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2026 Porsches Still Won't Have Next-Gen CarPlay
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I’d personally consider BMW over Mercedes, unless you really need RGB, and flashy interiors. BMW is consistently ranked above Mercedes in reliability for years now. Especially with their impressive B58/B48 engines. Truthfully, they even rank higher than Audi.
one of the coolest things about Porsche (that Apple used to do) is TEST things before they put in in their products!! (anyone remember Apple's ATG?) In fact, as I understand it, Porsche tests for 5 years before it goes into a car. Now this is not realistic for a tech company but Apple could go back to their own standards ("The Human Interface Guidelines") and force developers to (like they once did) write and test good code!
I'm a guy who LOVES great engineering; Porsche does GREAT engineering; Apple USED to do GREAT engineering, now it's if it turns on and seems to work Apple ships it and gets their users to fix and test it. As a retired Apple developer i have been so disappointed with Apple OSes and hardware of late, i'm looking for anyway to leave their ethos! But I'll live in Porsche's world anytime. I wish for the days where "excellence" was the gold standard we all reached for; now it seems it's all about deliver crap and convince the world to buy it; This is where Apple is king!
I'm a guy who LOVES great engineering; Porsche does GREAT engineering; Apple USED to do GREAT engineering, now it's if it turns on and seems to work Apple ships it and gets their users to fix and test it. As a retired Apple developer i have been so disappointed with Apple OSes and hardware of late, i'm looking for anyway to leave their ethos! But I'll live in Porsche's world anytime. I wish for the days where "excellence" was the gold standard we all reached for; now it seems it's all about deliver crap and convince the world to buy it; This is where Apple is king!
Pitiful state of affairs with Apple. Only reason I like CarPlay is consistent way to play music and use maps and such. Would prefer this new version in my car but don’t see it happening. Wonder if anyone else can figure out how to do it in an add on since most can is unencrypted.
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In 2025 the least crappy way to have a useable infotainment system is this:
Throw in a lightning to headphone adapter and a jack-to-jack cable for AUX and there you have it. All you have to do is unplug it from time to time so you can charge your phone, then plug it back in if you want to listen to music. Compatible with all cars!
Throw in a lightning to headphone adapter and a jack-to-jack cable for AUX and there you have it. All you have to do is unplug it from time to time so you can charge your phone, then plug it back in if you want to listen to music. Compatible with all cars!
Yup, BMW sure learned that lesson quickly, and I sure hope GM learns the same lesson with this.
CarPlay is still leaps and bounds ahead of most infotainment systems out there and because of it merely just projecting supported apps from your phone, it has never and will never require a subscription.
The problem with these manufactuers and their built-in maps and stuff they're touting is that it requires a subscription to keep them up to date; again, CarPlay does not!
Most newer cars have a USB port and bluetooth so no hardware is needed except maybe a USB to lightning cable.
You missed the point. CarPlay is not integrated into the auto's control systems in any company's autos. You can't as Siri to turn up the heat, open the windows, unlock the doors, or any of the other myriad things your auto's built-in tech does for you.
If you can afford any of the three, reliability isn't really a factor in picking. I just don't personally like BMW styling. Overall I definitely prefer Audi, but the Mercedes interiors can be really nice.
If they’re integrating Alexa, which presuming Amazon is paying for, why doesn’t Apple simply pay manufacturers to support their features such as CarPlay 2? I don’t understand why they can’t just use some money to make this actually fly rather than falter.
Yea, but once they got rid of training throttle oversteer it just hasn’t been the same.
Personally, I wish car companies did more of this by offering subscription or buy as option; that way you cuould not pay for features you might use once or twice while you own the vehicle. Sortof a return to the old option list when you bought a car except electronic instead of at the factory.
Of course, the challenge for car manufacturers is keeping the codes for turning it on secret so you can’t just code teh build order and add features after you buy the car.
CarPlay isn’t about looks. It’s about functionality. I’ve used so many car infotainment interfaces, and most are absolutely terrible. With CarPlay, you can easily access what you need without too much distraction.
There’s only one car brand I’ve seen where the interface is intuitive. Normally CarPlay is a requirement for me to buy a car, but I made an exception because it worked so well.
I think weirdly the higher end Niros don’t have wireless CarPlay and the lower end ones do. Current models anyway. My 2017 LX has wired only.
Not for me. Many infotainment systems look pretty but they are clunky and not very useful
Fair enough, if you need and use it a lot, but why is CarPlay so terrible looking?
It’s been a long time since I’ve used it, but it didn’t seem ugly to me. It was a rental and it seemed good but it was only for a week. To me it looked like a larger iPhone screen on the car screen. Knowing Apple, I’m sure they haven’t changed it since I tried it years ago, so I’m sure it needs an update.
I just like it because I can put my GPS from my phone right to the screen on the car and have my music playing on the same screen and control both. That was my reason for liking it. I’m a function is more important than looks kind of person. I’ve used so many car infotainment center screens for navigation and they are not fun.
The car I have now doesn’t have CarPlay but that’s perfectly fine for me.
People saying auto manufacturers don't need carplay...HARD disagree. I don't think i've gotten along with any OEM infotainment system since iDrive 6.
Far too many buttons or taps nowadays to get the simplest of things done. Even adjusting climate control is a pain.
And for some reason they all cheap out on SoC, so the whole thing is laggy.
At this point, i refuse to own a car without CarPlay or Android Auto (or means to add it on).
I just want easy access to maps, music, podcasts, and phonebook. And both remain best in class imo...above any OEM system
Far too many buttons or taps nowadays to get the simplest of things done. Even adjusting climate control is a pain.
And for some reason they all cheap out on SoC, so the whole thing is laggy.
At this point, i refuse to own a car without CarPlay or Android Auto (or means to add it on).
I just want easy access to maps, music, podcasts, and phonebook. And both remain best in class imo...above any OEM system
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Not at all. In fact, having CarPlay on any of those screens would look jarringly out of place and downright ugly. That’s how I feel when CP shows on my BMW’s display.