These Apple CarPlay Ultra Partners Now Say They Won't Support It

[Veinticinco]

As predicted. Dead in the water.

It’s a humiliating withdrawal of support for Apple, and deservedly so. “Overreach” is correct as is intrusive. Apple should stay in their lane, a lesson you’d think they’d have learned from the billions wasted on Project Titan.

 

[jaytv111]

You're likely just joking, but that's not how CarPlay Ultra works.

Exactly. The car actually handles gauges and passes it through to CarPlay. If your iPhone reboots while using CarPlay Ultra, the car continues to display the gauges and car controls still work. Apple made a new system to pass through video from the car to the phone and it doesn’t even need the phone much of the time.

It’s intrusive because now that everything is all screens in car, manufacturers need to express their “brand identity” in different ways. The instrument cluster used to be a very important piece of industrial design to create some sort of emotional connection between driver and car. Now it’s all screens and so the pictures on those screens are aimed at doing the same thing. If they’re too generic, or if the driver has the option to make them too generic, I can see how certain car manufacturers wouldn’t like that.

For what it’s worth, CarPlay Ultra includes gauges made by the manufacturer. The Aston with Ultra has Aston designed gauges and other car companies will do the same.

 

[icerabbit]

I'm fine with CarPlay " basic " and limiting it to the center screen on the dash.

I don't need extra complications and/or limitations with the gauge cluster, because something is not implemented, buggy, ... It gets more complicated quickly between manufacturer controls and apple's UI. And I can foresee extra distractions with getting out of " ultra " to get back to manufacturer functions.

 

[jicon]

Just FYI, Fortnite and Spotify have both tried to take on Apple for antitrust issues in the past. Can't Apple do the same thing by targeting car manufacturers for a monopoly on dashboard systems? Food for thought...

Maybe get back to us when car manufacturers are collecting 30% of some phantom iOS service charge to users to get Carplay on a dashboard.

 

[lkrupp]

I’m with the car manufacturers on this one. Why would they give up control of their dashboards to the third party? I would assume that CarPlay Ultra was developed for Apple’s own entry into the automobile market. Now they are trying to repurpose it.

 

[EugW]

Many automakers are already digitalizing their dashboards more.
The newer Honda & Toyota vehicles are examples of that.

The new 2026 CRV is moving some features from the center console info screen to the driver's console screen which is now digital instead of the mixed console in the 2025, which I have.
It's my first time using Carplay which is nice. Just set and listen to my music or audiobooks while I drive, with the occasional GPS use.
Not everything needs to be included in the driver's side dashboard, just the basics like the speedometer and either odometer (gas) or energy gauge (hybrids/EVs) information. Darn Honda didn't include EFTPS!

The new 2026 RAV4 is similar but has now moved the physical HVAC buttons into digital buttons In the center info screen. Many commenters in the various Toyota boards don't like that.
Apparently, those automakers are putting in tech for tech sake and making it for the newer, younger generations of auto buyers.

New Apple wants to include Carplay Ultra with its OS/display?
Also, In-car subscription services are just too much, as there's too many other subscription services everywhere.
The automakers should just stick with building cars, hopefully making them (more) reliable and fuel efficient and fun to drive. Drivers don't need any more distractions as they need to concentrate on driving instead of playing with the consoles while driving!

My 2025 Toyota Camry has physical climate control buttons. The Chinese version has capactive touch sensitive "buttons". Apparently the Chinese population prefers capacitive touch buttons over physical buttons for some reason.

For this reason, the 2026 Lexus ES has capacitive touch buttons. Because it sells very low volumes in North America but is very popular in China, Lexus has chosen not to have physical buttons in North America either for this car.

They did that to an extent with the 2026 RAV4 (which is likely my wife's next car) for some reason, even in North America. I'm not a fan, but hopefully it doesn't suck. It should be noted that the RAV4's new Arene OS runs not only the infotainment system, but also the instrument cluster, and the actual electronics of the engines too. They've chosen to integrate everything under their own OS, but incorporating CarPlay non-Ultra for the infotainment system. I think this is a very reasonable approach.

As mentioned though, for my 2025 Camry, the Toyota instrument cluster and even the head up display incorporates turn-by-turn instructions from Apple Maps in CarPlay. And the music playing in Spotify or Apple Music shows up in the Toyota instrument cluster too.

 

[trddddr]

That's unfortunate. My Volvo EX30 is great fun to drive, but it's Google/Hybrid computer system is enough of a disaster to make me want to dump it.

 

[smeagol]

So Renault doesn't want to cede control of the dashboard to CarPlay Ultra because they prefer to maintain control themselves, but partner with... Google and Qualcomm? Makes total sense.

 

[macfacts]

Automakers continue to conform to a dying business model. They can’t write good software to save their companies. Build the car and let Google and Apple handle the UX.

No one is stopping apple from making a car, there has even been Chinese android smartphone makers that have crossed over to making ev cars (Huawei and Xiaomi). Car makers are aloud to make profits, not just apple.

 

[jlc1978]

Is it time for Apple to give up this aspect of the car business? CarPlay itself is fine, but trying to convince automakers to build-in CarPlay seems like a losing battle.

That's where I am at. I added an aftermarket adapter to get CarPlay in a 2015 car, and it has been a great experience. 90% of the time I have maps on teh display while streaming music. If a call comes in, I can answer it on the steering wheel controls.

For me the big plus is when I rent a car I can setup CarPlay and have the same experience in any vehicle. I don't need a customizable dashboard. Adding turn directions on the dash would be nice, but I can live without it and just let Maps announce pending turns or my watch vibrate to let me know to glance at the screen. Accident and cop warnings are nice as well.

Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, I think car manufactures want to extract an ongoing revenue stream from their vehicles by controlling the interface so they can collect data and sell that or use it to stream ads. The day of your car telling you "Hey, you've been driving for 300 miles since your last gas stop. XYZ is on the next exit, plus you can grab something to eat at ABC..."

 

[Veinticinco]

I have enough trouble with CarPlay that I wouldn't want the car to depend on it.

Exactly. It’s also a legal/liability can of worms. Currently when using Maps to nav, a call comes in and *whoosh* CarPlay defaults to full screen phone mode. What a truly fantastic feature!

Yes yes, I know apparently they’re “adding this new functionality” (aka fixing this bug) in the iOS 26, but hey, it only took them 11 years. A lag even the most tech lethargic car manufacturers would be ashamed of.

 

[Pezimak]

I am not surprised in the slightest. Having a third party control ALL your cars functions and screens is IMO not the best solution.. especially one who has never built a car in their lives.
Imagine Siri causing your dashboard to crash whilst you are driving down the highway at 50mph in traffic at night.

 

[k1121j]

Ill surely vote with my next car purchase. Definitely has to have carplay or ultra as requirement #1.

 

[turbineseaplane]

You're kidding ... they don't want to cede control to Apple?

 

[Veinticinco]

Hey, you've been driving for 300 miles since your last gas stop. XYZ is on the next exit, plus you can grab something to eat at ABC..."

I see a lot of this whataboutery here, and whilst you may be right, along with the creep of subscription model and after-sales hardware activation, this is far from all manufacturers.

As for the culprits, they’ve been heavily criticised for introducing it, both by the automotive industry/journalists (that they rely on for PR) and ultimately consumers. In other words, they do listen to feedback and moreso, to new sales figures.

 

[swm]

anyone remembers that in the 20th century cars included single and double DIN slots where anyone could install the entertainment system of their choice?
seems you can’t do it anymore, and for some reason unknown to me no government body is trying to start legal battle for the freedom of choice here

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Hey, Renault, you silly frog, don't try to imitate Apple. Everyone who does sucks at it.

 

[mikebenton]

I'm sure the industry is sold on the prospect of additional revenue streams. Implementing CarPlay Ultra = cost, implementing their own = revenue. They would also prefer to have the opportunity to sell your location/car data to insurance companies and data brokers.

 

[EugW]

Exactly. It’s also a legal/liability can of worms. Currently when using Maps to nav, a call comes in and *whoosh* CarPlay defaults to full screen phone mode. What a truly fantastic feature!

Yes yes, I know apparently they’re “adding this new functionality” (aka fixing this bug) in the iOS 26, but hey, it only took them 11 years. A lag even the most tech lethargic car manufacturers would be ashamed of.

Yes, this is fixed in iOS 26 CarPlay, and if you're adventurous, you can have that now with the dev beta, or else in July with the public beta.

Here is what the new widget interface looks like on my 2025 Camry, and what it looks like now when an iMessage comes in.





And here are the new CarPlay widget settings on the iPhone.

 

[Veinticinco]

It makes no sense that Audi would back out if Porsche is still doing it. They're both part of VW.

I think you’ve answered your own question/assumption there. Porsche aren’t touching this with a bargepole either. They expressed interest 3 years ago, which Apple promoted, and that’s as far as it went.

 

[swm]

If I was a car manufacturer, I would be looking at CarPlay and questioning how often Apple would even update it.

just wondering how many times the entertainment systems of those “connected cars” were updated in the last 5 years or so

 

[Adam5SS]

I like the idea of this, but I don't like the idea of it being proprietary to Apple. Keep it open, so Android (or future other brands) can link into it, or don't bother. I keep my cars A LOT longer than my phones.

OPEN is the reason android is plagued with bugs!

 

[jlc1978]

I see a lot of this whataboutery here, and whilst you may be right, along with the creep of subscription model and after-sales hardware activation, this is far from all manufacturers.

As for the culprits, they’ve been heavily criticised for introducing it, both by the automotive industry/journalists (that they rely on for PR) and ultimately consumers. In other words, they do listen to feedback and moreso, to new sales figures.

While I tend to agree, I never say never when it comes to a for profit company trying to make money off of any data they own.

anyone remembers that in the 20th century cars included single and double DIN slots where anyone could install the entertainment system of their choice?

Yeah, I installed a number of systems for friends over the years.

seems you can’t do it anymore, and for some reason unknown to me no government body is trying to start legal battle for the freedom of choice here

You still can install an aftermarket radio, it's just not an easy proposition. Such a legal step would be silly.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I think you’ve answered your own question/assumption there. Porsche aren’t touching this with a bargepole either. They expressed interest 3 years ago, which Apple promoted, and that’s as far as it went.

The article states Porsche is still on board, while Audi isn't.

 

[EugW]

just wondering how many times the entertainment systems of those “connected cars” were updated in the last 5 years or so

Some current cars get over-the-air OS updates periodically, but it's more for bug fixes than for feature upgrades. However, at least with some manufacturers, the updates end after a period of time (eg. 3 years, unless you get it done at the dealer) because the updates are done over cellular, and after that time period, they ask you to pay for features that depend upon cell service (car status monitoring in an iPhone app, remote start, remote unlock, or OTA OS updates). The cost is similar to a very basic cell plan at like $10 per month.