Apple has a CarPlay problem. Actually, Apple has two CarPlay problems. One of those is well-documented: next-generation CarPlay was announced at WWDC 2022 and is still not available in any car, though Apple swears it’s still working with “several automakers” to implement it.
What could be Apple’s bigger problem, however, is its neglect of CarPlay 1.0 – the CarPlay experience that exists in millions of vehicles already on the road today.
Apple’s CarPlay problem
Apple’s focus is clearly on next-generation CarPlay. It’s a huge undertaking that requires close collaboration with each individual automaker. That’s all well and good, and I hope next-generation CarPlay is one day as prevalent as CarPlay 1.0 is today. As it stands today, however, it’s not.
Apple says that over 98% of new cars sold in the United States offer CarPlay. That’s a staggering number, and it’s pretty obvious who the major CarPlay holdouts at this point are: Tesla, GM, and Rivian.
The problem, however, is that CarPlay 1.0 is starting to feel like abandonware to its millions of existing users.
It seems to me that Apple is taking an all-or-nothing approach. There are aspects of CarPlay 2.0 that could come to CarPlay as it exists today without support from automakers. From a technical perspective, CarPlay works by mirroring content from your iPhone to your car. This means Apple can add new CarPlay features by rolling out a software update to your iPhone.
Why doesn’t Apple bring some of the improvements of next-generation CarPlay to existing users while simultaneously working on next-generation CarPlay behind the scenes? This is something my colleague Ryan also pointed out recently.
I can think of countless ways Apple can improve CarPlay for existing users without full-fledged CarPlay 2.0 support.
New CarPlay apps
It’s been years since Apple added a new native app to CarPlay. One thing Apple showcased repeatedly when unveiling next-generation CarPlay was showing you weather information on your car’s dashboard. There’s no reason Apple couldn’t add the Weather app to CarPlay 1.0.
More customization
There aren’t many ways to customize CarPlay as it exists today. You can rearrange the layout of your apps and choose from Apple’s small selection of wallpapers. Why not give users more customization options?
- Custom themes and color tinting options, similar to the iOS 18 Home Screen customization options.
- More control over the layout of CarPlay’s Dashboard view.
- More wallpaper options (or let me choose any option from my Photos library).
Another way Apple could revamp CarPlay’s Dashboard view is by making the different interface “cards” swipeable, similar to the Smart Stack feature on iOS and iPadOS.
Better HomeKit integration
CarPlay offers basic HomeKit integration today. One of my favorite features is how it intelligently presents your garage door control as you approach your house (assuming you have a HomeKit-enabled garage door).
You can also access HomeKit accessories via CarPlay using Siri. It’s a useful solution, but we all know the limitations and reliability issues of Siri.
I’d love the ability to pin different HomeKit controls to the CarPlay dashboard. A barebones version of the Home app itself would be a welcome addition.
New EV-focused features
Apple Maps EV routing is a truly excellent feature that helps you plan trips that include support for charging stops for your EV. It can track your car’s charge level and tell you when and where to make your charging stops. It also takes things like the availability of chargers, the speed of those chargers, elevation levels, your driving speed, and more to plan those stops.
The problem, however, is that Apple Maps EV routing is supported on three cars: the Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and Porsche Taycan. This is because it requires collaboration with automakers to gain access to the real-time battery percentage of those cars.
Even without real-time access to that information, however, there are other ways Apple could add more EV-focused features to CarPlay.
Final thoughts
These are just a few of my ideas for how Apple could improve CarPlay for existing users while simultaneously working on next-generation CarPlay.
To be clear, I’m entirely on board with what Apple is trying to do with CarPlay 2.0. I think it’s an ambitious undertaking that will come with huge benefits to users who want as seamless and integrated of an in-car experience as possible.
I just don’t want Apple to neglect CarPlay as it exists today for the millions of people who already have it. Right now, however, I fear that is exactly what’s happening.
My favorite CarPlay accessories
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