Apple Looking to Expand CarPlay With New Integrations for AC, Seats, Instrument Cluster, and More

[el-John-o]

Microsoft did this first with Ford in 2007. Ford Sync....

Ford Sync - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There are three huge issues with integrated infotainment.

1. Infotainment is usually developed fairly early in a 3-5 year car development cycle.

2. It is rarely updated during a specific vehicles generation (often 5-7 years)

3. The average age of a car on the road in the U.S. is 13 years.

If you go out and buy a brand new car, the stereo is 3+ years old already. If it's the 3rd or 4th year of that generation, it's 7 years old. The saving grace of CarPlay is that at least the software stays up to date, because these manufacturers rarely meaningfully update their systems. Navigation especially. You get the privilege of paying for a once a year unreliable map update and by the time your car needs its first oil change (okay that's a tiny bit of an exaggeration but not much), they've already discontinued it and you can't even buy more updates.

CarPlay is a killer feature (even if it's imperfect in implementation) mostly because the device in your pocket is likely newer than the car you're driving, and it definitely has newer software. So adding to that the functionalities of the car itself means drivers don't have to use the OEM software for anything if they don't want to.

 

[el-John-o]

Yeah... that's a good idea to let an OS to handle the car's AC and seats. Nothing will ever go wrong... sure.

Have they looked at iOS15 launch? Do you want that level of software quality controlling your car?

Alright.

So take a dev team a fraction of a fraction the size of Apple's and have THEM write an OS.

Because that's how it works on more and more cars today. Even if you have physical dials and buttons, it's all happening in software on modern vehicles...

 

[repoman016]

Whats the point of having functions i already have on the on-board infotainment? A cool idea will be a carplay connected to obd for real-time HP, Nm, g-meter etc.

So they can go wrong more frequently?

 

[Cam Elppa]

I just want wireless CarPlay to finally be the norm. Let alone integrating CarKey or anything more advanced like this. I can see car manufacturers more and more wanting to offer their own integrated services for extra revenue and locking out other offerings. So I think this would be a very difficult sell for Apple.

Also, am I the only one that does NOT want all vehicle controls to switch from physical buttons and dials to digital screens? I've driven a few vehicles with more and more touch controls and I personally dislike it. For me it's much quicker having the muscle memory knowing where everything is, or at the very least be able to feel my way around for a specific button or dial while keeping my attention on driving. Rather than having to worry about taking my eyes off the road to locate precisely where a certain control is. Making everything touch controls seems like a step backwards in functionality, not to mention safety.

I know it's pretty much inevitable that physical controls will eventually go away for digital in the car. But as much as I love technology, I think there are certain things that don't need to change anytime soon.

Apple don’t want you even using touch controls. They want you to use your voice to control what you want. Or skip a song rewind directions.

 

[falkon-engine]

One thing Apple should do is consider allowing apps like YouTube to play video while the car is parked. Like if I’m waiting on someone in a parking lot, why can’t I use video via carplay? The same screen can play video via hdmi… while the car is parked, so why not also via carplay? Just a thought.

 

[TechRemarker]

Great but imagine will be years until ready than many more years until most cars adopt it and then would only be presumably for news cars so many more years until the average person would actually be able to use. By then an apple car will probably be available.

 

[ignatius345]

This is fine, but those essential functions should also be accessible with real physical switches.

 

[diamond.g]

That could be true, but I think the main screens (i.e. when not running an app) on Android Automotive (AAOS) is unskinned, pure Android. Where it does lose it's control is secondary displays like the dashboard where manufacturers design the UI to include the usual info, e.g. speed, warning lights, but they can also incorporate data (such as speed limits) and output (e.g. mapping) from AAOS.

Well since the Polestar 2 is the only shipping vehicle with Android Automotive, we will have to wait and see if others looks the same or not.

 

[dwaltwhit]

Hopefully when I am due for a new car in about 5-6 years, all of this is hammered out. It feels like a long time off, but it also feels like it will take that long to get this done.

 

[adyonka]

The implementation of CarPlay on my 2020 Honda is so bad I have to reboot the infotainment hardware several times a day to get CarPlay to work at all. (And, yes, I have tried different cables and different devices running different versions of iOS. Always the same problems.)

Perhaps some reliability of existing features before expanding into new features would be a good idea.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

But will the manufacturers give up the control to Apple’s CarPlay? I don’t think so.

Honestly, I don't want them to either. Cars have a lot of redundancies and backup. Do I really want vital controls to only be operable at the whims of my phone's Wifi? Really, just because you can do it doesn't mean you should...

 

[Edsel]

And if I remember, it was a disaster.

Sorry if I don't want the computer (phone) that comes fresh from the factory with software that can't play music or use pervious unlock features (Apple Watch) controlling my car.

First time I plugged my 13 PM into my car, it wouldn't play music, and I had to nuke the settings to get it to work. No thanks. I don't need my heater or defroster or speedometer not working because someone didn't vet their software before their flagship product left the factory.

Cars don't sit around and wait for version 15.1 for these things to work

I agree. The complications of updating 10 year old vehicle processors can become a liability very quickly. I had purchased a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee that promised an advanced and easy-to-use/update touch screen info center. It sucked. OTA updates were inconsistent and unreliable. It forced you to return to the dealer and pay for firmware updates. Navigating the touch screen required sub-menus to use some HVAC settings. The radio would turn on every time you started the vehicle. No way to permanently stop that "feature". I actually gave the vehicle away to a family member. I was so happy to be rid of it.

 

[zone23]

The reality is you could implement a system just like you have now for the radio. No phone, system defaults to its factory installed system, plug your phone in and you have Apple or of course Google interface because Android will have it too. Not like without the phone you dash wont work..

 

[ELman]

So this will be announced and it will take 5 years before it appears in the first car.

 

[siddavis]

This makes little sense to me, but perhaps I just don't have the vision. With CarPlay, we are bringing phone functions to the car, or at least to the screen(s) we interact with in the car. Why do I need to bring car functions to the phone? Why would I want the basic interior controls of the vehicle dependent on having a phone with me? What if I just want to run to the store real quick and forget my phone at home. If it's freezing outside, do I just have to suck it up? Also, I keep cars around 10 years or so and maybe buy them when they are already 5 years old. So are we assured of 15-25 year compatibility? Considering the iPhone itself is only ~14 years old as a product, that seems insane.

 

[erinsarah]

No thanks. CarPlay isn’t the most reliable thing. My car is wireless and doesn’t connect immediately in most cases.

You seem to have a problem with the idea of it being 120 degrees out, and suddenly your AC has crashed and can only be restarted once you get off the highway.

 

[beanbaguk]

You think you do, and I thought so, too.. but it’s eating the battery like c-r-a-z-y. For very short trips it’s ok. For long trips i always plug it in.

Tell me about it. I retrofitted it to my wife's 2 series BMW which didn't come with CarPlay. Works great, but you need to have it always connected.

On my 5 series with wireless charger and wireless CarPlay, it barely charges the battery on trips and I usually find on a 1-hour journey, I'm lucky to get an extra 4-5% extra on top of what it currently has.

 

[Edsel]

There are three huge issues with integrated infotainment.

1. Infotainment is usually developed fairly early in a 3-5 year car development cycle.

2. It is rarely updated during a specific vehicles generation (often 5-7 years)

3. The average age of a car on the road in the U.S. is 13 years.

If you go out and buy a brand new car, the stereo is 3+ years old already. If it's the 3rd or 4th year of that generation, it's 7 years old. The saving grace of CarPlay is that at least the software stays up to date, because these manufacturers rarely meaningfully update their systems. Navigation especially. You get the privilege of paying for a once a year unreliable map update and by the time your car needs its first oil change (okay that's a tiny bit of an exaggeration but not much), they've already discontinued it and you can't even buy more updates.

CarPlay is a killer feature (even if it's imperfect in implementation) mostly because the device in your pocket is likely newer than the car you're driving, and it definitely has newer software. So adding to that the functionalities of the car itself means drivers don't have to use the OEM software for anything if they don't want to.

Will Apple still be committed to updating Car Play for a 13-year-old vehicle? How does one secure a 13-year-old vehicle processor and its old firmware/OS? I see a lot of liability issues. Will we discard vehicles as quickly as we retire seven-year-old computers?

I'm fascinated by the forthcoming EV's and their focus on real-time navigation with passenger comfort.

 

[kevinws]

Will Apple still be committed to updating Car Play for a 13-year-old vehicle? How does one secure a 13-year-old vehicle processor and its old firmware/OS? I see a lot of liability issues. Will we discard vehicles as quickly as we retire seven-year-old computers?

I'm fascinated by the forthcoming EV's and their focus on real-time navigation with passenger comfort.

I was just about to post this a similar question. I tend buy 3 or 4 year old lower millage vehicles. And keep them until they are just more expensive to fix than replace. Will I still be able to use my iPhone 19 on my 2018 GTi. I don't have one but I am in the market.

 

[DblHelix]

I would use it all the time if 1. More integrated with radio and other functions of my car and 2. If it had offline maps so it could work when in rural areas

 

[mmikuta]

This is a natural progression for Apple’s car initiatives. Most car UI’s are terrible anyways, at the very least from the look and feel. But the manufacturers lose a key part of their “brand” look if they cede the central visual element to Apple. Then flip side could be Apple might provide it at a more competitive cost and eventually offer future integration into their autonomous car driving tech where the big money is to be made.

 

[Squillace]

And if I remember, it was a disaster.

Sorry if I don't want the computer (phone) that comes fresh from the factory with software that can't play music or use pervious unlock features (Apple Watch) controlling my car.

First time I plugged my 13 PM into my car, it wouldn't play music, and I had to nuke the settings to get it to work. No thanks. I don't need my heater or defroster or speedometer not working because someone didn't vet their software before their flagship product left the factory.

Cars don't sit around and wait for version 15.1 for these things to work

Geez you are blind !

I agree with you in the way that I don't trust the phone's software to be 100% reliable, either.
BUT: nobody talked about CarPlay taking over the car controls. OF COURSE you can still rotate the temperature knob if the software fails. OF COURSE you can still press the button to turn on the A/C if the software doesn't.
Just like I can skip a track by touching the screen on the music app but also click the "Next" button on my drive wheel. Just like I can just stand my ass up and switch off the lights of my house when the Philips Hue system or Homekit crashes.

These things are not one or another. Since the beginning, CarPlay is just a layer for iPhone controls. This would be a layer for car controls.

 

[jaytv111]

Will Apple still be committed to updating Car Play for a 13-year-old vehicle? How does one secure a 13-year-old vehicle processor and its old firmware/OS? I see a lot of liability issues. Will we discard vehicles as quickly as we retire seven-year-old computers?

I'm fascinated by the forthcoming EV's and their focus on real-time navigation with passenger comfort.

Carplay is a protocol, and Apple handles all the updates on their end in iOS. They don't need the car to update anything to continue to work. The car is basically like a monitor and keyboard, do you update your monitors and keyboards? Until Apple changes the Carplay protocol it will still work. As for security, if you're using wired Carplay you get pretty reasonable security for all time (someone needs physical access to get anything), but wireless, well, Wi-Fi built today isn't gonna be secure for all time unfortunately (just look to WEP for instance). So hopefully wired Carplay is a fallback that will be included even for wireless Carplay cars and when the time comes that WPA2 is broken entirely and you're worried about your security just use wired Carplay.

 

[bradman83]

When you have an IQ charging pad in the car, like I do, having wireless car play would be nice. Just have to take the phone out of the pocket and drop it on the pad, but no cable to connect.

Many vehicle built in charging pads only support fairly low wattages. The one in my car isn’t powerful enough to keep up with the power draw of running wireless CarPlay and the battery still drains, but at least not as fast. It doesn’t help that the 13 Pro’s camera bump is so huge that it makes it easier for road vibrations to move the phone and lose the wireless charge connection. If I were to take a long road trip I’d probably just plug it in. At least the car has a USB-C port. Progress!

 

[Truckondo]

The implementation of CarPlay on my 2020 Honda is so bad I have to reboot the infotainment hardware several times a day to get CarPlay to work at all. (And, yes, I have tried different cables and different devices running different versions of iOS. Always the same problems.)

Perhaps some reliability of existing features before expanding into new features would be a good idea.

Honda’s infotainment software is bad in general. My wife had an issue with her 2020 odyssey where the head unit froze and would not turn off even after shutting down the car. After some googling, I found out you could reboot the system by plugging in a usb keyboard and pressing “ctrl-alt-delete” to restart it. Not a joke. I wound up bringing that keyboard on a long trip just in case it happened again.