For many years now we have always wondered what would be the infotainment or control system to dominate the automotive industry. Though we may not know any time soon, or in our lifetime for that matter, but what we do know is Apple is getting into the car game to stir things up a bit and it might work.
Apple is poised to change up the car game with their new CarPlay system, which we will actually start seeing in select vehicles before this year is out. CarPlay promises to bring the iPhone/iPad experience to your car with an easy-to-use touch-screen interface that you may already be familiar with provided you already have experience using an iPhone or iPad.
It was only a matter of time before we saw some form of the Apple OS X in cars and that day is closer than ever as the likings of BMW, Ferrari, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar – Land Rover, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Volvo are all signed up for this new tech. The first iteration of the Apple CarPlay will debut this week at the Geneva Auto Show where Ferrari, Benz, and Volvo will be the very first adopters.
Of course with any Apple product the integration between other Apple devices will be seamless as the CarPlay system promises to link or sync up with your iPhone 5, 5C and 5S with virtually ease. Siri will also be a big part of the system for unsurpassed voice recognition and virtual controls for your vehicle. Additionally, CarPlay could potentially be one of several supported platforms on top of others that auto makers choose from.
Things are already in motion for CarPlay as the next iOS 7 update will come with in-car support as new models launch with the integration built in.
For more information on Apple CarPlay and updates, Apple has setup their own web portal about the new system at //www.apple.com/ios/carplay/.
Apple Rolls Out CarPlay Giving Drivers a Smarter, Safer & More Fun Way to Use iPhone in the Car
CarPlay Premieres with Leading Auto Manufacturers at the Geneva International Motor Show
GENEVA―March 3, 2014―Apple® today announced that leading auto manufacturers are rolling out CarPlay, the smarter, safer and more fun way to use iPhone® in the car. CarPlay gives iPhone users an incredibly intuitive way to make calls, use Maps, listen to music and access messages with just a word or a touch. Users can easily control CarPlay from the car’s native interface or just push-and-hold the voice control button on the steering wheel to activate Siri® without distraction. Vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week, while additional auto manufacturers bringing CarPlay to their drivers down the road include BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota Motor Corp.
“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”
Apple has led consumer technology integration in the car for more than a decade. CarPlay brings your car and iPhone together for a thoughtful experience that lets drivers focus on driving, while also tapping into everything they want to do with their iPhone.
Once iPhone is connected to a vehicle with CarPlay integration, Siri helps you easily access your contacts, make calls, return missed calls or listen to voicemails. When incoming messages or notifications arrive, Siri provides an eyes-free experience by responding to requests through voice commands, by reading drivers’ messages and letting them dictate responses or simply make a call.
CarPlay makes driving directions more intuitive by working with Maps to anticipate destinations based on recent trips via contacts, emails or texts, and provides routing instructions, traffic conditions and ETA. You can also simply ask Siri and receive spoken turn-by-turn directions, along with Maps, which will appear on your car’s built-in display.
CarPlay gives drivers access to all of their music, podcasts, audiobooks and iTunes Radio℠ with easy navigation through listening choices from the car’s built-in controls or simply by asking Siri to pull up what you’d like to hear. CarPlay also supports select third-party audio apps including Spotify and iHeartRadio, so you can listen to your favorite radio services or sports broadcast apps while driving.
Pricing & Availability
Apple CarPlay is available as an update to iOS 7 and works with Lightning-enabled iPhones, including iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5. CarPlay will be available in select cars shipping in 2014.Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
