Reference / reviewed
Which Carlinkit TBox Do I Have? Plus, Ambient, UHD, Ultra 1–4
Identify your Carlinkit TBox (V3, Mini, Plus EM / EAU, Ambient, UHD, Ultra 1–4) from Settings → About, the case and the lights, with a 4-question wizard.
Carlinkit’s TBox models look alike, and their names overlap (“TBox Ultra” covers four boxes). The model matters most when you download firmware or recovery files: a build for the wrong model is rejected at best and can leave the box needing recovery at worst. The quickest check is Settings → About, which shows the Android version and usually the chipset; the case and the lights settle the rest.
Answer four questions
The table lists every TBox model with the details owners use to tell them apart. With JavaScript on, the questions below it narrow the list down for you.
| Model | Chipset | Android | Case | Lights and extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlinkit TBox (V3, CPC-200, S450) | SDM450 | 9 | Two case styles; one looks like the Mini | Green and red LEDs |
| Carlinkit TBox Mini | QCM2290 | 11 | Small case, "mini" printed on the back | Red and white LEDs |
| Carlinkit TBox Plus (EM 668 or EAU 138) | QCM6125 | 11, 12 or 13 | Blue case | Status LED |
| Carlinkit TBox Ambient | SM6225 (also SDM660 and early QCM6125 versions) | 13 | Black case with an ambient LED light strip | Power LED plus light strip; pin-hole mode button, indicator blue or green |
| Carlinkit TBox UHD | SM6225 or SDM660 | 13 | White case with an HDMI output | LED indicators; pin-hole mode switch |
| Carlinkit TBox Ultra (Ultra 1) | SM6350 | 15 | Original Ultra case, mode button inside a pin-hole | Pin-hole indicator: green = CarPlay, blue = Android Auto |
| Carlinkit TBox Ultra 2 | SM6350 | 15 | Different case with a metal bottom plate for magnetic heat sinks; mode button on the case | No protocol indicator |
| Carlinkit TBox Ultra 3 | SM6350 | 15 | Built-in 1.8-inch touchscreen on the box | Status shown on the small screen |
| Carlinkit TBox Ultra 4 | SM6350 | 15 | Aluminium and glass case, no screen | LED indicator |
Start with Settings → About
- Open Settings → About (on some firmware Settings → More → About).
- Note the Android version, the model or build string, the chipset or processor line if shown, and the firmware date.
- Write them down or take a photo. You need the same details for firmware downloads and for any support request.
Android version alone narrows it a lot: Android 9 is the V3, Android 15 is an Ultra, Android 13 is a Plus, Ambient or UHD. Labels in About differ between firmware builds, and third-party firmware can replace them, so if something looks odd, compare with the case and lights below. With ADB connected, adb shell getprop ro.board.platform prints the chip platform name; see the ADB cheat sheet.
How do I tell the older TBox, Mini and Plus apart?
The community FAQ set these three apart years ago, because owners kept downloading firmware for the wrong one:
- TBox (V3, also called CPC-200 or S450): SDM450 chip, Android 9, 4 GB RAM with 64 GB storage. It came in two case styles that are otherwise identical; the one that resembles the Mini has green and red LEDs.
- TBox Mini: QCM2290 chip, Android 11, 3 GB RAM with 32 GB storage. Red and white LEDs, and “mini” printed on the back.
- TBox Plus: QCM6125 chip, shipped with Android 11 and later updated to 12 and 13. The blue case is the giveaway. Sold with 4/64, 6/128 and 8/128 GB.
TBox Plus: EM (668) or EAU (138)?
The TBox Plus exists in two hardware variants with separate firmware. Carlinkit’s own guide gives the check:
- Look at the label on the back. EM means the 668 version. EAU, JP or NA means the 138 version.
- Confirm in Settings → About: the model string contains the variant, for example
SP-TBOX-plus138-EAU-...on a 138 unit.
If the two disagree, trust Settings → About and ask the seller. One experienced owner warned that some resold units carried an EAU label on an EM box. The difference showed up in real fixes: the 4 Jul 2024 firmware that restored mobile data on some SIM cards was for the EM only. Carlinkit says firmware for the two cannot be mixed, and installing the wrong one can mean sending the box back for repair.
Ambient or UHD?
Both run Android 13, and both exist with more than one chip, so look at the case first.
- TBox Ambient: black case with an ambient LED light strip, which is where the name comes from. A pin-hole button switches protocol; its indicator changes between blue and green. Most units have the SM6225 (also written QCM6225); earlier batches used SDM660 or QCM6125, and each chip has its own firmware line. A QCM6125 Ambient can run TBox Plus EAU firmware, but the light strip may then stop working.
- TBox UHD: white case with an HDMI output (output only, not input). Sold with SDM660 or SM6225; Carlinkit says the SDM660 version has an extra USB port. Protocol switching uses a pin-hole, pressed for 2–3 seconds.
If your Ambient shows SM6225 in About, use firmware marked for the SM6225 Ambient. Even within one chip the light strip is fragile: the community flagged a 2 Feb 2024 SDM660 build that turned the strip off on almost every SDM660 Ambient it was installed on.
TBox Ultra 1, 2, 3 or 4?
All four use the SM6350 chip (also written QCM6350) with Android 15, 8 GB RAM and UFS storage. They differ in body, buttons and wireless connection to the car.
| Model | How to recognise it | Protocol button and light | Wireless to the car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra (Ultra 1) | Original Ultra case | Button inside a pin-hole, with a light: green for CarPlay, blue for Android Auto | No, cable to the car |
| Ultra 2 | Different case with a metal bottom plate that takes magnetic heat sinks | Button on the case, no protocol light | No, cable to the car |
| Ultra 3 | 1.8-inch touchscreen on the box | One-button switching | Yes, to cars with factory wireless CarPlay or Android Auto |
| Ultra 4 | Aluminium and glass case, no screen | Not documented by Carlinkit | Yes, Carlinkit lists BMWs with factory wireless CarPlay |
Owners’ reports on the Ultra 4 were mixed at launch: some sellers described a small screen, but Carlinkit’s own listing describes no display. Go by the box in your hand.
Firmware follows the hardware: in the community’s firmware archive, builds for the Ultra 1 and 2 were later published as one line for the Ultra 1, 2 and 4, while the Ultra 3 has its own. Some owners have installed a newer Ultra 3 or Ultra 4 build on an Ultra 1 or 2 to get a fix early; that is outside what the manufacturer supports. See the firmware tracker and the TBox Ultra hub.
What if the box will not boot?
You cannot open Settings, so work from the outside:
- Read the label on the back or bottom. On a TBox Plus it shows EM or EAU, JP, NA.
- Match the case against the table at the top of this page: colour, screen, HDMI port, light strip, metal plate.
- Check your order confirmation or the seller’s listing. It usually names the chipset and memory.
- If you still cannot tell, ask the manufacturer before flashing anything. How to report a bug lists what to send.
Recovery files are model-specific in the same way firmware is. The QFIL recovery guide for the Ultra is recover a TBox Ultra with QFIL.
Not a Carlinkit?
Ottocast, ApplePie (UX999), Ownice and Wizcar boxes use some of the same chips and look similar. Start here explains the families and links to the device hubs, including the Picasou 3 hub for Ottocast’s Picasou 3, 3 Lite, 3 Pro and Nano. Carlinkit has also released newer models such as the TBox S2 (SM6115), which this page does not cover yet.
Once you know your model, the next step is usually the firmware: update TBox firmware locally with FOTA.