Just thought I'd leave a quick initial impression / review on this handy little device - the
AAWireless Wireless Android Auto Adapter.
I really like using Android Auto with my Pixel 7 phone and the stock 2020 BRZ head unit, but the wired connection has always been a little flaky when engaging in some "spirited" driving, with both this and my previous phone. The more I've used the wired connection, the more flaky it becomes, sometimes not connecting unless I unplug / re-plug it several times. It has gotten really frustrating the last several months.
My wife's new vehicle has wireless Android Auto, and it's pretty slick, so I started looking around for a solution to add it to my BRZ. I like the stock head unit's look and the physical volume knob, so I wasn't really looking to replace the head unit. Instead, I searched for "wireless Android Auto adapters" and found AAWireless.
There are a few other vendors out there, but as far as I know, AAWireless was first to market, and it seems to be the best option out there. Plus, at only $80 USD, why not?
Ordering from Amazon.com (it's not sold directly here in Canada) was easy, shipping to my US mailbox was free with my Prime membership, and it arrived within a couple of days.
The unit itself is tiny (only a couple of inches square, and maybe a half inch thick), and it comes with a short USB-A to USB-C cable. It easily fits in the otherwise useless little storage cubby between the USB ports and the push-button start, and I just coiled up the extra cable underneath it.
Setup using the AAWireless app was super simple, and after clearing the Android Auto cache and storage on my phone, it connected right away. With my phone unlocked when I start the car, it actually seems to launch Android Auto even faster than the wired connection did, and once it's up and running, it's just as fast and responsive as the wired connection was.
The only slight hiccup so far is that my phone has to be unlocked for it to connect. Once it makes the initial connection, the phone can be locked no problem. I've played around with a couple of different settings to see if I can get it to make that initial connection while locked, but no luck so far. I'll keep messing around with it, and if I find a solution, I'll update here.
Overall, I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking to make wireless Android Auto an option on the factory head units with Android Auto!