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Carlinkit TBox Ultra 1–4: Differences, Codes, Firmware

Carlinkit TBox Ultra, Ultra 2, Ultra 3 and Ultra 4 compared: case, wireless CarPlay to the car, display. Engineering codes, firmware builds, bug reports.

Specifications

Chipset (SoC)
SM6350
Android
15
RAM / storage
8 GB LPDDR4 / 128 GB UFS, 8 GB LPDDR4 / 256 GB UFS
Variants
Ultra, Ultra 2, Ultra 3 (1.8-inch display), Ultra 4
How to tell it apart
The only Carlinkit TBox on Android 15 (Settings → About), with a Qualcomm SM6350. Ultra 3 has a 1.8-inch touchscreen on the case; Ultra 1, 2 and 4 differ mainly in their cases.
Official pages
SupportFirmware downloads

Identify your unit

Every TBox Ultra uses the same core: a Qualcomm SM6350 (two Cortex-A77 cores at 2.0 GHz and six Cortex-A55), 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM, 128 or 256 GB of UFS storage and Android 15. Carlinkit’s product pages give those figures for the Ultra and the Ultra 3. If Settings → About shows Android 15, you have an Ultra; no other TBox runs it.

The four versions differ in the case and in how they talk to the car. Carlinkit’s own site lists the Ultra and the Ultra 3; the Ultra 2 and Ultra 4 rows below rely on owner reports.

ModelCaseWireless CarPlay to the carSmall display
UltraOriginal caseNo (USB to the car)No
Ultra 2Different case, otherwise the same as the Ultra (as reported)NoNo
Ultra 385.5 × 85.5 × 13.55 mm, magnetic heat-dissipation design (Carlinkit)Yes: Carlinkit lists it for cars with factory wireless CarPlay and says it was tested with BMW iDrive 6.0 to 9.0Yes, 1.8-inch touchscreen (Carlinkit)
Ultra 4Glass and aluminium, with a pad for clipping on a fan (as reported)Reported by several owners, disputed by othersOwners report none, though one early forum listing claimed one

The firmware also tells them apart: since January 2026 the Ultra, Ultra 2 and Ultra 4 share builds, and the Ultra 3 has its own. The which TBox do I have page has the full decision tree.

Engineering menu & codes

Open Settings → Other → Factory settings and enter a code:

  • 4545: factory settings. Contains the start-up delay, the navigation bar switch, the temperature display and App loading, which older builds needed for a third-party launcher (see the firmware table).
  • 142618: switches the box into ADB mode for a USB connection to a computer. The screen shows “adb” when it is on. Enter the code again to leave ADB mode, or the car may refuse the box; see “Device not supported” after enabling ADB and enable ADB on an AI box.
  • 166888: audio settings, including 44.1 kHz.
  • 110144: clears the cache.
Entering 142618 under Settings → Other → Factory settings toggles ADB mode. Reconstructed screen, labels may differ by firmware.

If the screen goes black some time after boot, owners fixed it in Settings by setting adaptive sleep to Never; see black screen after boot on TBox Ultra. All codes are in the engineering codes table.

Firmware

Carlinkit’s download page (Support → Downloads on its own website) listed an Ultra build dated 26 Dec 2025 at the time of review, and the product pages say the Ultra supports OTA updates. For other builds, use the firmware request page or email support. This site does not host or link firmware files.

Local updates use the FOTA app and a FAT32 card (update TBox firmware with FOTA). If an install stops with “Upgrade failed”, see Upgrade failed on TBox Ultra.

Firmware dateModelsAndroidWhat changed, as reported
22 Sep 2025Ultra, Ultra 215First build in the forum tracker. No change log.
11 Dec 2025Ultra, Ultra 215Fixed the exclamation mark and lost internet on the Wi-Fi and signal icons.
26 Dec 2025Ultra, Ultra 215A third-party launcher can be set as default normally. Set App loading back to “none” if you used it.
4 Jan 2026Ultra, 2, 415First build listed for the Ultra 4. No change log.
20 Mar 2026Ultra 315First separate Ultra 3 build in the tracker. No change log.
22 Jul 2026Ultra 315Adds an app to rotate the image on the box’s own display.
28 Aug 2026Ultra, 2, 415One Ultra 2 owner got Android Auto to the head unit and the protocol button working for the first time; an Ultra owner reported audio buzzing on CarPlay with it.
14 Sep 2026Ultra 315Newest Ultra 3 build owners discussed. No change log.

Older builds and recovery notes are on the firmware tracker. A box that no longer boots needs QFIL recovery.

Accessories that matter

  • Y-cable. Ultra boxes ship with one; use its second plug for power if the box reboots or drops out. Carlinkit rates the Ultra 3 at 5 V 2 A. See AI box keeps rebooting.
  • Cooling. The SM6350 runs hot in summer. One Ultra 4 owner kept it below 45 °C (113 °F) with a magnetic fan on the case’s mounting pad. Start with overheating shutdowns.
  • FAT32 microSD card of 32 GB or less for local updates.

How to report a bug

Collect:

  1. Model (Ultra, 2, 3 or 4) and the firmware date from Settings → About.
  2. Car make, model, year, head unit, and whether the box connects by USB or wirelessly.
  3. Protocol (CarPlay or Android Auto), what was running, and a short video.
  4. Anything you changed over ADB, because support will ask.

Send it to [email protected]; the Carlinkit T-Box FAQ lists hours and channels. See how to report a bug for the general checklist.

Known issues and guides for this device

Generated from every article tagged with this device, most-confirmed first.

Power & connection

Heat & throttling

Audio & calls

Firmware & recovery

SIM, Wi-Fi & GPS

Apps & launchers

ADB, root & tinkering