Apple Confirms Next-Generation CarPlay Launching in 2024, Reveals New Features in iOS 17.4 Beta

[ke-iron]

That’s not what I was suggesting. I meant Apple car play was a way for Apple to beta test features UI integration etc for a car system so that at time of launch of their own car, apple CarPlay is on version 4 and not 1.

No it’s not a way for Apple to beta test anything. You can’t just throw around the word beta test so casually. There is no definitive evidence that Apple would release their own car.

Everyone is so convinced Apple is working towards building cars, but they seem to forget Apple loves their profit margins more than anything else. What if all this with CarPlay and testing self driving cars is really to advance CarPlay and its full control over cars infotainment and perhaps later on some driving features as well. We already see that the next gen CarPlay is capable of taking over all in cabin infotainment, software and drivers cluster.

 

[diamond.g]

No it’s not a way for Apple to beta test anything. You can’t just throw around the word beta test so casually. There is no definitive evidence that Apple would release their own car.

Everyone is so convinced Apple is working towards building cars, but they seem to forget Apple loves their profit margins more than anything else. What if all this with CarPlay and testing self driving cars is really to advance CarPlay and its full control over cars infotainment and perhaps later on some driving features as well. We already see that the next gen CarPlay is capable of taking over all in cabin infotainment, software and drivers cluster.

You'd be okay with your car relying on your phone for ADAS features? That would be an interesting twist. With all the auto manufacturers having branded ADAS I'd be curious to see if any would even allow Apple to interface with it.

 

[ke-iron]

You'd be okay with your car relying on your phone for ADAS features? That would be an interesting twist. With all the auto manufacturers having branded ADAS I'd be curious to see if any would even allow Apple to interface with it.

Look at what’s happening. Car manufacturers are slowly giving up control of systems. When CarPlay first dropped only a few cars had it. It took years for some manufacturers to jump on board, and some like BMW wanted to charge customers to use it. But slowly they gave it up and now most new cars built have car play capabilities.

Now look at the next gen CarPlay pictures from Porsche and that other company, I think Aston Martin. It completely took over all screens in the car. Looks great but in the end it is still powered by iPhone. I think eventually Apple would want the cars shipped with all this stuff baked in. Porsche is a great example because for years some models of their cars have had certain Apple apps built in, but like I said they are slowly giving Apple more control.

Apple has so much money and influence I think anything is possible. They make their own chips now which is so damn powerful, they have great hardware and software engineers. So yeah I think the future of CarPlay or Apple car is actually Apple hardware and software built in to other manufacturers cars.

 

[wubbdie]

I really hope they fix my problem that all phone calls over CarPlay are distorted/cracke. No problem via Bluetooth - only with CarPlay.

 

[diamond.g]

Look at what’s happening. Car manufacturers are slowly giving up control of systems. When CarPlay first dropped only a few cars had it. It took years for some manufacturers to jump on board, and some like BMW wanted to charge customers to use it. But slowly they gave it up and now most new cars built have car play capabilities.

Now look at the next gen CarPlay pictures from Porsche and that other company, I think Aston Martin. It completely took over all screens in the car. Looks great but in the end it is still powered by iPhone. I think eventually Apple would want the cars shipped with all this stuff baked in. Porsche is a great example because for years some models of their cars have had certain Apple apps built in, but like I said they are slowly giving Apple more control.

Apple has so much money and influence I think anything is possible. They make their own chips now which is so damn powerful, they have great hardware and software engineers. So yeah I think the future of CarPlay or Apple car is actually Apple hardware and software built in to other manufacturers cars.

I'd be curious of pricing. Currently CarPlay is "free", Apple having hardware in the car to run CarPlay would not be free, and I wonder how much car makers would charge for it.

 

[ke-iron]

I'd be curious of pricing. Currently CarPlay is "free", Apple having hardware in the car to run CarPlay would not be free, and I wonder how much car makers would charge for it.

Could be built to order cars. Porsche has a car build configurator for all of their cars. This could be an option to check off. Users can use the free Apple CarPlay via phone or use much more advanced CarPlay built into manufacturers cars.

Also remember back in the days some cars with navigation built in was sought after, it gave cars higher resale value if it had that option. I could see something similar happening with this. People kind of stopped getting the top trim of cars or navigation package because they had CarPlay. Now imagine if the top trim of a car or whatever came with the Apple package. Full CarPlay integration etc, plus we know with Apple there will be future updates to the software.

So there is money to be made for new car sales by having it configured during the build. Then there is also money to be made for the resale of the vehicle in the used car market.

Even though CarPlay is free right now, I wouldn’t mind paying a small premium maybe $1000 for an option on a build to order Porsche. That has a much more advanced CarPlay system built in for the life of the car. I think it’s the evolution of what CarPlay and just another route Apple could take.

 

[diamond.g]

Could be built to order cars. Porsche has a car build configurator for all of their cars. This could be an option to check off. Users can use the free Apple CarPlay via phone or use much more advanced CarPlay built into manufacturers cars.

Also remember back in the days some cars with navigation built in was sought after, it gave cars higher resale value if it had that option. I could see something similar happening with this. People kind of stopped getting the top trim of cars or navigation package because they had CarPlay. Now imagine if the top trim of a car or whatever came with the Apple package. Full CarPlay integration etc, plus we know with Apple there will be future updates to the software.

So there is money to be made for new car sales by having it configured during the build. Then there is also money to be made for the resale of the vehicle in the used car market.

Even though CarPlay is free right now, I wouldn’t mind paying a small premium maybe $1000 for an option on a build to order Porsche. That has a much more advanced CarPlay system built in for the life of the car. I think it’s the evolution of what CarPlay and just another route Apple could take.

Porsche charges 2k for traffic aware cruise control alone. 0% chance they offer Apple's hardware (that can control said features) for less than the 4 grand they charge for InnoDrive. But I appreciate the chuckle.


I would love to see Apple use existing car makers sensors to offer an alternative to "FSD".

 

[tokenmacdude]

That’s a distance sensor not a camera.

But just below is the camera, correct? I have a new GLE 350, and my camera app is on the left side as well. When using CarPlay, the camera doesn't automatically come on when driving a low speeds, but a simple push of the button puts the image on screen. There's no need for Apple to duplicate functionality already present in the car. The same goes for climate control - my GLE has physical buttons for that.

 

[tokenmacdude]

because in most cars you cannot view it if you want. you have to put your car in reverse or activate automatic parking.
then there's the other thing: if the car's UI kicks in, it disrupts CarPlay, and you usually need several touches to get back to the CarPlay UI.
this gonna be pretty useful, especially if this also applies to front camera and/or bird's eye view

I have a 2024 GLE 350, which has the 360-degree camera system that comes on at low speeds, except when CarPlay is on the infotainment (right) side screen. I have a physical button that I can push to open the camera view, but that doesn't disrupt CarPlay at all. It covers part of it on the screen, but that's OK, as I can still listen to my music while parking in a restricted area much easier. No all vehicle UIs behave as you describe. Mercedes has done an outstanding job with their apps, and it plays extremely well with CarPlay.

 

[mkoesel]

So yeah I think the future of CarPlay or Apple car is actually Apple hardware and software built in to other manufacturers cars.

It could also be a subscription - "CarPlay+".

In before times, BMW and others tried this model with the original CarPlay itself but eventually got shamed out of it. The backlash was largely because a major motivation behind the original CarPlay was the claim that it would increase driver safety. Indeed the entire point was (and is) to be able to use your iPhone's native media / navigation / SMS / handset software - all things that you'd be inclined to do while in your car - without actually physically interacting with it (which, incidentally, is now illegal in many states while the car is in motion). So, charging for that felt a little slimy (even though automakers routinely charge for other safety features).

Furthermore, in addition to the safety aspect, with CarPlay, Apple saw the opportunity to get their foot in the door and claim ownership of some of the vehicle's screen real estate (not to mention location and other data). This is valuable position to be in strategically, and Apple may be planning to capitalize further.

Enter NG CarPlay which firmly has nothing to do with providing a distraction-free method of using your phono in the car. It is absolutely all about providing a more user friendly (or at least more familiar) interface to the car itself. And this feels very much like something that, were it eventually provided without the vehicle owner needing an iPhone, could be a good fit for a subscription service. After all, many automakers already use the subscription model for various in-car services and connected features. Except here, it'd now be an Apple-branded subscription, and yes, Apple would demand most of (perhaps even all of in some cases) the revenue from it.

So then, the answer to the question, "Why would Apple ever allow manufacturers to use its software as the default experience in their cars?" could be "Because it becomes a paid service". You choose not to pay the monthly fee, great - you get whatever native solution the automaker has cooked up (or thrown together as it can sometimes seem). Of course, the original CarPlay is still around and remains free if you have an iPhone. Meanwhile Apple's services are netting them billions of dollars per year, so they're clearly finding a lot of takers. And I suspect plenty would pay for this one too.

 

[swm]

No all vehicle UIs behave as you describe. Mercedes has done an outstanding job with their apps, and it plays extremely well with CarPlay.

well, that's why I wrote "most cars". but thanks for the feedback on the Mercedes UI, good to hear that at least some automakers do improve. I'm gonna take it into consideration when I choose my next car.

 

[MistD]

It could also be a subscription - "CarPlay+".

Absolutely NO ! Soon you will have the ”privilege” to use your car headlights for a ”minimal” monthly fee, after you paid tens of thousands for the car.

This subscription trend is getting so normalized that we forget where to draw the line and what actually ownership means anymore.

Sure ….. i will pay you a subscription IF you will give me the car for FREE and I will pay for the “features”, you know, like starting the engine everyday.

Regarding Apple Car Play …

For me it will be revolutionary when it will run NATIVE into the car without any iPhone tethered. You would log-in in your Apple account … making the car just another apple “device”

Of course that will not happen … Car Play comes glued to an iPhone for a reason 🙂 They will not de-couple their software from their devices in a million years.

Although, if Apple doesn’t make a car, it will be a good way for Apple to “own” in a way other car manufacturer’s “hardware”

 

[ke-iron]

Absolutely NO ! Soon you will have the ”privilege” to use your car headlights for a ”minimal” monthly fee, after you paid tens of thousands for the car.

This subscription trend is getting so normalized that we forget where to draw the line and what actually ownership means anymore.

Sure ….. i will pay you a subscription IF you will give me the car for FREE and I will pay for the “features”, you know, like starting the engine everyday.

Regarding Apple Car Play …

For me it will be revolutionary when it will run NATIVE into the car without any iPhone tethered. You would log-in in your Apple account … making the car just another apple “device”

Of course that will not happen … Car Play comes glued to an iPhone for a reason 🙂 They will not de-couple their software from their devices in a million years.

Although, if Apple doesn’t make a car, it will be a good way for Apple to “own” in a way other car manufacturer’s “hardware”

You got the wrong idea. No you’re not going to be charged to use headlights, and no they’re not going to de-couple software from their phones.

Are you aware that some cars operating system is built on android? Like I said, look at the progression of CarPlay, manufacturers are slowly giving up control to what they allow Apple to do in the car.

Remember all the Apple car rumors? The car would be running Apple software as the OS right? It is also a possibility that Apple doesn’t want to build a car to sell to consumers, but build the systems that run cars and sell to car manufacturers. I think all this Apple car rumors is them testing this out.

How would Apple be paid for it, I do not know. But I mentioned Porsche earlier as the perfect example because they have some native Apple apps built into some of their models for years now. Also their latest car operating system is actually built on android, not to be mixed up with android auto. I think Apple is on a similar path and they will probably have a future version of CarPlay built into cars, perhaps it will be called Apple Car OS.

Apple CarPlay would be for people with iPhones and have a car with compatibility.

Apple Car OS could be used by anyone with or without an iPhone, because it’s baked in. So people with android phones can still use some Apple premium services like Apple Music with subscription of course.

Apple is very ambitious as we know. If a car could run on android, it could definitely run on Apple.

 

[diamond.g]

You got the wrong idea. No you’re not going to be charged to use headlights, and no they’re not going to de-couple software from their phones.

Are you aware that some cars operating system is built on android? Like I said, look at the progression of CarPlay, manufacturers are slowly giving up control to what they allow Apple to do in the car.

Remember all the Apple car rumors? The car would be running Apple software as the OS right? It is also a possibility that Apple doesn’t want to build a car to sell to consumers, but build the systems that run cars and sell to car manufacturers. I think all this Apple car rumors is them testing this out.

How would Apple be paid for it, I do not know. But I mentioned Porsche earlier as the perfect example because they have some native Apple apps built into some of their models for years now. Also their latest car operating system is actually built on android, not to be mixed up with android auto. I think Apple is on a similar path and they will probably have a future version of CarPlay built into cars, perhaps it will be called Apple Car OS.

Apple CarPlay would be for people with iPhones and have a car with compatibility.

Apple Car OS could be used by anyone with or without an iPhone, because it’s baked in. So people with android phones can still use some Apple premium services like Apple Music with subscription of course.

Apple is very ambitious as we know. If a car could run on android, it could definitely run on Apple.

I'd be surprised if Apple Car OS ran on non-Apple hardware. Which would imply upgrade fee's to use it (from the manufacturer perspective it would be like optioning the Burmiester Sound system instead of the default one).

 

[ke-iron]

I'd be surprised if Apple Car OS ran on non-Apple hardware. Which would imply upgrade fee's to use it (from the manufacturer perspective it would be like optioning the Burmiester Sound system instead of the default one).

Nah don’t be surprised, it’s much more profitable for Apple to build car operating systems and sell to manufacturers than to actually build their own cars (just for the sake of it being “Apple hardware”). I do think that some of the chips in cars will eventually be of Apple design tho.

Time and time again we see how many large car companies struggle financially. Apple want no part of that.

Graphics card companies like NVIDIA is in the car business not to build and sell cars, but to build and sell chips that power cars systems. I believe Apple is doing something parallel to this, build the OS and chips that will power cars systems.

 

[diamond.g]

Nah don’t be surprised, it’s much more profitable for Apple to build car operating systems and sell to manufacturers than to actually build their own cars (just for the sake of it being “Apple hardware”). I do think that some of the chips in cars will eventually be of Apple design tho.

Time and time again we see how many large car companies struggle financially. Apple want no part of that.

I wasn't talking about a whole car, mostly that Apple's software only runs on hardware (I really wanted to say CPU) they sell. So for a vehicle manufacturer to use this new Car OS they would have to get hardware from Apple (or I guess Apple approved) which could be an additional cost that they would pass to the end user (plus markup). I was just saying I wouldn't expect an Apple Car OS to be free.

 

[diamond.g]

To put it in perspective Android Automotive is free (and open source). Where the licensed part is the Google Services you would run on top of AA.

Is Apple willing to give away a whole OS (open source?) and separate out their own services to run on top?

 

[ke-iron]

I wasn't talking about a whole car, mostly that Apple's software only runs on hardware (I really wanted to say CPU) they sell. So for a vehicle manufacturer to use this new Car OS they would have to get hardware from Apple (or I guess Apple approved) which could be an additional cost that they would pass to the end user (plus markup). I was just saying I wouldn't expect an Apple Car OS to be free.

I just edited my previous post which might answer this.

I stated I think Apple intends to provide the car OS and chips to car manufacturers.

 

[diamond.g]

I just edited my previous post which might answer this.

I stated I think Apple intends to provide the car OS and chips to car manufacturers.

Which is fine, I'd be curious on the take rate since we know that costs is going to be passed on to the end user (plus markup). Current CarPlay is free, not sure how they would make it worth people's while for the paid version.

 

[ke-iron]

To put it in perspective Android Automotive is free (and open source). Where the licensed part is the Google Services you would run on top of AA.

Is Apple willing to give away a whole OS (open source?) and separate out their own services to run on top?

I don’t think the OS will be open source but I do think Apple will work closely with car manufacturers to have their product built in, and perhaps there will be some degree of tweaking allowed for proper integration.

But I don’t see the sole future of Apple car ambitions as CarPlay that requires an iPhone. Nor do I see them building a car just to have their own hardware and software in the car because that would be a terrible investment.

The best way to make profit in the car business for Apple would be to sell their products to car manufacturers. The OS could be free because all Apple OS is. Their chips that power some car systems won’t be.

 

[Chips Stephens]

Look forward to cp updates….love cp.

 

[ChristopherWright]

I don’t know why the original CarPlay didn’t include a radio app… it is very distracting switching back and forth from a map to my cars awful radio controls. Glad a radio app may be coming soon (even if I have to pay). Other than that, wireless connectivity and stability is number one on my wishlist.

 

[minik]

You forgot buttons for rear window defrost, outside vs recirculating, fan strength, and dual or triple zone controls. My CX-50 has physical climate controls which I like but saying there should only be two or three buttons is silly.

I test drove the CX-50 over the last weekend and eyeing for one. Which year model are you driving? What's the best and worst thing you have noticed?

 

[darngooddesign]

I test drove the CX-50 over the last weekend and eyeing for one. Which year model are you driving? What's the best and worst thing you have noticed?

I have the 2023 Turbo Premium Plus (top trim) A couple of things I dislike:
• It has lane centering up to 40mph, they call it traffic jam assist, but I wish it had active lane centering at highway speeds.
• I really like the styling but I feel like the 360deg cameras are necessary because its hard to tell exactly where it ends because of how the hips and shoulders flare out.
• I wish the remote app also allowed you to control the Heat/AC
• I wish it had better MPG in stop and go traffic, but based the CX90’s MPG I’m not convinced how much of an improvement whatever hybrid Mazda uses would help.
• I have a loaner CX90 while they are fixing a sunroof rattle and honestly I think I would take a normal sunroof which opens all the way as opposed to the panoramic sunroof which doesnt open as much. The front seats don’t really see much of the panoramic so its of dubious benefit to people without kids.
• The Mazda infotainment is pretty mediocre, but I’m almost always using wireless CarPlay so its not a big deal to me.

Otherwise I really like my CX50 and would probably buy another.

 

[minik]

I have the 2023 Turbo Premium Plus (top trim) A couple of things I dislike:
• It has lane centering up to 40mph, they call it traffic jam assist, but I wish it had active lane centering at highway speeds.
• I really like the styling but I feel like the 360deg cameras are necessary because its hard to tell exactly where it ends because of how the hips and shoulders flare out.
• I wish the remote app also allowed you to control the Heat/AC
• I wish it had better MPG in stop and go traffic, but based the CX90’s MPG I’m not convinced how much of an improvement whatever hybrid Mazda uses would help.
• I have a loaner CX90 while they are fixing a sunroof rattle and honestly I think I would take a normal sunroof which opens all the way as opposed to the panoramic sunroof which doesnt open as much. The front seats don’t really see much of the panoramic so its of dubious benefit to people without kids.
• The Mazda infotainment is pretty mediocre, but I’m almost always using wireless CarPlay so its not a big deal to me.

Otherwise I really like my CX50 and would probably buy another.

I heard some of them from reviewers, especially the sunroof rattling. However I didn't know about the lane centering tech that pretty much limits to city driving. Mazda may not have the advance tech in this department but the driving dynamic is wonderful. Yes MPG drops down with the weight, AWD, turbo, and 20" wheels. I rented the CX-9 last year in SoCal and really enjoyed it once familiar with the vehicle size. My daily driver is a compact sedan and looking for more cargo room and power.