Two completely different solutions to the same problem. One thing decides which you need: whether your car has a factory screen.

A module for the factory screen

Right for you if the car already has a proper central screen — iDrive, MMI, COMAND, MIB or similar. The module goes between the screen and the factory wiring, so CarPlay appears on the very screen you use every day.

• The interior stays completely standard — nothing sticks out
• Control from the steering wheel buttons and the rotary knob
• The reversing camera and factory functions are unchanged
• Installation takes about 1–1.5 hours

Price — from €209.

SmartDash display

Right when there is no factory screen, or it is so old that nothing can be connected to it. This is a separate display mounted on the dashboard or windscreen and powered from the 12 V socket.

• Fits any car, whatever the make
• Five-minute setup, nothing wired into the electronics
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Move it to another car in under a minute

Price — €99.

Comparison

	Module	SmartDash
Factory screen required	Yes	No
Installation	1–1.5 h	5 min, yourself
Steering wheel buttons	Work	Do not work
Interior appearance	Unchanged	An extra screen
Moving it to another car	Only if the system matches	Yes, to any car
Price	from €209	99 €

A third option

If the car already has wired CarPlay, you need neither of them. All it takes is the AI Box: a USB adapter that turns wired CarPlay wireless and adds Android apps with Google Play, YouTube and Netflix. No installation at all.

How to decide

Ask yourself one question: does the car have a central screen you control with a knob or by touch? If yes — a module. If no — SmartDash. If there is a screen and CarPlay already works with a cable — the AI Box.

Still unsure? Write to us with the make, model and year and we will tell you exactly.