Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
This year's WWDC is now over, and there's no doubt CarPlay users have been left waiting for more. Apple almost forgot about its in-car experience, as nearly all its announcements were aimed at other products, with the company's headset obviously stealing the show.
Many people expected the new-generation CarPlay to receive some stage time, especially because it's projected to launch later this year. Not only did this not happen, but Apple showed little love for CarPlay in general.
The offline maps in iOS 17, which many people consider to be a massive update, were simply mentioned, among other features. The EV routing feature was also discussed briefly during the keynote, leaving CarPlay users wondering if Apple has also prepared anything new for them.
The only announcement on the CarPlay front is the support for SharePlay, but unsurprisingly, this didn't generate much excitement either.
SharePlay allows car passengers to control the music playback in the cabin without having a subscription to Apple Music. The feature could make a road trip more enjoyable, but it's not difficult to see why it's unlikely to appeal to many users.
Limited to Apple Music, SharePlay can be activated by the driver themselves by starting a new session on the screen in the car. Afterward, anyone with a new iPhone can connect to this session to play whatever they want through the vehicle's stereo system.
Apple's lack of interest in major CarPlay updates isn't necessarily surprising, though users would have expected at least a minor facelift and small improvements, such as support for new app categories. With Android Auto having received a major overhaul this year, CarPlay also needs an update, especially as the battle between the two is getting fiercer.
Apple, however, is more focused on the next-generation CarPlay, due later this year. While I'm a little surprised the company hasn’t even mentioned the new CarPlay at WWDC, the update is integral to Apple's car strategy. CarPlay will expand to all screens in the cabin, allowing for certain information, including navigation directions, to be displayed on the instrument cluster right in front of the driver.
CarPlay 2.0 will only be available in new-generation cars, with the first models to be announced later this year. Most likely, Apple will give the new CarPlay more stage time in September at the iPhone 15 unveiling, where I expect several carmakers to join the event and introduce their own CarPlay implementations in the 2024 model year vehicles. Unfortunately, the new CarPlay won't be available in vehicles where the current version is supported, so customers who'll want to get the new capabilities will have to purchase a new car altogether.
Apple's iPhone 15 announcement is expected to take place in September, as per the company's typical release calendar.
The offline maps in iOS 17, which many people consider to be a massive update, were simply mentioned, among other features. The EV routing feature was also discussed briefly during the keynote, leaving CarPlay users wondering if Apple has also prepared anything new for them.
The only announcement on the CarPlay front is the support for SharePlay, but unsurprisingly, this didn't generate much excitement either.
SharePlay allows car passengers to control the music playback in the cabin without having a subscription to Apple Music. The feature could make a road trip more enjoyable, but it's not difficult to see why it's unlikely to appeal to many users.
Limited to Apple Music, SharePlay can be activated by the driver themselves by starting a new session on the screen in the car. Afterward, anyone with a new iPhone can connect to this session to play whatever they want through the vehicle's stereo system.
Apple's lack of interest in major CarPlay updates isn't necessarily surprising, though users would have expected at least a minor facelift and small improvements, such as support for new app categories. With Android Auto having received a major overhaul this year, CarPlay also needs an update, especially as the battle between the two is getting fiercer.
Apple, however, is more focused on the next-generation CarPlay, due later this year. While I'm a little surprised the company hasn’t even mentioned the new CarPlay at WWDC, the update is integral to Apple's car strategy. CarPlay will expand to all screens in the cabin, allowing for certain information, including navigation directions, to be displayed on the instrument cluster right in front of the driver.
CarPlay 2.0 will only be available in new-generation cars, with the first models to be announced later this year. Most likely, Apple will give the new CarPlay more stage time in September at the iPhone 15 unveiling, where I expect several carmakers to join the event and introduce their own CarPlay implementations in the 2024 model year vehicles. Unfortunately, the new CarPlay won't be available in vehicles where the current version is supported, so customers who'll want to get the new capabilities will have to purchase a new car altogether.
Apple's iPhone 15 announcement is expected to take place in September, as per the company's typical release calendar.
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