Wireless CarPlay connectivity issues after iOS 26 update

Having issues with connection drops here too. All was fine on my old iPhone 13 Pro, but on my new 17 Pro with iOS 26 (including 26.2 just released), connection drops abruptly and reconnects at a random later time. My display unit vendor Carpuride says "We have identified that the problem you are experiencing with your Carpuride device and iPhone running iOS 26 is related to the iOS 26 system itself. Specifically, when the phone's screen is off, it disconnects from Wi-Fi connections with external devices, which is leading to the connectivity issues you described." I don't know what they mean by "when the phone's screen is off" since the 17 has an always-on display. Very frustrating.

After upgraded the latest firmware of the Carplay kit module that I got from the vendor, everything goes smoothly.

"The issue with intermittent wireless CarPlay disconnection on my iPhone 17 Pro persists, even after updating my iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra to the latest version. The connection drops frequently and unpredictably during use.

Crucially, I had zero issues using my iPhone 13 Pro Max with wireless CarPlay in the exact same vehicle. Furthermore, the connection is perfectly stable when using a wired connection.

This behavior, specific to the new model and its wireless mode, strongly suggests a potential software bug or compatibility issue related to the N1 chip (Apple’s new custom wireless chip)."

IOS26 has destroyed my CarPlay! So much for safe driving. Not only does my screen rotate through different tabs in CarPlay but you can’t touch anything on the touch screen to make it stop. It also makes my Google Maps in my 2024 Nissan Rouge flip screens and when I don’t know where I am going that is a problem. Super disappointed in Apple CarPlay!