Apple previewed Tuesday the next generation of CarPlay, which will work with basically your entire instrument cluster in the car.
All your gauges for speed, temperature, RPMs, fuel level now are linked to CarPlay and can be viewed and controlled within CarPlay. You can “tune your radio or change the temperature without leaving the CarPlay experience,” Apple announced at its World Wide Developers Conference.
Users can also customize the look, color, and layout of the gauges within CarPlay.
Apple said the next generation of CarPlay, which launches with iOS 16, “will feel like it was specifically made for your car.”
Automakers will start announcing their adoption of the new CarPlay features late in 2023. Brands that were listed as supporting it include Ford, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Acura, Infiniti, Porsche, Land Rover, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar, and Polestar.
“The next generation of CarPlay powers your entire instrument cluster. To do this, your iPhone communicates with your vehicle’s real time systems in an on-device, privacy-friendly way, showing all your driver information like speed, RPM, fuel level, temperature and more,” said Emily Schubert, Apple Senior Manager, Car Experience Engineering during the conference.
CNET said users will also be able to control seat heaters, monitor air quality in the car, electric vehicle data and even interact with Apple’s smart home devices all from CarPlay.
The new CarPlay will adapt to multiple screens and different sized screens in the car.
Apple also said, “CarPlay has fundamentally changed the way people interact with their vehicles.” It’s accessible on over 98 percent of cars in the US. Also almost 80 percent of US buyers say they will only consider a new vehicle that works with CarPlay, Schubert said.
You can see a 3 minute clip of the Apple CarPlay announcement at CNET or the full Apple iOS 16 preview at Apple.com
