Apple's CarPlay, which brings an iOS-style experience to in-car systems, is getting a big upgrade with its next generation. But the upgrade has been a long time coming, and it was starting to look like car firms had lost interest in Apple's infotainment system. So it's good to see that the new CarPlay really is coming to cars in 2024.
Apple hasn't said which cars as yet, so the only official announcements we have are from Aston Martin and Porsche. But for those of us who can't afford an electric Macan or a DB12, it's good to see that Apple has updated its website from "vehicle announcements coming in late 2023" to "first models arrive in 2024". Apple has previously listed its partners as Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault and Volvo.
The upgrade is a big one. Instead of a single screen it'll expand to every touch screen and display inside the vehicle, whether that's the infotainment screen, the driver information display or other parts of the in-car experience. And it introduces eight new CarPlay apps for more control of what's happening in your car.
What's coming to CarPlay in 2024?
According to MacRumors, the new apps that are referenced in the latest iOS beta are:
- Auto Settings for managing paired iPhones and changing system settings;
- Car camera, to display the feed from your rear view camera;
- Charge, to let you see charge status, remaining charging time and other key data;
- Climate, to give you access to the car's climate control, heated seats and other toasty items;
- Closures, which alerts you to open doors and other warnings;
- Media, providing AM and FM radio controls and SiriusXM (in the US);
- Tyre pressures, which is self explanatory;
- and Trips, which will offer trip computer-style information such as driving efficiency, distance travelled and so on.
We don't yet know if these apps are exclusive to the new generation of CarPlay or if these apps will be compatible with existing vehicles; the iOS update is expected to launch in March 2024, so we'll no doubt find out then.
