A new Apple technology is taking on the role of (able) co-driver. Apple CarPlay will be available on select models from a number of car manufacturers for drivers with iPhones. Already at the 84th International Motor Show that opens its doors this week in Geneva, Ferrari, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are making the official debut of the system that takes on the role of secretary, navigator and DJ in the car.
When the iPhone is connected to a car with CarPlay, Siri will be able to accept voice commands from the driver. This will give the driver access to their contacts, and if instructed, it will make phone calls or return missed calls. The driver will be able to listen to their voice messages, and when someone calls or whenever a notification comes in, Siri will take over answering with voice commands, reading messages, and even sending replies after the driver dictates.
Also, the navigation guide awaits on the car's dashboard, providing directions based on routes recently taken or related to a contact, email or message. The relevant map and the route to follow will be displayed on the map on the dashboard.
Watch the video that Volvo uploaded to its YouTube channel about Apple CarPlay:
Another feature that CarPlay brings to the car is, of course, listening to music, whether it's music, podcasts, music books or iTunes Radio, with the ability to control playback from the built-in dashboard controls or with the help of Siri. CarPlay will support third-party apps, subscription services such as Spotify and iHeartRadio.
Apple CarPlay is available as an update to iOS 7 and requires an iPhone with a Lightning connector (such as the newer iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C). Apple CarPlay will be integrated into select car models launched in 2014. At the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will make their CarPlay debut. Models from BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota Motor Corp. will follow.
