Mercedes Benz to offer Apple CarPlay in older models

Car maker could introduce the technology by the end of the year

Mercedes Benz may offer existing owners the opportunity to upgrade their cars with Apple's new CarPlay.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said that the company is activity looking into an “after-market solution for previous cars”. The company is hoping that the solution would be ready by the end of the year.

The company didn't go into detail about how the install would work. However, it's been inferred that customers would need to go into a Mercedes Benz dealership. They would then need to pay to have the device installed.

Honda operates a similar option to install Siri Eyes Free for older models.

The new system promises to make maps, music and calls more accessible over the car's native interface by letting drivers launch services using Siri voice control from the single push of a button on the steering wheel.

Apple Vice President of iPhone Greg Joswiak said: “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay let's drivers use their iPhone with minimum distraction.”

The main focus of the new CarPlay system is on maps and navigation, music and calls, putting Siri voice control right the heart of what Apple is calling an “eyes free” experience.

You'll be able to answer calls, select tracks and enter new destinations all via voice. The music integration will also work with services like Spotify.

Source: 9to5Mac

Ben Furfie is a former freelance writer for T3.com who produced daily news stories for the site on tech and gadgets. He also live-managed the T3 Award websites during the 2013 and 2014 T3 Awards. Ben later moved into web development and is now a Technical Development Manager leading a team of developers.