Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Apple will introduce the new generation of iPhones next month and like every year, CarPlay users are hoping to get some extras.
Unfortunately, Apple still ties CarPlay updates to operating system updates. Any CarPlay improvement can only be delivered to users as part of a new iOS release, which is why users are hoping that the debut of iOS 18 in September will also bring new features to the car experience.
While Apple has remained largely tight-lipped about its planned CarPlay updates, the company has two major reasons to focus more on its car offering and release new features: the end of the Apple Car and the recent announcements about Android Auto.
The Apple Car no longer exists
Photo: Apple via MacRumors
Apple has stopped development of the Apple Car after about a decade of hard work and team members have been assigned to other departments or laid off.
The vehicle was a key part of Apple’s planned expansion into the automotive space. With this foray into a relatively unexplored market now no longer possible from a hardware perspective, the iPhone maker will have to focus heavily on software and services.
CarPlay plays a key role in this strategy. Apple’s data shows that nearly 8 in 10 new car buyers wouldn’t consider a model without CarPlay, so the Cupertino-based tech giant has assets that give it a fantastic advantage in the automotive space.
This is why Apple should focus more on CarPlay. Without new features and improvements, CarPlay could feel outdated (which is already the case), especially since alternative solutions like Android Auto and Android Automotive keep receiving important updates.
Improvements to Android Auto
Photo: Apple via MacRumors
At Google’s I/O developer event in the spring, there were several big announcements for Android Auto, including the unlocking of new app categories.
Google will bring games, video apps (including YouTube), and browsers to Android Auto after launching those product categories on Android Automotive. This means users will finally be able to watch videos on YouTube and play games from their mobile devices on their cars’ infotainment screens.
YouTube is already available on Android Auto through third-party methods, but once Google unlocks the app, anyone will be able to use it without having to resort to these unofficial solutions.
Google also plans to increase the number of apps available in cars with another major project. The company will allow apps designed for large screens to run on Android Auto and Android Automotive if they meet certain requirements. The best part is that developers don’t have to update their apps because Google automatically scans certain app categories, determines their compatibility with a car, and publishes them on Android Auto and Android Automotive.
Apple’s efforts to expand app categories have been mostly stagnant and silent lately, and without a big announcement this fall, CarPlay will feel outdated compared to Android Auto. Considering Apple releases major CarPlay updates as part of iOS updates, users may have to wait another year for new features, and one can imagine how frustrating it could become if Android Auto evolves at a faster pace.
The new generation of CarPlay
Photo: Apple via MacRumors
The consensus is that Apple will put less effort into improving the current version of CarPlay and will focus mainly on the new generation that will be announced at WWDC 2022. Porsche and Aston Martin will launch the first cars with the new CarPlay this year, and I expect the automakers will attend Apple’s iPhone event to detail how and why they adopted the updated experience in their models.
The new CarPlay will not be available in vehicles with the current version installed because it requires new hardware. It will utilize all displays in the dashboard, including the instrument cluster, and allow automakers to customize the look to maintain brand identity.
CarPlay 2.0 will continue to rely on a connection to the iPhone, as Apple did not want to follow the example of Android Automotive and expand the software into a full-fledged operating system.
Photo: Apple via MacRumors
The big question, however, is how Apple will juggle two versions of CarPlay and whether it will continue to improve the current version in the long run. Google makes a bigger distinction between Android Auto and Android Automotive, so it’s important for Apple to find a way to eliminate the confusion that two versions of CarPlay could cause.
The latest iOS 18 betas suggest that Apple may not announce any major changes for the current version of CarPlay, and that’s not good news at all. With Android Auto evolving and gaining new features at an ever-increasing rate, CarPlay in the car could soon become a dated experience.
For Apple, that’s something it needs to avoid. CarPlay has become an incentive to buy an iPhone, and if the in-car experience doesn’t get the attention users expect, they could easily switch sides and get an Android device, especially since most CarPlay-equipped cars also support Android Auto.
In typical Apple fashion, the company has remained silent about any innovations in CarPlay this year.
