When you have two sons start driving, you need a reliable car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. That typically means an older model—and those lack some of the helpful features of today’s vehicles. In order to get CarPlay working with a 2009 Hyundai Sonata, we turned to the 9-inch Carpuride W901 Wireless Touchscreen. It also works with Android Auto.
Carpuride Wireless Touchscreen Features
The Carpuride Wireless Touchscreen W901 supports both wireless & wired connections for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can also use Mirror link and you get the ability to run content from USB and a Micro SD Card. It also functions as a backup camera if you feed video into the Cam in port.
The integrated 9-inch touchscreen is an HD IPS capacitive-style screen with 1024×600 resolution. We found it easy to see—even in full sun. It also responds well to touch and has a sensor on the back that can dim the panel when the sun goes down.
The Carpuride W901 also supports voice controls so you can use Apple Siri and OK Google to navigate and control audio features. With Bluetooth 5.0 you can also stream audio from legacy systems as-needed.
Getting Audio out of the Carpuride Wireless Touchscreen
Carpuride gives you several methods of getting audio from the W901 wireless touchscreen/radio. First, you can use the integrated 3-watt speaker. We don’t recommend that as it creates a rather tinny sound, so opt for either the 3.5 mm AUX output or transmitting over FM radio. Either of the latter two methods gets you stereo sound and makes use of your vehicle’s sound system.
Using the W901 on Daily Drives
We opted to install the system using the double-sided tape and dashboard bracket. While it includes a suction cup windshield mount, the weight of the unit and the slope of our windshield made that a less desirable option.
We plugged the Carpuride W901 wireless touchscreen into the 12 VDC port in our vehicle and used the Aux output to connect to the Aux input on our aftermarket JVC stereo. That prevented us from losing any resolution through use of the integrated FM transmitter. The sound in this 2009 Sonata actually impressed me.
We immediately played several tracks through the Carpuride W901, including instrumental and several dynamic soundtracks from various video games and films. We love the CarPlay integration and the large 9-inch screen gave us access to 10 apps per screen.
While we have a USB port on our JVC stereo, the Carpuride W901 Wireless Touchscreen includes a 5V 2.1 A USB port as well that can fast-charge most smartphones.
Carpuride W901 Pricing
You can buy the Carpuride W901 wireless touchscreen with CarPlay and Android Auto for around $240 direct from their website or on Amazon. The nearly-identical Carpuride W901 Pro offers dual Bluetooth connectivity and runs about $269.
Specifications
- Wireless connectivity: Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- Wired connectivity: Mirror link, AutoLink
- Other inputs: USB Multimedia Player, Micro SD Card, Cam in
- Screen: 1024×600 9-inch IPS capacitive
- Voice controls: Apple Siri & Android/Google
- Built-in: 5G WiFi + Bluetooth 5.0
- Automatically adjusting screen brightness
- EQ
- Audio output: 3.5 mm Aux, FM transmitter, built-in 3W speaker
- Operating Voltage: DC 12V-24V
- 5V 2.1A USB-A port
- FM frequency: FM 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz
- Installation: Dashboard (double-sided tape) or windshield