Apple unveils CarPlay, calls it "the best iPhone experience on four wheels"

[Himanshu Arora]

Today at the Geneva Motor Show Apple unveiled a new service that aims to provide better connectivity between the car and the driver's iPhone. Dubbed CarPlay, the service allows drivers to make calls, access contacts, use maps, listen to music, and more, without taking their hands from the steering wheel. Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo are showcasing the service at Geneva this week with CarPlay-enabled vehicles shipping this same month.

“iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction", said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing.

Drivers can read messages and dictate responses through Apple's voice-activated Siri software, which is activated by pressing the voice control button on the car's steering wheel. The service can also predict destinations based upon addresses found in your email, texts, contacts, and calendars.

The service also allows you to play music through the car's speakers. Besides iTunes Radio, you can also access a number of third-party music-streaming apps including Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and Beats Radio. You can also control CarPlay from the car’s native interface.

According to Apple, in addition to the three car companies aforementioned BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota will also integrate the service "down the road." The CarPlay service is available as an update to iOS 7 and works with Lightning-enabled iPhones including iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/55864-apple-unveils-carplay-calls-it-the-best-iphone-experience-on-four-wheels.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

So what happens if I'm interested in buying one of these makes of vehicles "down the road" but it incorporates Apples overpriced mess? Must I then get used to walking? I hope consumers have the choice of which OS goes into their vehicles. Thank God our market is not a big Apple market so there may be light at the end of the tunnel yet.

 

[VitalyT]

No "I" in front? Get out!

Well, at least the resolution seems fine, better than most in-car systems anyway: http://www.makoweabc.pl/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CarPlay-Music.png

 

[GhostRyder]

I have Ford MyTouch Sync system in my new vehicle and it works just fine (Its microsoft) and having this be incorporated as (Im guessing) an add on in change of whatever normall comes with it if you have an iPhone is interesting I guess but seems unnecessary. If the cars don;t change at all and just if you have an iPhone you can do extra iPhone things then it might be cool but if they are literally forcing you to an iPhone and not allowing other devices then that would be a horrible idea.

Might have to read up a bit more on this.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

So what happens if I'm interested in buying one of these makes of vehicles "down the road" but it incorporates Apples overpriced mess? Must I then get used to walking? I hope consumers have the choice of which OS goes into their vehicles. Thank God our market is not a big Apple market so there may be light at the end of the tunnel yet.

I wouldn't worry about it. Considering the commitment Apple users have to the Apple ecosystem, I would imagine CarPlay will be a rather expensive option. Many people, like myself, wouldn't want to pay for something we won't use so I doubt it would be standard.

In fact, I'd expect they put it as part of a 'technology package' that they can charge a couple grand for, and then it can be packaged with the Navigation system or something. This will get the Apple customers to pay for it, and it may even sucker in a few of us who just want the other stuff in the package.

 

[RzmmDX]

So what happens if I'm interested in buying one of these makes of vehicles "down the road" but it incorporates Apples overpriced mess? Must I then get used to walking? I hope consumers have the choice of which OS goes into their vehicles. Thank God our market is not a big Apple market so there may be light at the end of the tunnel yet.

I wouldn't worry about it. Considering the commitment Apple users have to the Apple ecosystem, I would imagine CarPlay will be a rather expensive option. Many people, like myself, wouldn't want to pay for something we won't use so I doubt it would be standard.

In fact, I'd expect they put it as part of a 'technology package' that they can charge a couple grand for, and then it can be packaged with the Navigation system or something. This will get the Apple customers to pay for it, and it may even sucker in a few of us who just want the other stuff in the package.

I am more frustrated that it is only limited to newer iPhones...

Apple is already losing market share and what if someone who buys one of these cars actually change their phones to a different brand? Are they going to keep using iPhones just so this feature works?

Oh right, people who would actually use this must also have a bunch of macbooks as well.

Give me a more open platform.

 

[Guest]

As if we didn't have enough people driving into airport runways because of Apple maps.

 

[killeriii]

Out of a market of hundreds of current cellphones and smartphones, this only works with 3???
Slightly limited...
"iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips"...I love the sales talk. Apple seems to think iphone users are "special". I do too! lol

 

[captaincranky]

I suppose it depends on Apple's definition of, "car play".

The best experience I've ever had on four wheels, across all categories was........., Maureen.

 

[Guest]

LMAO!

This feature has been around in android devices have been at least nearly 2 years now. It's good to see apple is trying to catch up.

 

[SNGX1275]

^ ?

Those features have been in Apple devices for a while now as well. Where they haven't been is in the car itself like the article mentions. Are there a lot of built into the car android systems? I know of Microsoft's entrance into Ford vehicles...

Edit: There are some aftermarket android based head units, however they don't seem to be very popular (or even widely available).

 

[Guest]

My VW doesn't even have lightning connector

 

[Guest]

@Skidmarksdeluxe

you would walk over having an apple capable stereo? I find that much hate... odd.

 

[Guest]

Always surprises me at how naive people are on forums when the word "apple" is mentioned.

 

[bmaytum]

Apple CarPlay? Oh great, just what we need - more iKoolaid *****s totally distracted consuming media and not paying attention to their driving. Even though it's "hands-free", so what? People need to allocate a reasonable amount of their alleged brain to the dynamic demands presented when driving a vehicle.

 

[SNGX1275]

^ That is being done anyway, it has been going on for years. Apple is just tossing their hat into the ring.