Apple announced a complete refresh of CarPlay to better connect with a car’s instrument panel and a deep integration with the vehicle itself. CarPlay users will be able to swap what they see on the instrument panel with a very Apple-looking widget design.
Users can add trip info, control climate in the car, see the weather, view updated navigation information, fuel and battery levels, and more. It can adapt to different screen sizes and has an all-new interface that is reminiscent of having an iPad on the center screen.
Apple says more announcements will come late next year. Apple has been working internally on an electric autonomous vehicle, but the company keeps getting hit with setbacks and executive departures. This new CarPlay integration is the closest we’ve seen to what an Apple Car could look like.
Manufacturers are already looking into integrating the next generation of CarPlay, including Ford, Audi, Jaguar-Land Rover, Nissan, Volvo, Polestar, and more. Apple says 98 percent of all new cars already have CarPlay, and 79 percent of users consider the feature before buying a car.
