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

[Tozovac]

It’s silly to form any opinions without seeing a finished product, but good Lord do I hope any car with expanded CarPlay, should it come to be, retains physical buttons for seats, HVAC, windows, etc. My biggest gripe about Apple interfaces for the past decade or so is burying too much info and controls beneath layers of icons or off screen. At some point, you lose the plot by making things less convenient to get to than before, even if cloaked under the so-called advantage of access to 20+ buttons reduced down to a single small screen.

 

[guzhogi]

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.

Looks like you can download updates for at least some Honda vehicles' sound systems: https://owners.honda.com/vehicles/subscriptions-downloads-updates

I had a few issues with My Toyota Prius' sound system, and they have a similar system. Download a file from their web site, copy it to a usb flash drive, and plug the drive into the USB of my car. The display in my car then showed what steps to do to update software. It's not 100% perfect, but it's good enough for me at the moment. Unfortunately, Toyota stopped the updates for my specific model of car years ago.

 

[Pirate!]

everything is already where it should be from almost a century. Touch control (tesla style) or even worse, navigating menus for doing simple stuff like rotating the AC knob? No thanks! I prefer the old school way while i drive (fast)

Physical buttons are much easier to use and generally better located. I have a digital dash and second screen, I have to navigate at least three or four key presses just to reset the trip odometer. There are several other similar “features” in the digital environment only now. The problem with moving all this into CarPlay is that it’s so many more buttons in a relatively tiny place that will now need to be buried under menus (yes, I know some screens are huge now and can display more information at once).

 

[Kabeyun]

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.

Wireless charging.

 

[DotCom2]

Start with fixing the connection issues with CarPlay. Let users launch a "CarPlay Mode" directly on their iPhones without need for a head unit.

That would be awesome on the new iPad mini!

 

[adyonka]

Looks like you can download updates for at least some Honda vehicles' sound systems: https://owners.honda.com/vehicles/subscriptions-downloads-updates

I had a few issues with My Toyota Prius' sound system, and they have a similar system. Download a file from their web site, copy it to a usb flash drive, and plug the drive into the USB of my car. The display in my car then showed what steps to do to update software. It's not 100% perfect, but it's good enough for me at the moment. Unfortunately, Toyota stopped the updates for my specific model of car years ago.

Thank you for pointing this out. Unfortunately my vehicle is not included.

 

[ahostmadsen]

So, I tried to have Siri send a text message: "Yes, you should go." In every attempt Siri got "Yes, you should call." I tried, "Yes you should go there" which Siri got as "Yes you should go now." Gave up. Then I tried my car's built-in text message system. Perfect transcription in first attempt.

Why is Siri so poor?

 

[russweb72]

Apple is looking to expand CarPlay's functionality to include controls for core car functions such as the air conditioning system, radio, speedometer, seats, and more, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The project, internally codenamed "IronHeart," is still in its early stages but would include Apple working with carmakers to expand CarPlay's functionality to control core car functions. Beyond apps for music and navigation, CarPlay doesn't let users control any aspect of the car itself. This new iPhone-based project would be looking to change that.
The report lists several different car functions that CarPlay could display in the future, including inside and outside temperature and humidity readings, seats and armrests, instrument cluster, and controls for the cars built-in speakers.

Bloomberg says Apple's CarPlay strategy is similar to that of its Home and Health offerings, where the company has consolidated users' information into single apps on their iPhone. With "IronHeart," CarPlay would be a more comprehensive system for users to control their vehicle without having to switch between CarPlay and the car's control system.

Ultimately, while Apple is rumored to be building its own car, CarPlay and any of its plans would require the cooperation of carmakers. As today's report notes, Apple has struggled to convince some carmakers to adopt certain features of CarPlay into their vehicles.
Apple recently tapped Kevin Lynch, who was previously an important part of developing watchOS, to lead the Apple Car team, but following several departures, doubts are starting to arise about whether Apple will ever release its own vehicle.

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

I would just like a weather app for radar. Or a radar overlay on maps.

 

[NightFox]

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.

The new Renault Megane also uses AAOS and is unskinned, so that will probably also apply to Nissan and Mitsubishi. The same goes for Volvo cars that already feature AAOS, but they're part of Geely as is Polestar. As you say, time will tell but I suspect most manufacturers will be more than happy to just forget about the infotainment system and leave it all to Google.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Kind of unbelievable that Apple, the company that likes wireless so much didn't make CarPlay wireless-only from the start.

If Apple made it wireless-only, there wouldn’t have been a lot of CarPlay. Wireless only to my understanding requires a WiFi enabled head unit which, back in the day, there were very few car manufacturers (if any) that were doing it.

 

[xpxp2002]

Would be nice if Apple would just pull the outdoor temp from the Weather app into the CarPlay sidebar where the time and signal strength are.

Seeing the current outdoor temp is the only thing I have to navigate away from CarPlay to my infotainment system's crappy UI to check.

Also, didn't Apple just drop a bunch of APIs for the iPhone or Siri to interface with car climate controls? Seems like they're literally looking to reinvent the wheel.

 

[mlody]

I wish apple would ensure that CarPlay implantations follow proper standards and meet set requirements instead of jumping on something new. Hoping between cars that have Carplay, the experience can be jarring. You might find yourself in a vehicle with a knob/ trackwheel to navigate, or worse silly trackpad, or touch screen that could be widescreen or not - and then there is wireless Carplay and wired. There are too many options for CarPlay to be a mediocre experience, and I think Apple should ensure that every car implementation after a specific model year offers at minimum touch interface and wireless capabilities to unify end user experience; otherwise, the manufacturer does not get a license to use the CarPlay.

 

[Pro Apple Silicon]

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.

What's the point of adding more digital functions period? When space is not a concern. I greatly prefer vehicles to still have tactile hardware controls for as many things as possible. Moving things into digital is not better. We only do this to save space in technology products. Obviously mobile devices have little-to-no hardware controls anymore for this reason. But a vehicle's center console is not lacking for space.

 

[guzhogi]

Thank you for pointing this out. Unfortunately my vehicle is not included.

Boo! I knew some manufacturers let users download updates for some of their cars, so might as well check.

 

[Robert.Walter]

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

Ford Sync - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Alas, the poor poor Ford Sync, the sync that often didn’t sync, that several Ford CEO’s had to apologize for and throw a kitchen sink of effort at to fix.

Edit: might also add that Ford was so invested (or contractually locked in?) in Sync that it delayed their moving to integrate CarPlay.

Will be interesting to see if the current Ford CEO allows the same mistake to repeat; he accepted that Ford shouldn’t waste internal resources on developing such systems in a poor way and instead inked a deal for Android Auto to be Fords backbone.

Is Ford so locked in again that if expanded Car Play takes off in the industry it will be without Ford?

 

[diamond.g]

What's the point of adding more digital functions period? When space is not a concern. I greatly prefer vehicles to still have tactile hardware controls for as many things as possible. Moving things into digital is not better. We only do this to save space in technology products. Obviously mobile devices have little-to-no hardware controls anymore for this reason. But a vehicle's center console is not lacking for space.

Sometimes you don't know what digital function you are going to add, so having a physical button isn't possible. (Sentry Mode and Dog/Camping Mode come to mind)

 

[_Spinn_]

Sounds cool but I wonder if car manufacturers will actually cooperate with Apple on this.

 

[PC_tech]

The actual Apple Car project?

That's my thinking, Apple isn't releasing an actual car.

 

[SamB_]

I absolutely LOATHE having to switch screens, or even touch a screen at all, to adjust seat heaters, HVAC, etc. FFS buttons that don't move are SO much better, and safer. I wouldn't mind being able to voice control some of those things if it worked well, but for the love of god stop removing the dedicated switches and buttons!

 

[beerseagulls]

ever since I took driver's ed more than 40 years ago, I knew that I hated driving....

no.. I want to be driven around.... walk up to a car and the door opens... I get it and say "take me to the my mistress's condo" and it automatically drives me there while I take a nice 15-minute nap

how many more years do I gotta wait before that becomes reality?

 

[nimitz9]

Automakers are afraid to give up control of this technology, and future yet to be even thought of revenue opportunities, to Apple. The IBM giving up software ownership to Microsoft is a decision no company wants to repeat.

 

[code-m]

The actual Apple Car project?

With the questionable QC/QA recently with Apple, I am not sure this is a good idea.

 

[code-m]

ever since I took driver's ed more than 40 years ago, I knew that I hated driving....

no.. I want to be driven around.... walk up to a car and the door opens... I get it and say "take me to the my mistress's condo" and it automatically drives me there while I take a nice 15-minute nap

how many more years do I gotta wait before that becomes reality?

With Apple and Siri the car will drive you to a “mattress shop” to purchase a much needed mattress as you are finding the car’s seats comfortable enough to sleep. 😂

 

[code-m]

Just don’t try playing music while the AC is going. Will likely crash the whole system.

With Siri it will turn the heat and heated seats in the heat of summer and A/C with cooled seats in the dead of winter. 😝

 

[MozMan68]

I don;t think most in this thread understand what they are trying to do here.

Yes...they MAY want to give you the ability to set or request information via Siri ("Hey Siri, how many miles before my fuel tank is empty?), but I think the main integration they are looking for is visual.

While higher end cars use multiple or extremely wide screens to display information, most only utilize a 6"-10" single screen for CarPlay, or in the case of Chrysler, CarPlay within an OEM border with additional information (so ugly IMHO)>

If the manufacturer's agree, CarPlay can access the info that they currently display on a separate screen or in the gauge cluster. It could help clean-up the overall display and yes, maybe add Siri access for some features, but not limit controls to Siri only...that's just ridiculous. Not everyone uses a smart phone or even an Apple smartphone. Siri won't be responsible for your speedometer, environmental controls, etc. It will only have access to display them or use their data to help with other CarPlay functions like Maps.