Here's the Latest on Next-Generation CarPlay After Missed 2024 Launch

[turbineseaplane]

I'd argue it is for the consumer, just not in the way you'd expect. Distracted drivers are a huge problem. Taking away reasons for them to take out their phone is really important for their overall safety.

This is where good UX matters. Automakers need to remove reasons to use my phone instead, and they need to do that by making their UX better than the phone's.

Adding huge screens all over -- many of them touchscreens -- does absolutely nothing to increase safety (unfortunately)

I wish car makers would laser focus on making well designed cockpits with lots of physical controls you can operate by touch/feel/without looking at them. They are adding screens everywhere because it's cheaper and easier

It's one thing I really love about my Chevy Bolt -- all the essentials are easy to interact with while my eyes remain on the road

 

[Chungry]

I'd argue it is for the consumer, just not in the way you'd expect. Distracted drivers are a huge problem. Taking away reasons for them to take out their phone is really important for their overall safety.

This is where good UX matters. Automakers need to remove reasons to use my phone instead, and they need to do that by making their UX better than the phone's.

There are so many thoroughly considered studies saying screens, any screen, is worse and more distracting than a button or dial you can navigate by feel. This is the most safe method for designing car controls hands down, so much so it's not even close.

And I think you're scapegoating automakers when you say they need to remove reasons for you to use your phone. Really? Think about that for a minute. Instead show some agency, selflessness and self control, and don't take your phone out. Simple as. You're not the only person on the road and your text or music change can wait. The safety of others does trump your convenience and it's your responsibility when operating a motor vehicle to do so safely. This shouldn't need to be said.

 

[Chungry]

Adding huge screens all over -- many of them touchscreens -- does absolutely nothing to increase safety (unfortunately)

I wish car makers would laser focus on making well designed cockpits with lots of physical controls you can operate by touch/feel/without looking at them. They are adding screens everywhere because it's cheaper and easier

It's one thing I really love about my Chevy Bolt -- all the essentials are easy to interact with while my eyes remain on the road

Bolt is amazing in this regard!! A coworker has one and it's awesome.

 

[CrysisDeu]

This is so bad. Why would a passenger want to stare at a music player widget?

 

[CrysisDeu]

Adding huge screens all over -- many of them touchscreens -- does absolutely nothing to increase safety (unfortunately)

I wish car makers would laser focus on making well designed cockpits with lots of physical controls you can operate by touch/feel/without looking at them. They are adding screens everywhere because it's cheaper and easier

It's one thing I really love about my Chevy Bolt -- all the essentials are easy to interact with while my eyes remain on the road

The screens are just to declutter your cabin, so it looks cleaner and is easier to design and manufacture.
And because we have the computing power, make screen bigger so the controls are bigger and you can see more content. Like fsd visualization etc.

Voice control is very very good if you miss nobs

 

[turbineseaplane]

Voice control is very very good if you miss nobs

Absolutely, no way — sorry

I’m constantly hitting a button to skip a little forward in a podcast or slightly Tweak the temperature or change my seat heat setting or slightly bump the volume…

I have no interest at all in constantly having to use voice control.

Also, I don’t want to “see more content”

It’s a car, not a movie theater

 

[seek3r]

Your post was confusing to me honestly -- my apologies

No worries, my bad in that case, hope it made more sense on a reread

 

[Mr_Ed]

The EV's own maps do a poor job of looking for charging spots across all the different networks. Apple Maps does it a lot better, Google Maps in Android Automotive only grabs a couple of networks unless you install more apps - and the manufacturer needs to make those apps available. It's a pain in the butt, and I'm experiencing it right now since my new car doesn't have CarPlay available yet. Even plain old CarPlay can do this, so I'll be happy when just that comes along.

This is not an “Apple” problem, it’s not even an auto manufacturer problem, really. The fact that an EV owner may need a number of different apps to access charging on long trips is an EV industry problem. It’s far from mature, as evidenced by the fact that still in 2025 you even have to be aware of what type of connector you can use to refuel. That “pain in the butt” is all about being an early adopter. This will sort itself out and improve as it all matures anyway, so I don’t see any this as a legitimate reason for auto manufacturers to justify going with CarPlay 2.0.

The assets are there to make the screen 100% available to displaying other elements anywhere else at any time. Without the manufacturer having to build something new into their OS, something that not all of their users might want but a certain subset would love to have. Think of it in terms of allowing room for widgets and whatnot rather than retooling what they have already. So yes, they might have to copy the art assets they use for their radio controls into CarPlay so that users don't have to "minimize" CarPlay to get to the radio, which is painful for everyone.

This is precisely why there is so little value in this type of CarPlay. Unless it provides access to anything and everything the driver may want to access in the way of car systems, you’ll have to deal with that context switch (CP<—>car UI) you describe. In any modern car, it would have to be WAY more than just radio controls. So I say, “why bother?” Make existing CarPlay as smooth and unintrusive as possible, focused on the things the phone does well, and leave everything else to the car UI.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Absolutely, no way — sorry

I’m constantly hitting a button to skip a little forward in a podcast or slightly Tweak the temperature or change my seat heat setting or slightly bump the volume…

I have no interest at all in constantly having to use voice control.

Also, I don’t want to “see more content”

It’s a car, not a movie theater

Well I guess we use cars very differently.
- For skipping forwards, cars still have controllers on the steering wheels.
- I don’t change the temperature or seat heat very often. I keep the auto on and I am always comfortable with it. Newer cars also adjusts the seat heating with the in car temperature to always keep you comfortable. Just like I just keep my HVAC on, I don’t tweak them, they adjust to keep me comfortable all of the time.
- for bumping volume, it’s also on steering wheels as well

It’s very convenient to, let’s say, when driving, use voice commands to close the sun shades, so I don’t need to find the button on the roof and raise my arm to turn it off. Or tell my car I am a bit cold and it heats me up a bit more.

As for the big screens, I need to use them for watching content when, let’s say waiting for a friend at the airport. Or resting on a road trip.

Passenger screens are also a good add on. The passengers are not driving, they should be able to watch whatever they want. Newer cars have speakers in the headrest so you won’t be annoyed.

Cars becoming smart and adaptive is an iPhone moment for me. They make my life more convenient.


——
I recently test drove a Huawei car. I didn’t even need to adjust the side mirrors. They know where my face are and adjusts automatically for me. And if I need to adjust, i can just tell the car to rotate the mirror inwards a bit, and a bit more. It is very natural, as if I am asking a friend to do it for me.

You need to experience it to believe it

 

[Hildy]

CarPlay was a big draw when it came out and I missed it with my vehicle purchase in 2015. I ordered and purchased a new car in 2024 hoping 2.0 would be somewhat backward compatible. I guess it will have to wait for 5.0 when I buy another vehicle… CarPlay is critical to my use case, but annoyingly absent or timed out whenever I buy cars.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Well I guess we use cars very differently.

We do indeed

Cheers

 

[svish]

Expecting it to be available only on a very few car models this year. Don't think that car manufacturers are ready to support it.

 

[rgwebb]

Honestly, and I have no great love for the car makers, they are smart to not buddy up with Apple on this

Apple are bullies who are famously hard to work with and dictatorial and arrogant

If one does not "need them", I'd not work with Apple on anything given their track record

Even beyond that, I think the better automakers are coming to the converse conclusion of Alan Kay's famous quote: "If you are serious about hardware, you should make your own software."

BMW, Mercedes Benz, Rivian, and Tesla are widely considered to have the best infotainment operating systems in the business. They're all in-house operating systems. These companies all got invested into infotainment early and came up with a unique experience. Until I see otherwise, I think this is a competitive advantage for them over the direction everyone else is going.

Volkswagen Auto Group has thrown in the towel on in-house. The newest Audi MMI will be an Android Automotive distro. This will likely be the case with all their badges under VWAG before long (Lamborghini, Porsche, etc). Volvo has been on an Android Automotive distro for several years now. Honda is moving to an Android Automotive distro. Some Acura and Honda models started getting it in MY 2023 or 2024. Toyota's new infotainment is also an Android Automotive distro. Ford and GM are also heading this direction with some vehicles supposedly having their Android Automotive based OS in MY 2024.

I think the Android Automotive crowd will broadly improve their fortunes over their underdeveloped in-house operating systems. However, my concern for them is the possibility that Google loses interest in this project. The gang of four I mentioned at the top controls their own fortunes to a greater degree. This could be an advantage if Android Automotive stagnates.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

It’s not happening because car manufacturers don’t want to hand over their lousy user experience to Apple least people start developing standards

 

[Fluffyk]

Why do people so desperately want CarPlay in their cars? What does it do better than the built in infotainment? I much prefer the car’s system than a buggy and honestly dumber CarPlay.

For me CarPlay doesn’t do anything that my car can’t do. It just turns your car into looking like an iPhone without any real added functionality. I’m always amazed when I see people using Google Maps or even crappy Apple Maps instead of their much superior built in Map solution. It’s like people are volunteraly choosing the worse experience just because they love their phone.

With Siri you can’t even communicate with people properly. It’s just such a poor and limited experience and it’s even worse in my language. I speak English pretty good but the reality is that I communicate with my people in my language, naturally. With CarPlay I have the ability to reply to a message with a voice but the message that sender sent it can’t read in my language, so Siri reads it to you as nonsense. I can’t even see the content of the message. Apple would surely tell you that it’s because of safety and you should pay attention to the driving, so it’s voice only. Funny right, when cars now have huge tablets in them but you can’t use or even look at your phone while driving. With the built in infotainment in my car I can not only hear and reply to a message via voice, but I can also read the actual text and reply even with a keyboard. And don’t get me started about Maps. Not good or reliable using Apple or Google apps.

I get that some cars can have bad and clumsy systems but I have to ask.. How is CarPlay better in any meaningful way?

 

[Mr_Ed]

I'd argue it is for the consumer, just not in the way you'd expect. Distracted drivers are a huge problem. Taking away reasons for them to take out their phone is really important for their overall safety.

Look, I know I’m probably not just “old fashioned”, I’m old. But I don’t see how adding more frequent visual “poppy blinky” things or facilitating something like dealing with a message on a screen is less distracting and safer. I would guess the level of distraction is tied more to the activity (reading/processing a message) than how it’s delivered.

I’ll just repeat what I have said on other threads: I’m not driving a phone with wheels. I’m driving a multi-ton vehicle and I’m legally responsible for it. The onus is on me to handle “life” events safely, and pull over if I absolutely have to deal with anything more than a phone call over the car’s speakers.

 

[surferfb]

Why do people so desperately want CarPlay in their cars? What does it do better than the built in infotainment? I much prefer the car’s system than a buggy and honestly dumber CarPlay.

For me CarPlay doesn’t do anything that my car can’t do. It just turns your car into looking like an iPhone without any real added functionality. I’m always amazed when I see people using Google Maps or even crappy Apple Maps instead of their much superior built in Map solution. It’s like people are volunteraly choosing the worse experience just because they love their phone.

Not sure what kind of car you have, but CarPlay was significantly better and more intuitive than my BMW’s entertainment system - and BMW’s was one of the better ones I’ve had.

With Siri you can’t even communicate with people properly. It’s just such a poor and limited experience and it’s even worse in my language. I speak English pretty good but the reality is that I communicate with my people in my language, naturally. With CarPlay I have the ability to reply to a message with a voice but the message that sender sent it can’t read in my language, so Siri reads it to you as nonsense. I can’t even see the content of the message. Apple would surely tell you that it’s because of safety and you should pay attention to the driving, so it’s voice only. Funny right, when cars now have huge tablets in them but you can’t use or even look at your phone while driving. With the built in infotainment in my car I can not only hear and reply to a message via voice, but I can also read the actual text and reply even with a keyboard. And don’t get me started about Maps. Not good or reliable using Apple or Google apps.

Obviously the language part is going to make it significantly worse for you, but not reading stuff on a screen is significantly safer. Like unbelievably so.

Apple Maps is better than Google at this point for me - and I don’t have to give Google more data on me! Understand this is highly location specific, but Apple Maps has caught up or surpassed Googlenin many places.

I get that some cars can have bad and clumsy systems but I have to ask.. How is CarPlay better in any meaningful way?

It’s better for me in almost every way.

 

[Chungry]

Look, I know I’m probably not just “old fashioned”, I’m old. But I don’t see how adding more frequent visual “poppy blinky” things or facilitating something like dealing with a message on a screen is less distracting and safer. I would guess the level of distraction is tied more to the activity (reading/processing a message) than how it’s delivered.

I’ll just repeat what I have said on other threads: I’m not driving a phone with wheels. I’m driving a multi-ton vehicle and I’m legally responsible for it. The onus is on me to handle “life” events safely, and pull over if I absolutely have to deal with anything more than a phone call over the car’s speakers.

Thank you, I just don't understand the contingent here arguing against taking responsibility for their own self-restraint. The onus is on people to not be selfish gits, not on car makers. For the very good reasons you state.

 

[surferfb]

Thank you, I just don't understand the contingent here arguing against taking responsibility for their own self-restraint. The onus is on people to not be selfish gits, not on car makers. For the very good reasons you state.

Because if people don’t exercise self restraint innocent people can and do die. A few years ago I was nearly hit as I was crossing the street by a driver who ran a red light while texting - they were going like 40 miles an hour and had I not jumped out of the way I would have likely been killed. If Apple and car manufacturers can protect people from themselves they absolutely should.

 

[Chungry]

Because if people don’t exercise self restraint innocent people can and do die. A few years ago I was nearly hit as I was crossing the street by a driver who ran a red light while texting - they were going like 40 miles an hour and had I not jumped out of the way I would have likely been killed. If Apple and car manufacturers can protect people from themselves they absolutely should.

I am so sorry you had to go through that. It is baffling to me that people refuse to take responsibility for safe driving. It's not the car. It's not Android Auto or CarPlay. If anything lets scrap all that because people have proven incapable, time and again, of not abusing these systems which are intended to help but don't.

What were discussing is another vector for distraction or scapegoating manufacturers for what is a human nature problem pure and simple.

 

[stevemiller]

Because if people don’t exercise self restraint innocent people can and do die. A few years ago I was nearly hit as I was crossing the street by a driver who ran a red light while texting - they were going like 40 miles an hour and had I not jumped out of the way I would have likely been killed. If Apple and car manufacturers can protect people from themselves they absolutely should.

As someone who was hit, I’m all for both the car and the driver doing everything possible to be safe.

I’m not convinced CarPlay screens will do this. I see people scrolling instagram while driving now. I wouldn’t be surprised if some play a mobile game. If we’re going to improve this psychology, I can’t see it starting with putting up screens reminiscent of phones and iPads all around them.

Personally I like having a map for navigation and everything else can be analog as heck in a vehicle.

 

[rgwebb]

Why do people so desperately want CarPlay in their cars? What does it do better than the built in infotainment? I much prefer the car’s system than a buggy and honestly dumber CarPlay.

For me CarPlay doesn’t do anything that my car can’t do. It just turns your car into looking like an iPhone without any real added functionality. I’m always amazed when I see people using Google Maps or even crappy Apple Maps instead of their much superior built in Map solution. It’s like people are volunteraly choosing the worse experience just because they love their phone.

With Siri you can’t even communicate with people properly. It’s just such a poor and limited experience and it’s even worse in my language. I speak English pretty good but the reality is that I communicate with my people in my language, naturally. With CarPlay I have the ability to reply to a message with a voice but the message that sender sent it can’t read in my language, so Siri reads it to you as nonsense. I can’t even see the content of the message. Apple would surely tell you that it’s because of safety and you should pay attention to the driving, so it’s voice only. Funny right, when cars now have huge tablets in them but you can’t use or even look at your phone while driving. With the built in infotainment in my car I can not only hear and reply to a message via voice, but I can also read the actual text and reply even with a keyboard. And don’t get me started about Maps. Not good or reliable using Apple or Google apps.

I get that some cars can have bad and clumsy systems but I have to ask.. How is CarPlay better in any meaningful way?

BMW's iDrive 8.5/9.0 has fantastic Apple Maps integrations but their built-in navigation is superior in many respects. When using iDriver's built-in navigation, the HUD displays a map with the upcoming maneuver around a quarter mile before the maneuver. Additionally, there is an AR display that pops in on the gauge cluster at around the same time highlighting the location of the maneuver on the road.

I still use Apple Maps on occasion because there are some conveniences where Apple Maps knows my upcoming calendar events with locations, etc. In that scenario, the middle screen's "home" can display the Apple Map from CarPlay and the gauge cluster can do the same.

When the operating system in your car is good, using existing "enhanced integrations" added over time in the CarPlay 1 spec is more than sufficient for making your car's integration with your phone seamless.

CarPlay 2 is a solution in search for a problem. Car manufacturers that are behind the top of the heap in infotainment do not need a mirroring mode that takes over more functions of the car. They need a base infotainment operating system that can be extended to fit their brand image and available to all regardless of what phone they own. Apple is not interested in licensing software, so they might as well give up on CarPlay 2 and cede the space to Android Automotive because it is the solution that actually solves a problem.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I’ll just repeat what I have said on other threads: I’m not driving a phone with wheels. I’m driving a multi-ton vehicle and I’m legally responsible for it. The onus is on me to handle “life” events safely, and pull over if I absolutely have to deal with anything more than a phone call over the car’s speakers.

That's great, we love that for you. I can't confidently say the TikTok generation will have the thoughtfulness to pull over like you would.

Unfortunately, we share the road with everyone else. Even people that are easily distracted.

 

[stevemiller]

That's great, we love that for you. I can't confidently the TikTok generation will have the thoughtfulness to pull over like you would.

Unfortunately, we share the road with everyone else. Even people that are easily distracted.

i don't claim to be any better than anyone else wrestling with the inundation of screens in our lives. my face is starting a laptop/phone/tablet/tv more than i'd like to admit. but i just don't think more screens is the solution to looking at the 'wrong screens' in cars. and i say that with the humility that car manufacturers putting their own touchscreen ui's everywhere isn't a great solution either. trying to tap a button, no matter how large the tap target, or who designed it, on even a slightly bumpy road is annoying as all get out.

outside of all that - and i'm not even a car guy - i just legitimately enjoy a nice tactile car dash. i think at least part of the solution is to make the physical act of driving more engaging; that its what you WANT to be doing, not fiddling with infotainment. but thats probably antithetical to where the tech industry wants to push things, into self driving so people can just sit and continue to stare passively at their screens wall-e style.

 

[avkills]

I recently rented an Audi and I have to say that it was probably some of the worst ergonomics I have experienced in a car. And not because of the screen stuff, but almost everything had a separate stick attached to the steering wheel; I mean come on, the Japanese figured out how to do everything with 2 sticks, come on Germany!

My 2016 Mazda MX-5 is fantastic (manual also); the Xterra is above average.