Apple offers wired and wireless versions of its CarPlay standard which enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and a controller for an iOS device. While each version offers a near-identical experience on the head unit, there are pros and cons to each.
Nathaniel Pangaro for AppleInsider:
To use CarPlay in vehicles that require a wired connection, you must plug your iPhone into the designated USB port. This wired connection provides an inherent advantage — the iPhone is charging any time CarPlay is in use without the use of any other accessories.
Since plugging in a cable is required for wired CarPlay, the driver is less likely to forget to charge their device while driving. Wireless CarPlay users can also use wired or wireless charging while driving, but it requires them to remember to do so…
Unexpected disconnection is not a common occurrence, but it can happen once in a while, and it can be a hassle to get it working again. Most vehicles will deny you from trying to reconnect while the car is in motion, making you have to pull over and figure out why the connection failed.
A wired connection stays secure and ensures that your audio will continue to play through your car’s speakers. Even if the connection fails, a quick unplug and re-plug usually fixes the problem.
MacDailyNews Take: We prefer wireless CarPlay overall, but to each his own.
If your vehicle doesn’t offer built-in wireless CarPlay, you can get add it via an adapter plugged into your vehicle’s USB port. Some examples:
• BAKAH Wireless CarPlay Adapter – $129.99
• WQQBFF Wireless CarPlay Adapter – $89.99
• OTTOCAST Wireless CarPlay Adapter – $69.95
There’s much more in the full article here.
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They all suck. Just use the phone as is. Nothing more dangerous than trying to do something using known capabilities on your phone that does not exist in your car and then find yourself trying to solve a software issue while driving. Built in safety features actually make things more dangerous. Just use the phone on a mount and stop with the safety virtual signaling.
So my 2021 Rogue has Wireless CarPlay, and I had to re-connect the phone almost every time. Finally Nissan issued a software update, and now it connects wirelessly almost 95% of the time… very trouble free. The car also has a surface charger, so I could put my phone on the charger to charge it up, and still be connected wirelessly to CarPlay. Apple has done a pretty good job with CarPlay. I wouldn’t call it perfect, but damn, its pretty good!