Back in July, I had the opportunity to review a first generation Automatic car adapter. The original version worked fine except that I had some Bluetooth audio issues with my phone (Nexus 6P). Today I will be telling you about the third gen version of this device – the Automatic Pro 3G car adapter. Let’s see if the new features make this adapter more desirable and if my Bluetooth problems have vanished.
What is it?
The Automatic Pro 3G car adapter is a sensor that plugs into your vehicle’s OBD port and automatically keeps track of your vehicle’s engine health, miles per gallon, car location, trip details and more. It connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth to send the info to the Automatic app and the cloud. Automatic works with most US gasoline, hybrid, and diesel vehicles with model years of 1996 and newer. Electric cars are not supported.
Design and features
The Pro version of the Automatic looks pretty much identical to the original two generations of Automatic adapters except that this latest one has gold accents.
The adapter is pretty simple and has no buttons or LEDs but inside is a GPS receiver and a 3G radio which uses Telefonica to manage their data and a number of different carrier networks, depending on where you are located. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and Tmobile are all in my area, with Verizon having the best coverage. I had no problems with the Automatic Pro 3G here.
Installation and setup
There’s just a connector on the end that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port which is usually located somewhere under the driver’s side dash. If you are unable to figure out where the port is, you can always look it up in your car’s manual like I did the first time I installed an Automatic adapter.
The white plastic adapter doesn’t blend in too well with my 2013 MINI Cooper, which could be considered an issue if you plan to use the Automatic Pro 3G adapter to keep tabs on a driver without them realizing it.
The next step requires that you install the Automatic app on your phone and then follow the instructions which lead you through connecting the adapter to your phone. You’ll need your car keys to turn on the ignition to your engine, but you don’t have to drive anywhere during the setup process.
During the setup, you’ll be prompted to turn on the crash report feature which is only available for people in the US. If you’re ever in a collision, Automatic will automatically contact emergency responders and your designated contacts to let them know you’ve been in an accident even if you can’t respond yourself.
Be aware that there are limitations to this feature:
HOW IT WORKS
Automatic Pro detects a crash.
Your phone receives a notification and our response agents calls you.
If you need help, we will request emergency services and contact your loved ones.
LIMITATIONS
Crash Alert is unavailable if the adapter is damaged, Bluetooth® is disconnected, the adapter is dislodged from the OBD port, or if there is no cellular or GPS signal.
I didn’t have any accidents while testing the Automatic Pro 3G, so I was unable to test this feature.
Using the adapter and the app
Once the adapter is installed and paired with your phone, you can start using it. The Automatic Pro 3G is one of those gadgets that you can forget about once it’s installed because you don’t have to do anything to use it. It will automatically (see what I did there?) record your trip data when you drive.
The app has a scrolling activity page that will let you see all the trips that you made for each day. If you drill down into the day, you’ll get more information about each trip including distance, duration, estimated cost and efficiency for each trip.
Each trip can also be flagged as a business trip by tapping the briefcase icon in the trip detail page. To retrieve this business expensing data, you have to use the web client. More on that in a bit.
In addition to tracking your trip details, the adapter will record where the vehicle was parked so that it can help you find it later if are unable to remember where you left your car.
One of the best features of this latest version of the Automatic adapter is that you and your phone DO NOT need to be in the car in order for it to record trip data. If someone takes your car for a spin, you’ll know about it because you’ll receive a notification on your phone and you can load up the app and see where your car is in real time. This is a great way to keep tabs on your kid or significant other <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="