Android Auto and Apple Carplay act as interfaces to connect the smartphone or iPhone with the infotainment system of a vehicle. Google Maps or Spotify are then available for navigation for the music collection. However, this assumes that the car has this technology. Anyone who owns an older used vehicle is unfortunately looking into the tube here.
Retrofitting the infotainment system at the manufacturer is expensive and not possible for every car model. However, there is an inexpensive and simple alternative: With a car monitor, vehicle owners can retrofit Android Auto or Apple Carplay as a monitor for the cockpit, similar to a navigation device. The Carpuride W708 Pro (test report) or Carpuride W103 (test report) belong to this category. The W903 is the latest model from the Chinese manufacturer and also offers an integrated dashcam. This test shows how this works.
Highlights des Carpuride W903
Easy to use and quick to install, equips Android Auto and Apple Carplay without any modifications after connecting via cable, FM transmitter or Bluetooth. Fair price 155 Euro (30 percent exclusive discount with voucher code NEW702)
Processing & scope of delivery
The screen casing is made of plastic and therefore appears to be a bit simply made. The dash cam can be adjusted in height and rotated. It is located on the back of the monitor. The power is supplied via the cigarette lighter (12 volts); there is a USB-C port on the device itself. A slot with a microSD card as well as an AUX-In and AUX-Out are located on the left side. A 64 GB microSD card for the dash cam is also included as well as an AUX cable with two jacks.
A suction cup mount is used to attach it to the dashboard. Thanks to the ball joint, you can align, rotate or tilt the screen as desired. The holder holds firmly, even if the display wobbles a little while driving. Alternatively, the car display can then be stuck in place using a holder.
Display
The Carpuride W903 offers a very wide image format with a ratio of 23:9. The screen diagonal is 9.3 inches – which also explains the name of the model. The LCD with IPS panel has a resolution of 1600 × 600 pixels and delivers sufficient image sharpness of 183 PPI (pixels per inch), where pixels are only easy to see with the eye. That wouldn’t be much for a tablet, but it’s enough for use as a car display.
The viewing angle stability is good, so you can see content well from all perspectives. The brightness is controlled automatically, but can also be adjusted manually. Unfortunately, in strong sunshine, the surface is very reflective and the display doesn’t shine bright enough to compensate.
Set up & connect
In addition to Android Auto and Apple Carplay, the W903 also supports Mirror Link. There are three options for connecting the display to the car radio: via cable via the AUX input, via Bluetooth via the smartphone or via an integrated FM transmitter with radio waves. The smartphone itself is connected to the monitor via Bluetooth.
The cable option is the obvious solution if the car radio does not have Bluetooth. This worked reasonably well in our tests with Carpuride’s other displays. However, we had problems with the W903: during the test, noise in the form of crackling and hissing was clearly audible, and the sound quality also seemed a bit tinny. The solution here is an adapter for additional insulation, which you can get on Aliexpress for 1 euro.
The FM transmitter variant is suitable for car radios that have neither Bluetooth nor an AUX-In. The device sends audio signals as an FM radio wave over a short distance. You set a desired frequency on the display and then select it on the radio. This then receives the sound like a radio station. Normally this solution offers the worst sound quality – but not with the Carpuride W903. The sound is powerful and clear. A positive surprise that somewhat consoles the problems with the cable connection.
The best option, however, is Bluetooth – if the radio plays along. To do this, you connect the smartphone to the Carpuride and then also to the car radio. There is therefore no direct connection between the radio and the monitor. This allows you to use the steering wheel remote control to jump to the next track. With the above solutions you always have to do this via the display. In addition, the radio and screen then serve as a hands-free device when making calls and for Siri or the Google Assistant.
However, this did not always work smoothly in everyday life. On the one hand, it takes a while until the cell phone is connected to the radio and then to the monitor. In practice, the latter was often the weak point – a connection between the smartphone and Carpuride was not always established straight away. Then you need to reconnect via Bluetooth or start the car again.
Carpuride W903 – photo gallery
Carpuride W903 – photo gallery
Furnishing
The Carpuride also has small speakers if there is no car radio. However, the sound quality is poor and too quiet to be an option while driving. A microphone is built into the screen for calls or voice commands to voice assistants.
The Carpuride W903 also offers an integrated dashcam. This records what is happening in front of the vehicle in full HD. The image quality is good, although the image sharpness could be better. License plates can be recognized from up to 5 meters away. However, the suction cup mount is a weak point. So the picture shakes quite a bit while driving.
By default, the camera records video clips that are 1, 3, or 5 minutes long. If the microSD card is full, the dashcam overwrites the oldest recordings. It would be better to create just one or a few clips at a time, which are continuously overwritten. The use in Germany is still not sufficiently clarified legally. Anyone who uses a dashcam may be violating the personal rights of other road users. Such recordings should not be made without a reason, and they should not be published online.
Preis
The price for the Carpuride W903 is around 222 euros. With the voucher code NEW702 TechStage readers get a 30 percent discount. This reduces the price to around 155 Euro – a good price considering the features including dashcam.
Alternatives
Conclusion
The Carpuride W903 is an inexpensive and easy way to retrofit older vehicles without Android Auto or Apple Carplay with these interfaces. A dashcam is also integrated into the monitor. The connection is made via cable via an AUX input, via FM transmitter or Bluetooth connection via the smartphone to the car radio.
However, the sound quality with a cable connection was disappointing due to noise and a tinny sound. The better choice here is the FM transmitter or Bluetooth – although there are occasionally problems connecting to the smartphone.