Hi, I am using Android Auto rather than Carplay but I suspect it probably works the same. I am using calls though the original car bluetooth, that way it performs the same even when I am using the original radio and not the new unit. Does that still work for you? What didn't work for me was the voice assistant though the original mic and to get that work I needed to fit the supplied mic and lead you have in that picture. I fitted it into the roof light unit in the same location as the OEM one but on the passenger side of the light as there is an empty space there).I then ran that long wire down the A pillar and to the main wiring. I see you plugged the 2 mic looking wires together, that didn't work for me so I disconnected those and plugged the wire from the new mic in there if that makes sense. The last thing I needed to do was try the various options with the "bluetooth" dip switch and a setting in the carplay box software settings. What ended up working for me was setting the unit dip switch 8 to be "no Bluetooth" (this gets the GA working from the 2nd aftermarket mic) but then in the carplay unit software setting I had to set the opposite, i.e to use car bluetooth, and that seems to tell AA there is no Bluetooth available to the phone but the phone itself sees the car Bluetooth so it works via that. It is easy enough to try the 4 different combinations of these 2 settings and find what works best for you . So in my case all calls are handled though the original car bluetooth and mic and then the voice assistance stuff works though the 2nd new mic (in your picture)
Re the "bar" in your first pic, that is the Wifi aerial so can go anywhere really. I just cable tied it to the box itself.