well i couldn't make it to work at all, and the seller wasn't helpful with any of my queries, so i'm putting it in as a defective product. i ordered another similar product now, been reviewed by someone saying that it worked with his WinCE head unit, so i've made the order and i'll wait for that to come through and then i'll give feedback.
i finally got it to work. the device came from a different vendor. this is where i got mine: https://www.lazada.com.ph/-i142779090-s163026601.html i do observe problems with the reverse camera switch out (a bit buggy), volume control (basically you can't) and crappy GPS signal, but hopefully the latter 2 items can be resolved over time with firmware updates of the dongle.
is it somehow smooth? since most WINCE headunits only have 200mb of RAM. I don't know how carplay works so not sure if it's just pure mirroring from our iphone or does it involve the head unit's resources.
it's not silky smooth (touch -drag motions, for example, don't register all that well), but good enough for what people will probably use it for i.e. Waze/Google Maps. i actually have to take back what i said earlier - GPS signal seems to have stabilised well enough now that i'm able to get a good lock as i drive. it looks like a hybrid of mirroring since it's showing different content on the screen vs. what you get frmo your phone e.g. Waze shows a list of waypoints/favorites before you start, and shows the turn-by-turn in text while your screen shows the actual map. do you want me to post a video? i can post towards the weekend, just tell me what i need to show you so that i can put it in the walkthrough.
Thank you for the feedback. Hmm to be honest, I was gonna ask if you live around Makati/BGC so that i'll go to your place and try the dongle. But nvm, video review is enough, just showing the navigation of menu and Waze/Google maps
welllll i happen to live in BGC on weekdays/weeknights. if you want to try the unit on your car, i suggest you at least figure out what your navi SD card looks like. Mine uses the AVT map/exe i think, and uses a NAVIGATION.EXE. if that's the case, we can hot swap my SD and dongle/cable to your car and see how that works out. just please don't run away with it... i can still post a video regardless for anyone else here who might be interested.
it's a bit hard to tell based on this photo (it's a bit small!), but based on what i can see online about the head unit, it is probably the CNE-6863M. on the right hand side opposite the CD tray, when you open the GPS cover that reveals the microSD card, can you check its contents and confirm if you see a Windows-based filesystem (potentially a NAVIGATION folder, and a NAVIGATION.EXE in place)? i assume there is a USB port set up somewhere in the car that allows you to playback movies with. assuming these two points hold true, then we can confirm that (1) you are using a WinCE head unit, and (2) you can use the dongle. there are some other steps that can be carried out to validate compatibility further, but at least that first point is a dead giveaway.
Thanks. Will check that out later. Yes The micro SD does contain a navigation system, there's also plenty of USB ports both for charging and for playing music not sure about movies though.
that's probably it. now the bigger question is how to check for compatibility and usability... there's a vague CPU requirement available online, and you could replace the executable initially with a diagnostic program that tells you exactly what OS, CPU and RAM the HU is running on.
@chris2x my usb dongle arrived yesterday and it works on my head unit thanks a lot! my only problem is that the Next/Previous button on my steering wheel doesn't work(volume button works though) and when reversing the carplay minimizes and goes back to home menu.lol other than that, everything's good
you're welcome! glad that i was able to help yes the lack of physical controls really is a bummer isn't it? but hey, i'll take the good with the bad. if i can find a later version of the executable that works with the controls i'll pass it along.
my new car (an MG ZS Alpha) came equipped with apple car play. its wonderful now to have an 8" Waze display on the HU instead of the Xr on the dash. Waze now instantly shifts to "night mode" when park lights are turned on while Siri can be accessed through a physical button on the steering wheel. Car play could be a little buggy at times with music and podcasts occasionally not proceeding after a call is received or made. The only solution I found so far was to physically disconnect and reconnect the Xr to the HU. Otherwise, I am grateful for the convenience.
Mine works. What I observed is that you need to "quit" the "apps" (even the radio, use the back button) for the steering wheel next/prev buttons to respond to Car Play via the dongle.
