Twelve South, a well-known accessory maker for Apple products, has released a new AirFly Drive accessory that turns wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay.
AirFly Drive uses Wi-Fi to establish a connection between your iPhone and vehicle, eliminating the need to use a USB-C cable for CarPlay.
Priced at $39.99 in the U.S., the AirFly Drive plugs into a USB data port in your vehicle. The accessory is essentially a compact aluminum cube with a USB-A port on it, with a USB-C adapter included in the box. It is designed to stay plugged in, so that you can get in your vehicle and use wireless CarPlay right away every time.
You only need to pair your iPhone with the AirFly Drive once, and then it will offer fast automatic reconnection every time the vehicle starts, with no app, account, or charging required. A button on the accessory allows for one-press switching between two paired iPhones, which is useful if two people share the same vehicle.
Before first-time setup, you must disconnect your iPhone from your vehicle by choosing "Forget This Device" in the vehicle's Bluetooth settings.
Twelve South says the AirFly Drive works with any iPhone running iOS 10 or newer and any vehicle that already has factory support for wired CarPlay.
Similar wired-to-wireless CarPlay dongles from other brands are available on Amazon, but Twelve South is a reputable maker of accessories for Apple products. AirFly Drive is available to order now in white or black.
