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A distinction without a difference, I believe. CarPlay (and Android Auto) are simply layers that project from your phone over the car's UI and communicate little if at all with the car's systems. So this method is a limitation, not a feature. To go beyond this limitation some version or component of CarPlay has to run natively on your car's hardware, independently of your phone, or most of what is being described here simply can't be done. Many seem to believe Apple is going to release a new version of CarPlay that will allow the instrument clusters on their cars and other controls to be projected from their phones. Never, as in, no way. Apple wouldn't want that and neither would the carmakers.
Good points, yet it still would need to run on Apple CPUs and be updated at Apple’s desired time

Maybe the first use of Apple’s 5G phone chip will be in a tiny embedded CarPlay unit inside your car, rather than in an iPhone SE? 🤔
 
The thing is that car manufacturers are probably not happy with Apple's restrictions regarding tweaking, and customizing UI.
 
People thinking that this will be retrofitted into their current cars are delusional.

Why would car manufacture spend any resources to upgrade cars that have already been sold? Their job is to sell new cars.

By the same token, I am surprised that car manufacturers are giving Apple access to speedometer/climate controls. They don't want you using CarPlay, they want you using their own systems as much as possible
 
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What’s the alternative? Should Apple be trying to sell gauge clusters and center console units to car manufacturers?
If Apple wants to be in cars, they should sell cars.

It's curious how they've been looking at it for ~20 years and haven't ever jumped in. I wonder if the issue is Apple has no vision for how they would make a car that's meaningfully different from a Tesla. Apple's angle when they enter a new market is generally a focus on audio, video, and simplicity/minimalism, but Tesla already nailed all that down (with some saying it's to a fault, but people said the same thing about many of Apple's products.)
 
There is no way Apple is going to make this hardware dependent on the Car Makers. It is 100% going to continue to be a projection of your phone on all the screens. Other then people's intuition, it would go against the way Apple would want to handle their Software.

Everything here can continue be done with projection from your phone. The hardware from Apple that would be part of the vehicular systems is simple data acquisition that is to the phone. They already have this functionality but is very limited to lighting/gps currently.


In Apple's ideal world, they would simply have access to all of the vehicle's CAN buss'. But more then likely the Auto Manufactures will want more control over it and chose to relay this info to Apple's DAQ
What you suggest here is fundamentally impossible. Critical driving function such as gauges cannot be offloaded to an external device that may or may not be present and uses a funky combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connections. If you've never had these connections fail then you haven't used CarPlay very much. If you have you should also know that dependency is the problem, not the solution. If the goal is full set of customizable displays with a unified UI, rather than the layered inconsistent way it works now, that UI has to run on the car. No other method would be remotely reliable enough, which means it also wouldn't be safe.
 
They probably will release next-gen CarPlay, for brand new cars only, in 2025. Then in 2026 Apple will release their own car with the 'full' next-gen CarPlay experience and try to convince people to buy it instead.
 
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Good points, yet it still would need to run on Apple CPUs and be updated at Apple’s desired time

Maybe the first use of Apple’s 5G phone chip will be in a tiny embedded CarPlay unit inside your car, rather than in an iPhone SE? 🤔
How Apple and the carmakers will handle the hardware side, I have no idea. But I feel quite certain Apple would be heavily involved in the hardware specs and would not be licensing CarPlay to just any random hardware the carmakers installed in their cars. Apple has been working on software for cars for a long time now, so I suspect they have a pretty good idea how to implement it. Cars are one of the newest computing platforms, and Apple is going to want to be there with bells on, or they're just handing that platform over to Google.
 
I hate to be that guy, but I don't see this still coming out in Late 2023 unless they are still in the polishing phase and out of the development stage. Then again, Apple had an event on October 30th in the EVENING despite never doing so in the past. So anything is possible I suppose.
 


At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more.

All-New-CarPlay-Five-New-Features-Article-2.jpg

Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared any additional details heading into the final month of the year, so it's unclear if that timeframe will still be met. We have reached out to Apple for an update on the matter.

Below, we have recapped five key features to expect from the new version of CarPlay. Apple said committed automakers included Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, and a few others.

Next-Generation CarPlay Features

Instrument Cluster Integration


Multi-Display-CarPlay-2.jpeg

The new CarPlay experience will provide integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster, including the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, and more. Apple says drivers will be able to choose from several gauge cluster designs and layouts, including brand‑specific options.

Climate Controls

CarPlay-Next-Generation-Screen.jpg

You'll be able to access your vehicle's climate controls directly within the new version of CarPlay, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the A/C or heat, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and other options.

Multi-Display Support

CarPlay-Next-Generation-Multi-Screens.jpg

The new version of CarPlay will be able to appear across all of the displays in a vehicle, providing a consistent experience across the infotainment system, instrument cluster, and any additional screens on the dashboard. Apple says CarPlay will be tailored to each new vehicle model to accommodate unique screen shapes and layouts.

Widgets

CarPlay-Next-Generation-Widgets.jpg

Widgets will be a key part of the new CarPlay experience, offering at-a-glance information such as trip duration, fuel economy, distance traveled, calendar events, weather, phone calls, the status of a HomeKit-enabled garage door, and more. It will also be possible to view and scroll through the widgets within the instrument cluster.

FM Radio App

CarPlay-Next-Generation-Radio.jpg

The new version of CarPlay will include an all-new Radio app that allows you to easily control the FM radio in your vehicle, such as to change the station.

CarPlay on iOS 17

In the meantime, CarPlay includes a handful of new features and changes when used with an iPhone running iOS 17, including SharePlay support in the Music app for passengers and real-time electric vehicle charging station availability.

CarPlay-SharePlay.jpeg

iOS 17 was released in September for the iPhone XS and newer. To update, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update.

Article Link: What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'
I accidentally read „Instrument Clutter Integration“. The dashboard is beginning to look like the instrument panel and display in a cockpit. But airline pilots do not have to contend with on-coming traffic, six-lane freeways, intersections, traffic lights, crosswalks …
 
What you suggest here is fundamentally impossible. Critical driving function such as gauges cannot be offloaded to an external device that may or may not be present and uses a funky combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connections. If you've never had these connections fail then you haven't used CarPlay very much. If you have you should also know that dependency is the problem, not the solution. If the goal is full set of customizable displays with a unified UI, rather than the layered inconsistent way it works now, that UI has to run on the car. No other method would be remotely reliable enough, which means it also wouldn't be safe.

You are correct in it being fundamentally impossible but remember this is not the Apple Car where it is the primary mechanism for delivering this information.
As long as the UI fall backs to the Manufacture's in a reasonable time it will still fit within all the safety ratings.


I solely use carplay and have had both good and bad experiences all dependent on the manufacture, which is exactly why Apple will do it's utmost best to rely on manufactures. There is a much longer laundry list of problems that we or Apple would run into if this is dependent on hardware IN the car.
 
That mock up of the 30 inch horiontal main screen and secondary screen below looks an awful lot like the new Lucid Gravity - wonder if apples 'n gravity will reunite :)
 
Unfortunately most car manufacturers don't install CarPlay standard. It still is an expensive option.
Even worse... many still use years old slow Android phone OS based systems to run CarPlay. With these high prices I want a fast and native Apple system in a car. :cool:

Anyway... at this moment I still prefer my TomTom device over Apple Maps. In my experience TomTom's traffic data service on their own devices still is acting faster and more granular on changing traffic conditions than Apple Maps or Google Maps does. I would have expected Google to be just as good, but for some reason it fails to avoid the jams on local roads in my area.
 
SJ is rolling in his grave right now.
He liked physical buttons and knobs to control things in a vehicle.
not all this touch screen crap...

Agree, physical buttons for frequently used functions and things that need to be accessed quickly should always be physical buttons.

All else can be put behind a touch screen, but it seems car manufacturers and Apple et al are still struggling with finding the right balance.

Fortunately, the dominant form factor will emerge in time so all we need is patience.
 
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You are correct in it being fundamentally impossible but remember this is not the Apple Car where it is the primary mechanism for delivering this information.
As long as the UI fall backs to the Manufacture's in a reasonable time it will still fit within all the safety ratings.


I solely use carplay and have had both good and bad experiences all dependent on the manufacture, which is exactly why Apple will do it's utmost best to rely on manufactures. There is a much longer laundry list of problems that we or Apple would run into if this is dependent on hardware IN the car.
Well, since the "Apple Car" does not exist and probably never will, I think it's safe to assume that this is something quite different.

A fall-back to another UI is a bad solution, especially since the opposite can also happen. The UI has to be present from the moment the car is started, and remain present for the entire time it is driven -- and CarPlay as it works now with phone dependence can't do either reliably. Sometimes a connection is established within a few seconds, sometimes in a minute, sometime never. Sometimes the display freezes completely. Driving displays simply cannot change or fail while the car is in operation as this is neither a good nor a safe user experience. A total deal-killer, and potentially a people-killer as well.

It's impossible to "solely" use CarPlay because it can't control the car's systems, and for the most part, doesn't receive any information from them at all. This means users have to switch back and forth between the CarPlay interface and the manufacturer's interface constantly. Another bad user experience that both next-gen CarPlay and Android Automotive are designed to change.

No doubt both Apple and Google will license these OSs only to carmakers that pass their hardware certifications. So that problem is much more easily solved than relying on a phone-dependent system with so many known deficiencies.
 
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Well, since the "Apple Car" does not exist and probably never will, I think it's safe to assume that this is something quite different.

A fall-back to another UI is a bad solution, especially since the opposite can also happen. The UI has to be present from the moment the car is started, and remain present for the entire time it is driven -- and CarPlay as it works now with phone dependence can't do either reliably. Sometimes a connection is established within a few seconds, sometimes in a minute, sometime never. Sometimes the display freezes completely. Driving displays simply cannot change or fail while the car is in operation as this is neither a good nor a safe user experience. A total deal-killer, and potentially a people-killer as well.

It's impossible to "solely" use CarPlay because it can't control the car's systems, and for the most part, doesn't receive any information from them at all. This means users have to switch back and forth between the CarPlay interface and the manufacturer's interface constantly. Another bad user experience that both next-gen CarPlay and Android Automotive are designed to change.

No doubt both Apple and Google will license these OSs only to carmakers that pass their hardware certifications. So that problem is much more easily solved than relying on a phone-dependent system with so many known deficiencies.


I guess our fundamental disagreement comes down to You are saying 'next-gen carplay' will be the equivalent of Android Automotive built in to the vehicle. While I still believe that next-gen carplay will continue to be powered by our iPhones.

In that case we will have to agree to disagree and wait to see what Apple does :)

Auto manufactures are so amazingly stingy and will go to great lengths to save pennies while sacrificing user experience. You can see that from the latest Android Automotive Vehicles which have processors that barely keep up with an iPhone 8.

Sidenote, re-watch their announcement:
"To do this, your iPhone communicates with your vehicles real-time systems..."
 
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FM radio? Why not DAB? 🤔
Because Apple are US centric and there is no DAB there. Just Sirius satellite radio and HD radio.
Depends on the car. This is supposed to scale across systems. I have a 2017 civic And it has a main screen and then a screen behind the steering wheel. as well as Wi-Fi and bluetooth and regular CarPlay. I don’t see why it couldn’t be done from a technological standpoint
There's a chance technically that it could be done, but automakers, especially Honda (in my experience) have little appetite for updating infotainment systems.
My experience it is usually the car bluetooth stack crashing. 90% of the time rebooting the phone or trying to reconnect does not work and only thing that does is rebooting the stereo. Can only imagine if the speedometer crashes
Yes, Bluetooth is often flaky, although there is still a fairly complex certification process. Instrument clusters/speedos are safety critical and subject to much higher standards than infotainment systems though.
A car with windows would be pretty neat.. it's only fair that if some have android, some have iOS, that others can have windows.
It has been done already. I wrote the HMI in Flash (which probably shows how long ago that was).
 
Because Apple are US centric and there is no DAB there. Just Sirius satellite radio and HD radio.

There's a chance technically that it could be done, but automakers, especially Honda (in my experience) have little appetite for updating infotainment systems.

Yes, Bluetooth is often flaky, although there is still a fairly complex certification process. Instrument clusters/speedos are safety critical and subject to much higher standards than infotainment systems though.

It has been done already. I wrote the HMI in Flash (which probably shows how long ago that was).
Oh dear 🤣

Im pretty sure it was over a century ago that a car was done with windows 😉
 
Could easily be retrofit to old cars if car manufacturers actually cared about buyers and did firmware updates 😑
Completely agree. Our Tesla gets updates regularly with new features. Our Audi, which costs more, gets nothing. Want a slightly better UI? buy a new car. Really looking forward to the manufactures catching up.
 
I guess our fundamental disagreement comes down to You are saying 'next-gen carplay' will be the equivalent of Android Automotive built in to the vehicle. While I still believe that next-gen carplay will continue to be powered by our iPhones.

In that case we will have to agree to disagree and wait to see what Apple does :)

Auto manufactures are so amazingly stingy and will go to great lengths to save pennies while sacrificing user experience. You can see that from the latest Android Automotive Vehicles which have processors that barely keep up with an iPhone 8.

Sidenote, re-watch their announcement:
"To do this, your iPhone communicates with your vehicles real-time systems..."

Yes, at least the version we see in the few available demonstration photos showing it running all the car's displays, because this simply can't work with phone dependency and projection. If you want a unified UI it has to run on the car, and new hardware will be needed, which is why no cars running it are being sold yet. Apple does make computers, you know. They design their own microprocessors, too. I hear they're actually pretty good at it.

None of this means Apple won't continue to develop a phone-based version of CarPlay, but it won't be the "next-gen" version being teased. In fact, they'll have to keep developing that version because next-gen won't be backwards compatible with cars on the market now, because the hardware isn't up to it.

And I sure wouldn't rely on CNBC for my technology information. They're guessing, and mostly do it very badly. Unfortunately the tech media isn't really doing a much better job of thinking this through. Not sure why. It really isn't so complicated.
 
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