Apple says nearly 80% of new-car buyers in the United States consider CarPlay a must-have system, and all these people are ready to abandon their purchase unless they can connect an iPhone to the infotainment system.
As a result, software developers have every reason to start coding for CarPlay, as their applications would target a continuously growing audience.
MyRadar is the latest big name to step into the CarPlay world, allowing users to get weather information without touching their smartphones.
MyRadar joins CarPlay with RouteCast-powered navigation, so users can configure turn-by-turn directions to check conditions as they drive to the destination.
The application is, therefore, trying to offer the best of two worlds. First, it generates a route to a configured destination, offering the capabilities you typically get in Google Maps and Apple Maps. However, the magic in the navigation experience is powered by MyRadar's weather component, so drivers can see weather information before starting the journey.
MyRadar can help make the road more predictable, allowing drivers to be prepared for the route and anticipate rain or other conditions that could make a journey more difficult. The application also offers a weather radar similar to the one available on the mobile device, but drivers can now access all the data right on the infotainment unit. However, animations are disabled for obvious reasons.
The best feature is the notification support, as MyRadar can offer navigation alerts for upcoming changes in road conditions. It means you can drive to the destination with MyRadar running on the screen, and the app can let you know when the weather changes along the route.
Photo: Jaden Schaul on Twitter
MyRadar lands on CarPlay with a free Road Weather layer, but the entire feature lineup, including the RouteCast capabilities, is only available with a Premium subscription.
MyRadar is not the first weather app to launch on CarPlay. Weather on the Way added support for Apple's in-car experience in 2023, supporting the growing app ecosystem on CarPlay.
Weather information on CarPlay
Compared to Android Auto, CarPlay does not come with integrated weather information.
Back in the days when Android Auto lacked the modern design that we have today, the application offered widget support, displaying the weather forecast directly on the main screen. Every time you launched the app, you could also see the weather info, so a simple glance at the screen allowed users to see the current temperature.
Once the update interface rolled out, Google moved the weather information to the status bar at the top of the screen. It included the current temperature and a condition icon. When it launched the Coolwalk overhaul on Android Auto last January, Google eliminated the status bar, moving the weather data to a dedicated card on the multi-view screen. However, it's only available for portrait screens, as landscape infotainment units don't have the screen estate to include an extra card for the weather details.
CarPlay technically has the space to display basic weather information, such as the current temperature and icons showing the conditions, in the dock. This approach would allow Apple to keep the information on the screen permanently, though the company has so far ignored the feedback in this regard.
Apple has already announced the new-generation CarPlay, which will debut later this year in Porsche and Aston Martin models. Compared to the current CarPlay version, the updated experience will offer more consistency with the iPhone, so it'll display widgets to read information with a glance at the screen. It's unclear what apps will support widgets on CarPlay, especially considering carmakers can configure the interface and retain their brand identity, but first-party apps are likely to be supported.
Photo: Google/Android Police
The iPhone maker seems to rely more on the app ecosystem, and the debut of Weather on the Way and MyRadar on CarPlay proves the strategy works.
Meanwhile, weather apps have also launched on Android Auto and Android Automotive. The latest big release was The Weather Channel, which landed in Android Automotive-powered vehicles to provide users with the full weather forecast on the dashboard. Compared to Android Auto, Android Automotive is a fully embedded operating system, so the experience is not powered by the mobile device. Applications can be installed from the Google Play Store on the infotainment screen.
The Weather Channel landed on Android Automotive with hourly forecasts, a follow-me system to provide alerts as users drive to the destination, and a radar to check conditions for a route. The feature lineup is similar to MyRadar's on CarPlay.
MyRadar is currently one of the top weather apps on the App Store. It has over one million ratings, with a rating of 4.8 stars out of a maximum of five. It comes with in-app purchases, as certain features are only available with a subscription. However, you can also use the app without paying, as the free feature lineup includes current temperature information and the live radar. More advanced goodies, such as a wind layer, are only available for premium customers.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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