I wonder how long it will be before we see aftermarket headunits supporting this.
In theory they should be cheap as it seems like the screen is 'dumb' and everything is powered by the phone itself meaning the headunit is only really a screen and an amplifier.
There are a lot of "digital only" head units out there (they are just there to take in Bluetooth/USB audio and pipe it to your stereo, with some rudimentary phone controls), although typically not with the large screen feedback (certainly not to the level seen here).
Personally, I'm happy controlling my audio on my phone and/or the physical button controls for simpler prev/next track navigation along with infrequent Siri use (would be more frequent if Siri supported Waze...). It is always in a predictable place except when handed to a passenger to control.
I don't see how reaching across to the centrally-located radio is "less distracting" (according to the commercial inserted here) than clicking on a smaller but more reachable and self-orienting screen right next to the steering wheel.
The main problem is focal distance, and radios are at a much nearer focal distance than a heads-up display or certainly the road in front of you; this is why there are the many hated restrictions on promoting anything visually-oriented while driving (including changing the thermostat, sadly). So, if you want "distraction-free" you need to be using the physical buttons, typically those on your steering wheel if you have them (and they are spread out enough to not require visual navigation).
... which is what after-market stereos already provide, of course.
(Note: Siri is also lower-distraction, although requires more cognitive processing to deal with (and periodic visual confirmation) than physical buttons. I'd note that Siri integration is available across the board on digital-ready aftermarket head units.)
I like the idea of a large glance-ready screen, and being able to interact with the screen by touch is a nice perk when stationary or sitting in the passenger seat. I just don't agree with the marketing here which shows using this large touchscreen and claiming it is less distracting than any other touchscreen. Physical knobs are less distracting (although still a pretty significant distraction, as shown in countless scientific studies). Touchscreens always require and/or significantly invite visual navigation, which is a huge distraction from the road; the only mitigation possible is making the touchscreen closer to the visual field of the road.
Overall, this seems like an incremental advance. Nowhere near as revolutionary as the old "dock connector" integrations were back when (even though they appear absolutely retro these days), but still moving in the positive direction. I can't see anyone really making a car-buying decision based on the presence of CarPlay, though.
