Twelve South Launches Airfly Drive Wireless CarPlay Adapter for $39.99

Twelve South, which makes premium Apple accessories, said Airfly Drive works with most cars that have factory-wired CarPlay. That covers more than 75 makes and model years back to 2014. The adapter has a USB-A connector, and Twelve South includes a USB-C adapter in the box. It uses a compact aluminum design intended to stay plugged into the car's USB port.

The device does not require an app or an account. A driver plugs it into the car's USB port and pairs it to a phone once. On later trips, Airfly Drive automatically reconnects to the phone to enable the wireless CarPlay experience. It supports two paired phones, and a single button switches between them.

Twelve South said the adapter supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the car's built-in display. It offers plug-and-play setup without an app, account or charging, reconnects quickly when the car starts, and allows one-press switching between two paired phones. It also works with the car's existing display, buttons and steering-wheel controls, and the company provides ongoing compatibility updates.

Airfly Drive costs $39.99 and can be ordered from Twelve South starting Thursday. It is available in black and white. According to 9to5Mac, wireless CarPlay is significantly more seamless than wired CarPlay, particularly for shorter trips around town, and the adapter is a quality-of-life update for CarPlay users.

Editor's Summary

Twelve South has released Airfly Drive, a $39.99 adapter that adds wireless CarPlay and Android Auto to many vehicles with factory wired CarPlay. The compact device requires no app or account, supports two paired phones and includes a USB-C adapter. It is available in black and white and expands Twelve South's Airfly line.