CarPlay Ultra Solves One of Regular CarPlay's Biggest Limitations

[MacRumors]

The next generation of CarPlay is finally starting to roll out, and it includes a new feature that solves one of regular CarPlay's longstanding limitations.

Apple last week announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, and it offers a Radio app, allowing you to control AM and FM radio stations within CarPlay. With regular CarPlay, you must switch between CarPlay and your vehicle's built-in software interface to control the radio, so CarPlay Ultra will be more convenient for this purpose.

CarPlay Ultra's built-in Radio app can also be used to control satellite radio stations, but this is less notable given that SiriusXM already offers a CarPlay app.

Apple shared an image of the SiriusXM experience within the Radio app, but unfortunately it did not provide a look at the AM/FM side of the app.

Apple did preview the FM radio controls when it first announced next-generation CarPlay in 2022, but the design of the app has slightly changed since then.

CarPlay Ultra also has a Climate app with climate controls, allowing you to adjust your vehicle's temperature and fan speeds within CarPlay.

CarPlay Ultra is rolling out in new and select existing Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, so it is currently limited to one luxury brand. Apple promised that many other automakers around the world will offer CarPlay Ultra over the next year, with the list of committed brands including Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and others.

To learn more about CarPlay Ultra, read our earlier coverage of Apple's announcement.

Article Link: CarPlay Ultra Solves One of Regular CarPlay's Biggest Limitations

 

[TheLinkster]

I'm not sure it's solved anything until it's available in a car that costs less than $100,000.

 

[MrRom92]

iPhones should get an AM/FM radio app

 

[Blackstick]

Radio? How quaint. Around here it's either 20 mins of songs and 40 mins of ads/talk, sports or the worst "boomer-take" political banter you can imagine.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Why would I listen to the radio in 2025?

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Where has Apple said Kia/Hyundai/Genesis are coming "within the next year"? I've seen MacRumors mention this a couple times now but I've not seen a timeline out of Apple's mouth. Just that they were committed.

Because "within the next year" would imply 2026 model years because 2027 model years aren't dropping for over a year.

 

[Shurs]

Internet Radio apps are firmly in the "just okay" category on iPhone. I've settled on Triode, after trying a bunch of other options, but I would love for Apple Music to get real internet radio integration instead of the taped together solution they use now in the app - features like metadata, album art and ability to add a song to you Apple Music library would be great, but I can see why they don’t do it as it could cannibalize Apple Music One (which fully has those features already).

 

[jz0309]

“biggest limitations” - hmmh, I stopped listening to AM/FM like 10 years ago, but hey, good for those who want this.
Are you saving up on that AstonMartin @Joe Rossignol ?

 

[Starship9]

So will some CarPlay ultra features carry over to old CarPlay, like weather?

Will aftermarket stereo makers be able to use CarPlay ultra?

 

[SirGadwall]

Holding out for the streamlined Carplay Air

 

[Rychiar]

I can't fathom wanting to listen to AM/FM radio. I quit that back in the 90s with the first mp3 discman 😂

 

[Nadav1]

The main app for a car is still the maps app and apple is just not up to par with google on that.

 

[Floofles]

Internet Radio apps are firmly in the "just okay" category on iPhone. I've settled on Triode, after trying a bunch of other options, but I would love for Apple Music to get real internet radio integration instead of the taped together solution they use now in the app - features like metadata, album art and ability to add a song to you Apple Music library would be great, but I can see why they don’t do it as it could cannibalize Apple Music One (which fully has those features already).

Use Broadcasts

‎Broadcasts

‎Listen to streaming internet radio in an ultra-simple, single-purpose app. Broadcasts makes building a library of stations from around the world easier than ever — no subscription required. Use completely free with a limited-size library of stations, or upgrade to the full version to unlock...

apps.apple.com

It’s 10 USD, works on all your devices, and has a wonderful CarPlay app. You just load it up with art, url, and name of each station, group ‘em how you like. It feels just at home alongside Apple’s own music and podcast apps.

 

[EugW]

I don't see CarPlay Ultra as a mainstream feature for a very long time, if ever, partially because it's too intrusive and partially because it's kinda gimmicky.

The main app for a car is still the maps app and apple is just not up to par with google on that.

I partially agree, but now that I have a new car with Wireless CarPlay, I've been using Apple Maps more often than I was before, because the voice directions provided by Apple Maps are better than Google's, and because Apple Maps' turn directions are incorporated in my 2025 Camry's head up display. They are not there when Google Maps is used.

 

[bviktor]

People actually still listen to the radio? Last time I tried was maybe 15 years ago, browsing through went like this:

- commercials
- news
- morning talk show cr@p
- commercials
- pop trash
- commercials
- prayers
- the same news as 30 minutes ago
- commercials

Why would you do that to yourself

 

[dbc34]

I partially agree, but now that I have a new car with Wireless CarPlay, I've been using Apple Maps more often than I was before, because the voice directions provided by Apple Maps are better than Google's, and because Apple Maps' turn directions are incorporated in my 2025 Camry's head up display. They are not there when Google Maps is used.

I wonder if they would be if you had an android and were using Android Auto.

 

[EugW]

I wonder if they would be if you had an android and were using Android Auto.

I suspect they might be, but I can't test that since I don't have an Android phone.

 

[DblHelix]

So we have all the cool kids in here who
1. Hate ads and at the same time still want content
2. Never go anywhere remote enough that they won’t have internet and never forget to download songs or pack a usb stick with music on it
3. Listen to only their curated music never discovering any new music.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Radio? How quaint. Around here it's either 20 mins of songs and 40 mins of ads/talk, sports or the worst "boomer-take" political banter you can imagine.

Do you not have any decent local stations? We have an AMAZING local non-profit station, with no commercials, that even hosts a weekly free concert series in the summer, plus just good tunes and in-studio artist interviews...not to mention the college and high school run stations.

It was the same in the last couple places I lived.

People actually still listen to the radio? Last time I tried was maybe 15 years ago, browsing through went like this:

- commercials
- news
- morning talk show cr@p
- commercials
- pop trash
- commercials
- prayers
- the same news as 30 minutes ago
- commercials

Why would you do that to yourself

Because not all stations are even remotely like that.

 

[EugW]

So we have all the cool kids in here who
1. Hate ads and at the same time still want content
2. Never go anywhere remote enough that they won’t have internet and never forget to download songs or pack a sub stock with music on it
3. Listen to only their curated music never discovering any new music.

2. In many remote areas in Canada for example, you're just as likely to lose coverage from decent radio stations as you are to lose cellular access. BTW, I remember way back when I was driving across the US and Canada, my car only had radio, and one of the days was the day the police were slow chasing OJ Simpson in his white Bronco. Aside from the occasional country music station, ALL of the radio stations that I could access on the highway in nowheresville USA only had a live news report of the chase. It was horrible, as I'm not much of a country music fan.

3. In my car, I still listen to the radio mainly, but it's easy to discover new music on streaming services. In fact, I'd argue it's easier on the streaming services to discover new music than it is on the radio.

 

[Nilhum]

Radio feels quite archaic with Spotify and Apple Music on the market.

 

[Hank001]

Huh? Why would anyone care for the temp when driving? Wouldn't the weather conditions be way more informative? I would like to know if there's rain, gale, thunder et cetera along my route. What's this? "Let's add some random info on people car displays".

 

[avatar77]

Despite all the radio naysayers, I enjoy the mindless channel flipping of SiriusXM, and it's not dependent on a data connection. I often hear songs I like but would not have played if I was using Spotify (which I do as well). Controlling SiriusXM in CarPlay is long overdue - and no, the CarPlay app experience is not the same as having actual satellite radio in the car. Using the app requires a data connection, and changing channels takes significantly longer.

 

[DanteHicks79]

Most of the people commenting seemingly have unlimited data plans; for those of us who don't, it's nice to not burn through allotment by not having to use the SiriusXM app.

 

[brijazz]

I got my first CarPlay-equipped vehicle last month and am baffled by one omission. You can set a Reminder to fire when'Getting in the car'... but they only show up on your phone screen and NOT on your CarPlay screen. Location-based reminders do show up, just not the ones where the car itself is the trigger. I guess I was hopeful that this was the one fix lol.