Apple makes Carplay the car OS

At the WWDC developer fair, Apple announced new operating system versions for iPads and iPhones in addition to new Macbooks with the Apple M2 chip. iOS 16 is expected to be released later this year. A part of the new OS version is the revised Carplay interface, which allows the iPhone to feed content to more than one screen in the car. With iOS 16 it will be possible to show different content on several displays in the car and to control the air conditioning directly via Carplay and the iPhone.

Use the computing power of the iPhone in the car

In the future, content from Carplay can even be displayed on the instrument display. Various widgets can be displayed in the middle. According to Apple, the new Carplay should be able to adapt to different display sizes. The complete computing power always comes from the iPhone. In addition to the current iOS version, specially equipped vehicles are also required to be able to display this extension. From the end of 2023, the first new, compatible models from Audi, Acura, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Ford, Lincoln, Renault, Nissan, Infiniti, Polestar and Volvo will be available for purchase. Carplay can be used to control entertainment and comfort functions, but car manufacturers still need their own systems to control assistance systems.

If Apple has its way, market research would have revealed that 79 percent of car buyers in the US would like their new car to support CarPlay. In addition to Carplay, there will also be a new interface for the competing Android Auto system this year. In order to make it clearer that Android Auto OS is its own operating system, Google will in future install the function for smartphones as an auto mode in the Google Assistant app, for example. Similar to Carplay, the car mode in Google apps can only be used if a smartphone is connected to the compatible car radio. In models with BMW Operating System 8.0 it is already possible to Show contents of Android Auto/Auto mode in the instrument display allow. Unlike Apple, Google also offers the Android Automotive OS operating system for car manufacturers, which also works without a smartphone connection and can also control assistance systems. This allows users with a Google account to download and use customized Android apps via the vehicle antenna while on the go. For example, Volvo and Polestar offer infotainment systems with the Android operating system and – soon – Unreal Engine 5.

Also worth reading: Apple iOS 16: Individual lock screen and more Windows feeling in iPadOS 16

Collection to expand Carplay:

• Apple announced at the WWDC developer fair that iOS 16 will be an extension of Carplay.
• In the future, an iPhone with Carplay can supply content to several displays in the car, even the instrument display.
• In addition to a compatible iPhone, you also need certain car models that will not be delivered until the end of 2023. For example, there should be suitable vehicles from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan and Renault to buy.

Sources: The Verge, Drwindows