I have owned my 2001 S for about 12 years now and over that time, I have tried to increase the connectivity between my phone and the HU. First I had a cable that connected to the original CDR-220 and my iPhone. Then, I bought a Pioneer single DIN with BT and added an iPad mini to the upper dash. The iPad mini gave me Google maps and other apps, basically a precursor to CarPlay.
For at least the last 5 years I have been searching for Double DIN HU with wireless CarPlay and a physical volume knob. Well, thanks to fridsten on this forum, we now have an excellent, IMHO, option. There is a
long thread on Rennlist concerning a cheap Android HU for 997's. The unit for the 986/996 is basically the same and it matches the interior perfectly!
I installed it over the past few days, and it is actually pretty easy if your OEM radio harness is intact. I did not opt to install the rear camera. All I wanted was Apple CarPlay and this unit handles it perfectly. In fact, it is better than the unit that came with my 2022 Honda Ridgeline. Start up is pretty quick and much faster than my Ridgeline. The touch screen is very responsive.
To install, you will need to modify the dash trim to get it to fit. Right now, mine is basically a friction fit and seems to be secure. There are spring tabs on the sides of the HU which help hold it in place. I have not taken it for a good drive yet as I am currently battling Covid - again - but thankfully I have a pretty mild case.
I bought the unit with the most RAM and ROM (8/256). The price difference wasn't that much and I will probably never need all of the memory but IMO you can never have enough memory. For those with Bose, there is an option for connecting to that system. I just had the basic system but I do have the rear deck speakers which I upgraded years ago. At some point I would like to get a different amp but inertia will probably prevent that from happening
All in all, I am very happy with the HU. The seller is very responsive (remember they are on the other side of the world from the US so response times do lag) Shipping took about a month.
Here is the link to the unit.