Apple shows off next generation CarPlay in Porsche and Aston Martin cars
Slipping in underneath the wire, Apple has met it's "end of 2023" deadline, with Porsche and Aston Martin showing off its massively updated CarPlay for driver information systems.
Apple is working with Porsche to customize CarPlay (Source: Apple)
Originally -- and unusually -- shown off as a sneak peek, Apple presented its vision for the future of CarPlay at WWDC in June 2022. Instead of being solely an infotainment system, the new CarPlay would entirely replace dashboards and driver information clusters.
It was seen at the time as partly an attempt to keep car manufacturers from abandoning CarPlay, although that seems to have failed as a trend all by itself. Nonetheless, Apple promised that the new CarPlay would begin to be in cars by late 2023 -- and now it is just barely managing to make that deadline.
According to Cool Hunting, Apple has announced that Porsche and Aston Martin will use the new system -- albeit in distinctly different customized ways.
"With the next generation of CarPlay," Apple's Vice President of Human Interface Design Alan Dye told the publication, "we partnered with automakers to design an entirely new, unified experience that enables the very best of Apple and each particular automaker."
A wider view of CarPlay in an Aston Martin car (Source: Apple)
"It is a blend of a user's personal experience of iPhone paired with a celebration of the strong brand identity of each automaker," he continued.
"The next generation of CarPlay also introduces a driving experience that leverages the advanced capabilities of the car along with the power of iPhone," said Dye. "We've designed a complete system of controls that allows for seamless interactions between vehicle functions alongside the features of iPhone."
Apple has also shown images of what the new CarPlay will look like in the two different cars, although they are said to be preliminary.
"We have long been committed to providing Porsche owners with the brand and sporty driving experience synonymous with the Porsche," said Michael Mauer, Porsche's Vice President of Style. "In addition to the sports car itself, digital offerings that are perfectly tailored to our customers are becoming increasingly important to the overall driving experience."
A wider view of CarPlay in a Porsche car (Source: Apple)
"We recently brought the My Porsche app to CarPlay to provide drivers with even easier access to car functionality, and in the future we will be adding support for the next generation of CarPlay to Porsche models," continued Mauer. "We look forward to delivering an experience that adds the personal touch of a driver's iPhone to the exclusivity of a Porsche."
Customizing CarPlay for Porsche
Cool Hunting reports that the Porsche version of CarPlay has been adapted to feature the company's distinctive three-dial layout, including the speedometer.
Circular graphics abound in this version, and it's an intentional nod to the gauges that have historically always featured in Porsche cars.
These three dials appear directly in front of the driver, but to the side of the steering wheel there is also a more familiar CarPlay arrangement of music and other apps.
Customizing CarPlay for Aston Martin
"At Aston Martin we strive for excellence and performance and this was the key reason we chose to partner with Apple on the next generation of CarPlay," said Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer. "The integration of the latest state-of-the-art technology combined with a bespoke intuitive interface is paramount to creating the ultimate Aston Martin customer experience."
With Aston Martin, the customization of CarPlay has it appearing in part as a two-dial system to match the firm's minimalist design. It's also an acknowledgement of the car maker's history, as is how the controls are accented with British racing green.
The Aston Martin driver information system will also include a tachometer that features the text, "Handbuilt in Great Britain."
Aston Martin says that the new CarPlay will be introduced into its lineup during 2024. Porsche has not announced a launch date for its implementation.
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Comments
I wonder if Apple is letting, or going to let, automakers have a CarPlay OS (or maybe part of it) to run on their automotive computers. Might help with all the displays since CarPlay is getting so extensive in the vehicle.
I would imagine (just like with the Vision Pro) that this is aimed at a small market segment to iron out wrinkles and try different options first and roll out to other models later.
It's also possible that CarPlay with more tentacles digging into the vehicle is proving a hard sell.
As for Apple CarPlay when I bought a new car this year I want to get a car that supported Apple and Android car play. So I get my car and at first didn't setup car play I used the default system in the car because I was used to it from my previous car. After a couple weeks I switched over to Apple CarPlay and that only lasted for a few weeks. I noticed it was a of stuff I didn't use, but then I started noticing my battery was draining much faster and my data usage on my cell phone went sky high. What in the hell is Apple doing in the background that is draining the battery and consuming bandwidth with my cell provider. I switched back to the default system in my car which I think is called AAOS and no more battery drain and high data usage and it does everything I need and a nice basic interface.
Has nothing to do with price range. More to do with driving. Was really into the amg g63. Then I drove it. I actually like the Audi qrs8 better than the Mercedes in terms of driving. But the x5 is just the right size, has the look I like, and handles pretty great. To be clear, I’m talking x5 M competition. I bought my gf her dream car, the z4 m40i, and that’s an impressive little car. But I’m an SUV guy.
Going forward, for the car brands that support it, much of the cars performance data and 'optional' controls are funneled to the iPhone, which then take over multiple displays within the car -including the instrument cluster.
The difference is that current CarPlay runs on the entertainment portion of the car, future CarPlay takes over the instrument cluster for speed/performance info display and other car functions like taking over the heat/cooling controls, etc.
In the event CarPlay is not in use, the car has a default set of display stuff.
most people won’t be looking at Porsche, Aston, bmw, etc.
America is usually the one that stands for freedom and consumer choice. Ford isn’t doing enough and GM… well, that’s just a story for Halloween parties.