers, and more.
In his free time, Patrick loves to create initiatives from wood using various robots and methods, together with leveraging the applied sciences of CNCs and lasers. If Patrick is no longer engaged on a computer or playing video games, he’s probably in his 2-car garage workshop creating one thing strange. In addition to all this, Patrick is also a adolescence pastor at his local church the place he feels God has called him to assist, and he loves each minute of it.
I really want to train wireless CarPlay, but my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica doesn’t offer that—it easiest has wired CarPlay. Over the years, I’ve tried a number of wireless CarPlay adapters, and I always lag back to a wired connection at the top of the day.
The wireless connection is stable till you are making an attempt to play audio
If all you want is maps, you’re golden
Credit: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
No matter which wireless CarPlay adapter I ancient, the complications were always the same: audio sucked. There are so many variables when environment the audio bitrate for a CarPlay adapter, and selecting the substandard one will make it crash. The “accurate” and “substandard” bitrates also change for some reason.
I’d have a totally stable intention for a week, and then lag to hear to tune or take a call while using wireless CarPlay, and all the intention would simply lock up, and I’d have to reboot the adapter or factual waddle my mobile phone in. This may proceed till I eventually got bored to death adequate with the audio complications that I’d factual lag back to a wired connection.
Now, changing the audio bitrate itself doesn’t necessarily make the intention variety of stable. It’s all to achieve with the overhead Wi-Fi bandwidth taken up by the wireless CarPlay adapter, which is essentially a mini Linux computer. A decrease bitrate equals less overhead and less heat—but less quality. So it’s a delicate balance between low-quality audio and a stable intention that doesn’t crash.
I calm had to waddle my mobile phone in on road trips
Long road trips meant having to charge…or factual wanting a reliable connection
Credit: Jason Montoya / How-To Geek
Wireless charging has approach a long way, don’t gather me substandard. I have a wireless charger mounted to my van’s windshield and train it usually when using wireless CarPlay. Then again, there are positively some drawbacks to wirelessly charging on a windshield.
For starters, wireless charging generates a lot of heat. Up to date 25W wireless chargers (and some older chargers) have built-in fans to strive and retain a gadget icy while charging. This works smartly till you’re using thru the middle of Texas in August with the sun beating down on the car. I’ve positively gotten temperature warnings from that.
Add to the overheating complications the complications I have had with audio and wireless CarPlay adapters, and I’d always fall back to wired connectivity on long road trips. The funny part is, each time my wife and I am happening a long road day out, I strive out one in all my wireless CarPlay adapters again, hoping the complications are mounted.
I want wireless CarPlay to work in my van on road trips. It’s so considerable more convenient to no longer have to waddle a cable in each time I gather within the van. However it surely’s factual no longer reliable—at least, none of the adapters I’ve tried are, and I’ve ancient three devices from two various brands, all highly rated.
The wired connection was more responsive than all the adapters I tried
Each now and then, plugging a cable in really is handiest
Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Even when wireless CarPlay was working smartly, it calm wasn’t working great. There would be UI lag, the GPS or maps peep would no longer retain up while using, and there was factual a general sluggishness about the interface.
Normally, I’d have, “I’m questioning if right here’s because I’m on beta?” or maybe “This has to be happening because my mobile phone is overheating!” Then again, the moment I’d unplug the wireless CarPlay adapter and waddle my mobile phone straight into the automobile, all the sluggishness and lag would lag away, and the GPS and maps would immediately start working love they were supposed to. I even examined with my wife’s mobile phone several instances to recognize if it was factual my mobile phone—hers suffered the same fate. This proved to me that it was the adapter and no longer my mobile phone or automobile.
Before you say, “That’s factual how wireless CarPlay is!” I realize it’s no longer. I’ve pushed a number of vehicles with native wireless CarPlay, and in those vehicles, there is zero performance distinction between wireless and wired connections. That is only one thing that I’ve experienced with wireless adapters.
Apple iPhone 17 Professional
8/10
SoC
A19 Professional chip
Display
6.3-inches
The Apple iPhone 17 Professional is the company’s most powerful smartphone to date,
