Apple CarPlay is getting an upgrade – Here are the most interesting features announced at WWDC 2024
The latest version of Apple CarPlay will give users more customization options than ever before.
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Apple WWDC 2024 is over, and while things like VisionOS 2, iOS 18 , and Apple Intelligence grabbed all the attention, one announcement didn't get the attention it deserved.
Drivers will be able to use the new version of CarPlay on both the vehicle's infotainment screen and the vehicle's instrument cluster. Not only will the overall feel vary by manufacturer, but drivers will also have control over how the information is displayed.
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Do you miss the analog gauges on your dashboard? You can bring them back. Prefer all-digital displays? You can adjust them. Want to move the navigation menu to the passenger side or add a background image? Go for it.
Of course, how much customization is available will depend on how much your manufacturer allows, while how much information can be displayed will depend on how much information the car gives the software in the first place.
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Additionally, Apple promised several new apps that will give drivers more control over their vehicles. An expanded home screen, Apple says, will include buttons for things like climate control, driver assistance, and parking cameras, as well as pop-up notifications for important information like the remaining charge in an electric vehicle's battery.
Ben Crick of Apple’s design team said the new CarPlay “allows you to express your own design philosophy to create a virtual, individual look tailored to you, your vehicles, and their unique features.” The creations won’t just look like Apple, he said, and they won’t be a copy of the default system. “It’s designed to be a unique celebration of both brands.”
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Apple didn't say which manufacturers it's working with, but TechRadar noted that Porsche and Aston Martin have previewed a new version of CarPlay in their upcoming vehicles, so it's reasonable to expect full functionality with at least those two brands.
The company did not announce a specific release date, but said the upgrade will be available later this year.
Source: zdnet
