Apple in 2022 announced a new CarPlay experience that became known as “CarPlay 2.0.” However, this new version of CarPlay has yet to see the light of day – and many wonder if Apple quietly scrapped the project as the company missed the deadline twice. But 9to5Mac has found evidence that Apple is still working on it.
CarPlay 2.0 is still in the works
Based on the code of iOS 18.3 beta 2, which was released to developers on Tuesday, the company is still working on the CarPlay 2.0 project. Today’s beta adds multiple references to “CarPlayHybridInstrument” in the Maps app. This integration was shown by Apple in the marketing images for the new CarPlay, which can display map directions alongside the speedometer and other car instruments.
To corroborate the idea that the project hasn’t been abandoned (yet), we also found in today’s beta multiple new codes related to controlling the car’s air conditioning with CarPlay, something that is also expected to come with CarPlay 2.0.
To recap, CarPlay is the iOS interface specifically designed to be displayed on the car’s built-in screen when an iPhone is connected. In June 2022, Apple announced that it was working with automakers to integrate CarPlay even more deeply into cars. This would allow drivers to control not only media, but also key vehicle functions right from CarPlay.
At first, Apple said that the first cars with the new CarPlay experience would be launched in 2023, but that didn’t happen. The company then set a new deadline for the end of 2024, but again, nothing happened. Apple is yet to set a new date for the launch of the first cars with the next generation of CarPlay.
It’s hard to say what exactly happened. While there’s a theory that automakers didn’t like the idea of giving Apple total control over their cars (like GM, which decided to ditch CarPlay from its EVs), there’s also a chance that CarPlay 2.0 simply isn’t ready yet – as the company continues to add related features to iOS 18.
We’ll have to wait until Apple officially announces something, but knowing that the company is still internally working on the project is certainly a relief for those who really want to see the new CarPlay experience in action someday.
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