Apple unveiled more details about its next-generation CarPlay software at a World Developers Conference on Monday and dropped the names of some OEMs to keep it in their car.
Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Renault and Volvo are among the car makers who will be queuing up next year to implement the technology giant’s upgraded infotainment software on their future cars.
Compared to current Apple CarPlay software, which has been around since 2014, the next version will offer much more integration with the host car. Drivers using CarPlay today can access functions such as music player, messaging and navigation, but will have to exit the system to adjust climate settings or access other car menus, which is especially annoying in vehicles where almost every control is located on the touchscreen.
Related: Apple’s Next-Gen CarPlay will be able to capture both your infotainment and gauge cluster screens
But the next generation of carpels will also be able to display information such as the speed and fuel level of the vehicle and allow the driver to operate like a climate system without leaving the carpel environment. Apple’s software will be able to take multiple on-board screens without being limited to the original infotainment display.
That means you’ll be able to see and interact with Apple CarPlay through a growing number of digital instrument clusters in cars, and passenger-side displays fitted to luxury vehicles. CarPlay 2.0 will work on portrait screens as well as landscape-style displays.
Which all sounds pretty discreet. Nowadays, the difference in appearance and feel between Apple’s CarPlay software and your car may seem quite annoying. Think of it like watching TV 25 years ago when you had about seven different remotes to play your television, DVD player, VHS player (you can’t stand trash for cassettes of dumb car rush movies) and everything else you plugged in. Inside.
Are you worried
But is anyone a little worried about the way our smartphones are moving forward in lives that are almost entirely controlled by glass and metal computers in our pockets? We can already use our phones to unlock our cars, display digital driving licenses for air travel, and, if you’re a woman, track your ovulation cycle. The next thing we know our phones will advise us to drink water because they noticed that we used five more papers than yesterday to wipe our asses.
Or maybe I’m just ruthless because even though I use Apple devices, I find CarPlay to be very limited so rarely use it and it’s worried about grabbing some of the tough software that exists from OEMs. We already know that smartphone connectivity is one of the most common problems cited by new car owners. Leave a comment and let us know if you are waiting for the next generation of CarPlay or you think it is the work of the devil and you will stick with your Nokia 3310 and hand-cranked Ford Model T.
