The Motorola MA1 is a solution to a problem that has plagued Android Auto for some time: despite being available since 2018, support for wireless Android Auto is rare Indeed, compared to the more extensive support for wireless CarPlay

That brings us to dongles like the Motorola MA1 This dongle acts as an intermediary between the Android phone and the car's infotainment system That way, you can use Android Auto wirelessly without having to connect your phone every time you leave the house

As you can see from our review of the Motorola MA1, the MA1 handles this task remarkably well In fact, there is hardly any noticeable difference from using a cable to connect the phone

The Motorola MA1 is available from Amazon, Target, and Motorola for $8995 However, as of this writing, all three retailers are out of stock [If you think the Motorola MA1 looks like Google's Chromecast, you're not alone What you have is a small, rounded, square-shaped puck that comes with a 3-inch cable and a USB-A plug

The cable is fairly stiff, but long and flexible enough to keep the MA1 out of the way

Also included in the box is a small foam sticker that allows the pack to be attached anywhere in the car However, they are easy to peel off from the car, so it may be better to use some sort of mounting tape or adhesive putty instead

Finally, there is one button on the side that allows the user to switch Bluetooth pairing modes and reset the adapter to factory settings It is worth mentioning that it can only be paired with one phone at a time

The MA1 uses a mix of Bluetooth and 5 GHz Wi-Fi to connect to the phone This requires a compatible device that supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi and runs Android 11 or later; a model that supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi and runs Android 11 or later is required

Setting up the Motorola MA1 is a fairly simple process The first step is to make sure your phone and Android Auto are all set up

Once everything is ready and Android Auto is activated, unplug and replace the USB cable on the Motorola MA1 Then, just like any other Bluetooth device, pair the adapter with your phone and wait for the wireless connection to initialize

Motorola admits that initialization takes a few minutes the first time, but future connections will be much faster

The main question I had about Motorola's MA1 was "how does it compare to a wired connection?" I can assure you that I did not notice the difference Wired or wireless, the relationship between my Nissan Leaf and the Pixel 6 Pro felt exactly the same

The Motorola MA1 delivers exactly what it promises, allowing drivers to retain all the important features of Android Auto without having to connect No longer do they need to pull their phone out of their pocket or bag to get to their destination Just switch on the engine and let the adapter do the work

All the problems I experienced with the wired connection, such as Audible skipping like a cheap portable CD player, the Nissan's infotainment system crashing and restarting mid-drive, the touch screen not responding like a dog in a bath were the problems experienced with the wired connection

Of course, there are some limitations to consider, stemming from the fact that wireless connections are not as fast or efficient as wired connections Most obviously, the MA1 took slightly longer to initialize than the wired Android Auto

When the phone was physically connected via a USB cable, it took 18 seconds for Android Auto to start up, but with the wireless connection to the MA1 it took about 23 seconds

Wireless Android Auto has a reputation for draining the battery, and I found that to be somewhat true with the Motorola MA1 In my tests, I found that the simple act of playing music with the Pixel 6 Pro connected, screen off, lost 7% of its battery over the course of an hour

This is obviously not the worst battery drain in the world, but it is worth remembering on long trips In particular, remember that wireless connections do not offer the same charging capabilities as hardwiring Of course, it is possible to connect the phone to a separate power source, but that would defeat the purpose of a wireless connection

The Motorola MA1 does exactly what it promises, providing wireless Android Auto support in cars that do not have that capability And it does its job so incredibly well that you'll have a hard time telling that it's a wireless connection while in use

On top of that, the design of the dongle offers little flexibility in where the adapter is placed in the car without losing performance in the process The included adhesive pad does not offer maximum stickiness, but in the grand scheme of things that is inconsequential

I feel like the MA1 could be a bit cheaper, but given the performance I experienced, I wouldn't regret paying $90 for it If you want to wirelessly connect to Android Auto, you can't go wrong with this product Just be careful not to accidentally run out your phone's battery