After the first debacle of trying to update the Ford maps and also being a bit frustrated at the lack of simple information on the Sync3 home screen like the full track name or the progress through the track (no timer or progress bar), I decided I'd go all in on Apple CarPlay. By cancelling the subscription to the live traffic, the box will pay for itself in 2 years.
I looked at a few options. Carlinkit, carplay2air but settled on the Ottocast U2AIR Pro. At the time of writing it's on offer at £89.00. There is an older slightly slower version called just U2Air which is £55 and also Android versions called A2Air and A2Air Pro.
Took just over a week to arrive from Hong Kong.
What's in the box?
The unit itself which is nicely small (about half the size of a post-it pad and just over 1cm thick)
USB-A to USB-C cable about 20cm long
USB-C to USB-C cable about 20cm long
A USB-A extension lead
A little sticky pad so you can fix it to the side of a glovebox or armrest cubby hole.
Brief instructions which are also downloadable
Installation
Easy peasy. It says don't update the firmware if it works first time so I left it as it was.
Plugged in via USB-C in to the armrest socket and within a few seconds the Ottocast screen popped up with the bluetooth name on it. You then find that on your phone's bluetooth settings and pair the two. Then press the back button and you're done!
I've set it up so that it uses carplay in preference to Sync3.
When I start the car, carplay pops up within 5-6 seconds and you're away. It's brilliant. No stuttering or skipping at all. I'm using Apple Maps which are way better than the Ford ones and all is good. Haven't tested the phone yet but I see no reason why it shouldn't be fine (not that I use the phone much at all in the car).
Always amazed the car makers don't provide these simple boxes as a dealer upgrade, all installed.
. I’ve made it it a sticky