Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles.

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CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation infotainment system via a software update in the coming weeks. Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said:

iPhone users love CarPlay, and it has transformed how people connect with their vehicles. With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers, we are reimagining the in-car experience, making it even more unified and consistent. This next generation of CarPlay gives drivers a smarter, safer way to use their iPhone in the car, while deeply integrating with the car's systems and showcasing the unique look and feel of each automaker. We are excited to kick off the rollout of CarPlay Ultra with Aston Martin — and this is just the beginning, with more automakers on the way.

CarPlay Ultra is designed to bring a consistent look and feel to the entire driving experience. It integrates more directly with the vehicle to provide information on all of the driver's screens, featuring real-time content and gauges in the instrument cluster with options for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and more.

Drivers can choose to display information from the iPhone, such as maps and media, alongside information from the vehicle, such as advanced driver assistance systems and tire pressure.

Moreover, drivers can use on-screen controls, physical buttons, and Siri to navigate through and operate standard vehicle functions such as radio and climate, as well as vehicle-specific features like audio system configurations or performance settings, all within the CarPlay Ultra system.

CarPlay Ultra also offers iPhone-style widgets that the user can configure to their liking, allowing them to get information at a glance, such as upcoming calendar events, weather conditions, and more.

Automakers can reflect their unique look and feel of their brand in the CarPlay Ultra experience with custom themes that "feel tailor-made for each vehicle." Drivers can also personalize the wallpapers and colors of themes to match their individual preferences. Aston Martin said:

Aston Martin is delighted to have collaborated with Apple and to be first to launch CarPlay Ultra. As a brand, our focus on world-leading performance goes beyond the traditional attributes associated with powertrains, dynamic performance, and craftsmanship. The integration of CarPlay Ultra is a clear example of the dedication to collaborate with the best companies in the world to bring unique experiences and in-vehicle capabilities to our customers. Building on our in-house state-of-the-art infotainment system, CarPlay Ultra will provide additional functionality and personalization opportunities, which place Aston Martin at the forefront of infotainment in the sector.

CarPlay Ultra is available for new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada, and will expand to include vehicles globally in the next year. Existing Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada that contain the automaker's next-generation infotainment system will be eligible for a software update available at local dealers to add support for CarPlay Ultra in the coming weeks. CarPlay Ultra now features on Aston Martin's homepage.

Other automakers around the world are still working to bring CarPlay Ultra to drivers, according to Apple. Newly committed brands include Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra works with the iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later.

Article Link: Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

 

[MacUserFella]

“Better delayed then cancelled”

- Apple, 2025

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Gotta have car play ultra. I’ll put my order in for an Aston Martin.

 

[neuropsychguy]

The chance this is coming to my car is somewhere between 0.00% and 0.000000000000%. I have a 13 year old Toyota so maybe it's time to buy an Aston Martin (j/k).

 

[germanbeer007]

too bad any car company that adopts this will die from Tesla basically owning the car market.

 

[baconcat_8964]

Finally we can see how it works outside a emulator.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

omg it exists!

 

[pcd213]

Purchasing my Aston Martin DB7 on my Apple Card using Buy Now Pay Later

 

[johannnn]

Amazing technology, that will be in 1 car models. Maybe 2 car models by next year? lol

 

[ELman]

Glad to see CarPlay Ultra is coming to auto brands (Kia-Hyundai) that the average person can afford.

 

[HouseLannister]

Hoping to get another 5 years out of my 2011 Prius, so by then maybe I can get this in a Hyundai or Kia hybrid.

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

Finally, your car can be part of your apple products ecosystem, with your widgets and customizations, feels like it belongs.

OTA Control with a dedicated widget on your iPhone/iPad/Mac, CarKey in the wallet app and FindMy support & it will be an amazing experience.

 

[AdamHarbour]

So its avaible on 100 or so cars in the USA! Well done. Apple corners the market in innovation …… does it allow Siri to ask ChatGPT what day it is ?

 

[Valve1138]

That’s nice.

Can they fix Siri please.

Half the time I ask it, in my car, to play one of my playlists, it can’t.

It either says there is a connection problem, or it tries to turn on lights in my house.

 

[diego.caraballo]

 

[Xand&Roby]

Ultra late?

Get an iPad mini, even the first released, and it will certainly do more than any CarPlay Mega Ultra Pro Max.

And I say this using CarPlay and Siri in the car since they exist, never purchase was more useless.

 

[Strigoi]

They just had to name it Ultra.. nonetheless, glad to see these kinds of upgrades.

 

[Supermacguy]

Whomever did the mockups I think doesn't quite know cars well enough. For the tire gauge example, 41 psi front and 45 psi rear is a recipe for disaster in nearly every car or SUV. (rears should never be that much higher unless maybe you're towing something, and most cars/trucks are normally around 32-36 psi).

 

[Frantisekj]

I think they supriced many after number of flops.

 

[kingrikk]

I wonder if there's any coincidence between the F1 film and this happening on an Aston Martin? "If you take this, we'll show your cars more"

 

[kingrikk]

Whomever did the mockups I think doesn't quite know cars well enough. For the tire gauge example, 41 psi front and 45 psi rear is a recipe for disaster in nearly every car or SUV. (rears should never be that much higher unless maybe you're towing something, and most cars/trucks are normally around 32-36 psi).

My electric car has 45 on the rear and 41 on the front. It's a normal sort of car (Polestar 2)

 

[cocky jeremy]

So, how far back will Audi add this? Hopefully to 2021 models.

 

[wonderings]

that HUGE Aston Martin community is going to be pumped for this update! I always love how Apple is trying to make life better for the average person, their commitment to making the world a better place (for those who can afford it) is super admirable.

 

[kiranmk2]

The chance this is coming to my car is somewhere between 0.00% and 0.000000000000%. Time to buy an Aston Martin (j/k).

Amazing technology, that will be in 1 car models. Maybe 2 car models by next year? lol

Hoping to get another 5 years out of my 2011 Prius, so by then maybe I can get this in a Hyundai or Kia hybrid.

So it avaible on 100 or so cars in the USA! Well done. Apple corners the market in innovation …… does it allow Siri to ask ChatGPT what day it is ?

My guess is that this will mostly feature in the niche brands. The mass market brands are likely going to want to push their own systems to gather customer data and/or sell them subscriptions. I'll be very interested to see whether Hyndai/Kia ever actually implement this.

 

[timber]

Although Aston Martin has access to Mercedes systems it's perhaps one of the few brands were this is irrelevant to purchase decisions and at the same time there isn't a large parent company with their own priorities.