Carpuride Buying Guide: Which CarPlay Screen to Get and How Much to Pay

If your car is from 2012 or your bike came with a tiny LCD dash, you already know the problem. The phone ends up in a vent clip, the map is hard to read and every text message pulls your eyes off the road. Carpuride sells a fix that does not involve ripping out the factory stereo: a touch screen that sits on the dash or the handlebar and runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from your phone.

We went through the whole Carpuride range, the store policies and a handful of independent reviews to work out which unit suits which driver, where the brand is weak, and how it stacks up against Chigee, Lamtto and Ottocast. If you only came for the discount, the sitewide code right now is KNOTTYFRIGATEBI. Copy it and open Carpuride, the box for it is on the checkout page.

Who is Carpuride?

Carpuride is a factory brand. Before selling under its own name it built head units for other car audio companies in the US, Europe and Japan, and that shows in the catalogue: there are more than a hundred products, most of them variations on two ideas. One is a portable screen for cars and trucks. The other is a waterproof screen for motorcycles. The store ships free on everything, takes returns for 30 days and gives 2 years of warranty on the main unit (cables, chargers and brackets get 6 months).

The car screens

These are the easy ones. A suction or adhesive mount goes on the dash, a cable goes into the 12V socket, your phone connects over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and that is the install. Sound reaches the car speakers through AUX, an FM transmitter or Bluetooth, depending on what your stereo has. Nothing is cut or spliced, so the screen moves to your next car with you.

• C98 (from $129.99, $149.99 with backup camera). A 9 inch screen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto and not much else. For an older commuter car this is all most people need.
• W903 ($249.99, was $389.99). The one we would buy. 9.3 inch screen, a 4K front camera that rotates so it can film the road or the cabin, and a 1080p rear camera. You get a dash cam and a reversing camera in the same box, which would cost about the same on their own.
• W125A / W125S (from $299.90, was $449.90). A wide 10.25 inch screen. The S version adds an infrared cabin camera, which rideshare drivers and parents will actually use.
• W103 Pro ($329.90, was $449.90). The biggest at 10.3 inches, with a stronger built in speaker. Good for vans, RVs and trucks where the dash is far from the driver.

One thing to know before you order a camera model: the memory card slot is only for camera footage. You cannot load music or films on the card and play them through the screen.

The motorcycle screens

This is where Carpuride has built its name. A phone on the handlebar overheats in the sun, dims itself and can lose its camera stabiliser to engine vibration. A dedicated screen avoids all three. The Carpuride units are rated IP67, take power from the bike battery or a USB port, and pair with your helmet headset so directions and music go to your ears.

• W502 / W702 / W603 (from $269.99). The basic 5, 6 and 7 inch models. CarPlay, Android Auto, dual Bluetooth. If you only want maps and music, stop here.
• W502 Pro / W702 Pro (from $319.99, was $439.99). Adds helmet intercom, a compass and barometer, crash detection that can call for help, and optional tyre pressure sensors for $20 more. This is the model most reviewers have tested.
• W702BS / W502BS and W602BS (from $409.90). Built for BMW. They plug into the bike so the Wonder Wheel on the left grip controls the screen, and they show speed, revs and tyre pressure from the bike itself. If you ride a GS or an RT this is the reason to pick Carpuride over a generic unit.
• W702 Plus (from $409.99, was $569.99). Runs Android 12 on its own, so you can install Calimoto, Rever or offline maps straight on the unit, and it has front and rear 1080p cameras. Note that it must be wired to the battery. The USB-C port on this model is not for power.

The independent reviews line up fairly well. It's Better On The Road ran a W702 Pro for a season and liked the bright anti glare screen, the fast boot and the fact that it worked with thick gloves, with fitting taking about 15 minutes. The same review listed the weak points too: Bluetooth pairing takes a few tries the first time, the ball mount shakes on rough roads at around 70 km/h, and the test unit had a faulty SD card slot. Another long term test covered about 3,000 km and reported no dropped connections and no overheating. So the screen itself is solid, and the mount is the part you may end up upgrading.

Carpuride also warns on every product page that the units do not work with HarmonyOS phones and some Android models. Check the compatibility list on the product page before you pay.

Carpuride vs Chigee, Lamtto and Ottocast

None of these brands is the best at everything. Here is how they compare on the things that change the price.

Against Chigee

Chigee is the better product and it is priced like it. The AIO-6 is more than twice as bright, it is rated IP69K so a pressure washer will not hurt it, and it records the ride front and back. Cycle News noted that a fully kitted unit goes past $1,000 once you add the modules. A W702 Pro with the tyre sensors costs $359.99 before any code. If you ride in strong sun every day or you want a dash cam on the bike, Chigee earns its price. For weekend rides and touring, Carpuride does the same job for about half.

Against Lamtto

Lamtto wins on price. The RC16 is under $90 and does wireless CarPlay on a 9.26 inch screen. What you give up is the camera (only the dearer RC13 and RC14 have one) and the longer warranty. If all you want is maps on a bigger screen in a car you will sell in two years, buy the Lamtto or the Carpuride C98. If you want a dash cam in the same unit, the W903 is the better buy.

Against Ottocast

The ScreenFlow is a big 11.4 inch screen running Android 13 with streaming apps on board, for $159. It is aimed at passengers and people who park and watch something. It has no dash cam and no backup camera. Carpuride is the more practical pick for driving, Ottocast for entertainment.

How to pay less at Carpuride

• Use a code on top of the sale price. Nearly everything on the site already shows a "was" price. The codes work on the sale price, so enter KNOTTYFRIGATEBI at checkout before you pay.
• Look at the Hot Deals page. It lists the models with the biggest cuts, up to $160 off on the BMW units at the moment.
• Skip the paid shipping upgrade. Standard shipping is free worldwide and orders leave in 1 to 3 days.
• Sign up to the newsletter before a launch. Carpuride gives early bird prices on new models to subscribers.
• Buy the bundle with TPMS. The tyre sensors are $20 extra when you buy them with the screen, so add them at the start if you want them.

Before you order

• Car units need a 12V socket and either AUX, FM or Bluetooth on your stereo for sound. Nearly every car has at least one.
• Motorcycle units need either a USB port or a wire to the battery. The Plus model needs the battery wire.
• Returns are open for 30 days, but you must ask for a return number first. Parcels sent back without one are refused.
• Keep the box for the first month. A return is much easier with the original packaging.

Is Carpuride worth it?

For most people, yes. It is not the brightest screen and the mounts are average, but the units do what they say, the BMW models have a feature nobody else includes in the box, and with a 30% code the prices sit well under the big names. Our picks: the W903 for a car, the W702 Pro with TPMS for most bikes, the W702BS if you ride a BMW. Shop Carpuride with the current codes.

Sources: carpuride.com product pages, shipping, refund and warranty policies; owner and press reviews of the W702 Pro and W702S Pro, including It's Better On The Road; Chigee AIO-6 coverage by Cycle News; lamtto.com and ottocast.com product pages. Codes can stop working without notice.

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