Motorola MA1 Android Auto dongle is now easier to buy, but the price is in flux
TheMotorola MA1is a superstar product that allows you to make your dumb car into a fully powered Android Auto machine. The wireless dongle has been popular — we gave the MA1 a 9 out of 10 in our full review — and to that end, it has often been sold out through its short lifespan. Stock is improving in the US for the gadget, but it appears the price is gently increasing over its original MSRP.
The Motorola MA1 launched at $89.95, but9to5Googlehas now spotted the price has increased at bothAmazonandBest Buyto $99.99. Since the price increase was spotted, Amazon has since discounted the product back down to its MSRP of $89.99, but it was briefly on sale for the full $100. Both of these retailers have available stock, so buy from Amazon if you’re looking for one today.Targetis still selling the dongle for its original $90 price with no sign of an increase, but stock seems to be more limited at that retailer.
That Amazon listing comes directly from Motorola, so it may be the manufacturer is making an intentional price increase considering increased demand. The company has yet to make an official statement about the MA1’s price, and we’ve asked Motorola why it appears to be increasing. We’ll update this article when we hear more.
Sometimes product prices are increased when there is phenomenal demand, but it’s a rare occasion. There’s also the chance that this is due to supply constraints, which may impact the price of materials Motorola is using to make these dongles. This isn’t the only price increase we’ve seen in recent weeks. The Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset initially launched at $300, but Meta confirmed in July that the price would be increased to $400. That’s a stomach-churning increase, so an extra $10 added to the Motorola MA1 looks more acceptable.
In our review, we noted that the $90 price tag for the MA1 was “a bit on the high side.” That is even more true if you’re buying the dongle for $100, but we also noted that “the MA1 is great, and you should buy it,” so you may decide it’s still worth it even at this increased price.
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