Apple Continues to Prepare for Next-Generation CarPlay in iOS 18.2 Beta

[MacRumors]

It has been nearly two and a half years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. Fortunately, though, Apple continues to work on the software system.

Within the code for the third beta of iOS 18.2 seeded to developers today, there are redesigned "Climate" and "Media" app icons for next-generation CarPlay, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The fact that Apple has redesigned the icons, first added in iOS 17.4, indicates the company is still preparing to launch the new CarPlay.

The redesigned next-generation CarPlay icons​

Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay support will "arrive in 2024," but it has yet to provide a more specific timeframe. Aston Martin and Porsche previewed next-generation CarPlay vehicle designs in December 2023, but neither automaker has released any vehicles with support yet.

Apple last publicly referenced next-generation CarPlay in WWDC 2024 coding sessions in June.

Below, we have recapped what to expect from next-generation CarPlay.

New Features

Next-generation CarPlay will have deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster, climate controls, FM radio, and more. It will also support multiple displays across the dashboard, and offer widgets for apps like Calendar and Weather.

In addition, next-generation CarPlay will be highly customizable, allowing automakers to tailor the design of the system to uniquely match their vehicles.

Instrument Cluster Integration

Next-generation CarPlay will integrate with a vehicle's instrument cluster, including the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, and more. Apple says drivers will be able to choose from several gauge cluster designs and layouts, including brand‑specific options.

Climate Controls

You'll be able to access your vehicle's climate controls directly within the new CarPlay interface, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the A/C or heat, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and other options.

Multi-Display Support

Next-generation CarPlay will be able to appear across all of the displays in a vehicle, providing a consistent experience across the infotainment system, instrument cluster, and any additional screens on the dashboard. Apple says the new CarPlay will be tailored to each vehicle model to accommodate unique screen shapes and layouts.

Widgets

Widgets will be a key part of the new CarPlay experience, offering at-a-glance information such as trip duration, fuel economy, distance traveled, calendar events, weather, phone calls, the status of a HomeKit-enabled garage door, and more. It will also be possible to view and scroll through the widgets within the instrument cluster.

FM Radio App

Next-generation CarPlay will include an all-new Media app that allows you to easily control the FM radio in your vehicle, such as to change the station.

New Apps

Earlier this year, iOS 17.4 added hidden code-level references to eight new CarPlay apps:

• Auto Settings: This app will let you manage paired iPhones and adjust vehicle settings.
• Car Camera: This app will display the vehicle's rear-view camera feed.
• Charge: For electric vehicles, this app will display battery level, charging status, time remaining until the battery is fully charged, and more.
• Climate: This app will provide access to a vehicle's climate controls within CarPlay, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the A/C or heating system, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and more.
• Closures: This app will display if any of the vehicle's doors are opened, and it might also display vehicle warning symbols.
• Media: This app will provide access to FM and AM radio station controls within CarPlay, along with other media options like SiriusXM. It is unclear if SiriusXM will offer satellite connectivity, or remain limited to internet streaming. Users will be able to select from a list of music genres, such as Top 40 and Rock.
• Tire Pressure: This app will display air pressure for each of the vehicle's tires, and provide low pressure, high pressure, and flat tire warnings.
• Trips: This app will provide a variety of driving-related data, including the vehicle's average speed, fuel efficiency or energy efficiency, the total time elapsed and distance traveled on a trip, and more.

Committed Automakers

Aston Martin's next-generation CarPlay preview from December 2023​

When it first announced next-generation CarPlay, Apple said the following automakers were committed to offering it in new vehicles... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Apple Continues to Prepare for Next-Generation CarPlay in iOS 18.2 Beta

 

[techyOS]

never thought i'd see the day where the ios 8 itunes radio icon makes a comeback...

 

[newtestleper]

“This app will…”
“This app will…”
“This app will…”

Why not just write “<app name> will…”?

 

[anthogag]

Apple could still contract a Canadian group of companies to make an Apple Car EV.

 

[Biro]

Thank God Mazda isn’t on the list - yet anyway. I don’t want CarPlay reaching that deeply into the operation of my vehicle. I simply want phone mirroring on a single screen.

 

[iamsikora]

What about regular CarPlay thats in current cars, what is new there?

 

[timmodugdale]

While it is admirable that they continue to develop this enhanced CarPlay environment, I don't see the auto industry embracing this rapidly. It seems like an overreach for Apple in that it takes over the crappy but proprietary UI design of the auto maker.

 

[now i see it]

Next-generation CarPlay will have deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster

Which is why GM is bailing from it

 

[arthurgd3]

Thank God Mazda isn’t on the list - yet anyway. I don’t want CarPlay reaching that deeply into the operation of my vehicle. I simply want phone mirroring on a single screen.

Since Apple scrapped its in-house car plans, going the Google Android Automotive route seems like the next logical evolution. I don't mind the whole car system takeover of either platform so long as it's well done/well thoughtout but I've not driven a Android Automotive equipped car before to give me thoughts one way or the other but what I have read from others is mixed and it does depend on the car OEM also since in the case of Android Automotive, Google supplies the base architecture and features but the rest is up to the OEM to tailor it around their own UI and branding design language or certain brand or model specific features.

 

[Rychiar]

this is taking too long. I was hoping it would be in affordable cars by the time I need a new one

 

[BGPL]

GM made a mistake by not sticking with carplay. I can't be the only one that will opt for Ford over GM because of this.

 

[Kylo83]

why did they announce this years ago and its no where near ready

 

[CrysisDeu]

I am very bearish on Carplay 2.0, especially with early mocks and rumors.

VS native OS

The whole concept is too old school for a release targeting late 2020s. It’s still stuck on the basic functionalities.

There are a lot of things a CarOS can do, but CarPlay cannot. It simply won’t have the same level of control over the cars it’s going to support.

iOS works a lot better than Android because it only needs to support what Apple have in mind. Hence you have great functionality like dynamic island.

Carplay is the Android of Cars, but worse. It doesn’t have direct access to the hardwares, and depends on the auto makers to make those available to CarPlay to use. The final form will be abysmal compared to in house OS built by decent car companies.

I know people don’t like GM dropping car play. But more car companies will drop it and try to develop a better car OS. If they don’t do it, they will lose to competitors. The minimum a car company can do is build a skin based on Android Automotive.

The native OS of cars will be better in the upcoming years. And CarPlay will become irrelevant.

Just talking about carplay 2.0 mocks itself
If you actually take a look at the mocks Apple had for carplay 2.0. They don’t have a clue on what to show on a larger car screen.

The instrument cluster have UIs like traditional dials, but why on cars with full digital screens?

They don’t have any 3d digital twins of a car, which are a trend and actually very useful.

They don’t have self driving monitoring illustrations like how tesla is doing it.

No heads up display concepts.

And a lot of widgets just wasting space on the screen…
In the original mock, the music player takes the whole passenger screen. This really tells you how clueless they are on what CarPlay 2.0 should do with these screen estates, and just throwing stuff onto it to make it look “pretty”

I don’t blame whoever is working on it, because it’s an impossible job to build a carOS for every single car brand on the planet.

But I still think Apple should’ve built their own car, nail the OS and ecosystem integration, and provide incremental updates to CarPlay from what they’ve learned from their own CarOS.

The whole “2.0” naming felt very political. I am guessing a leadership change caused that.

 

[Unami]

I'm all for skeumorphism, but is it really a good idea for a media-icon in a car to look like a pocket radio from 50+ years ago? It's not like car-entertainment systems ever looked like that.

 

[SFjohn]

Which is why GM is bailing from it

GM is really shooting themselves in the foot. A lot of cars get sold to rental agencies, most people I know will only rent a car if it has CarPlay or Android Auto in it. Let alone those that are in the market for new cars… I suspect GM thinks it can create another income stream with the clunky job it’s doing. 😉

 

[AndiG]

Automakers car OSs are moving to fast - and - most car companies are running Android Automotive or its OSS variant AOSP direct on the hardware. Also Rivians RivianOS is based on Android Automotive.

Several Automakers were said to be in talks with Apple about running an iOS like baselayer, but Apple must have been to arrogant/greedy so nearly everone chooses Android Automotive.

Apple CarPlay ist interesting for users with no comparable Hw/Sw in their cars - but it is doomed to die, looking more and more awkward in comparison to the sleek and polished competition that is already built in.

 

[artifex]

I don't have carplay or the android thing in the current vehicles I drive.
Not looking forward to a future where environmental controls don't have some kind of haptic feedback so I can adjust them without looking away from the road. Same with the radio, though at least there many cars have volume and station change buttons on the wheel so you can feel something click.
Also, until I can get an actual self-driving car, I really shouldn't be interacting with schedules and calendars in a main screen, at least not while the car is in motion.

Oh, but I'll probably still want another moonroof, the easier to shake my fist at the clouds like the old man I am.

 

[spyderx]

I have a Porsche Taycan (2022) and the CarPlay integration and things you can 'control' on the car from the CarPlay interface seem to be a bit of a preview here to what is coming (like controlling fans and so forth). The EV routing integration with Apple Maps is also really good (ie it plans charging stops and routing)

We just picked up a Macan EV and its CarPlay is even better, with map integration on the central display, and routing information also displayed in central display and heads up.

Anyway, looking forward to the interface, car makers are pretty terrible at UI and I find myself sitting in the CarPlay only interfaces most of the time.

I also appreciate porsche has kept things like dedicated interfaces for volume, climate controls vs. burying them in menus.

 

[mansplains]

Thank God Mazda isn’t on the list - yet anyway. I don’t want CarPlay reaching that deeply into the operation of my vehicle. I simply want phone mirroring on a single screen.

Why mirror when you could achieve the same effect with a simple phone mount?

 

[LlamaLarry]

What about regular CarPlay thats in current cars, what is new there?

Yeah, all my vehicles have regular CarPlay which could still use some dressing up and improvements.

 

[Apple_Robert]

At this point, this is close to meaningless as far as 2024 is concerned.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Gen Alpha would be sooooo confused

 

[bigboy29]

Climate controls on the touch screen are still a bad idea, whether it is Apple who does it or VW or some other company. There is a reason why frequently used things should be something that can be touched without looking at it.

 

[Chungry]

Buttons are safer (and a mountain of research exists today so), I hope it doesn’t all go to screens. I’m not a fan of apples design language here either. It’s too reductive and not rich or descriptive enough. I want the car to have hallmarks of the manufacturer not look like a giant iPhone

 

[Col4bin]

Really love Apple Car Play in my vehicle as it’s centrally located on my stereo touchscreen. Not crazy about Apple trying to take over the entire dashboard visual experience though. Wouldn’t this require it to be tweaked to fit just about every make and model where offered? Seems excessive.