Hidden amongst Apple’s major marquee announcements during its Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) on June 10 were new and exciting details about the iPhone-based in-car solution CarPlay.
The upcoming CarPlay capitalizes on the fact that modern car interiors are becoming increasingly screen-dominated. Up until now, that’s been a problem because CarPlay has mostly been limited to one display, usually in the middle of the dashboard.
Soon, that will change.
The new version of CarPlay, shown off during one of Apple’s developer coding sessions during the WWDC event, is a flexible, customizable solution that seamlessly blends what’s on a driver’s phone with their car.
Importantly, the new version of CarPlay displays anywhere there’s a screen. CarPlay can be used in the gauge cluster and even a passenger-side screen (if a car has one). In short, CarPlay integration is only limited to the available screen space in the vehicle.
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A personal command center (powered by your iPhone):
Apple’s Human Interface Designer, Ben Crick, says the key characteristic of the new version of CarPlay is customization. It can be adjusted to meet the technological needs, limitations, and aesthetic standards of each automaker.
“[Carplay is] designed to adapt to any vehicle drivetrain, feature set, and configuration. One screen or many, big screens or small, and any screen in between,” Crick said in the video. “The result won’t just look like Apple, and it also won’t just look like a copy of the built-in system. It’s designed to be a unique celebration of both brands.”
Next-generation Apple CarPlay looks so cool pic.twitter.com/supx5UVgSU
— Joe Rossignol (@rsgnl) December 20, 2023
The new version of CarPlay was first teased in December 2023 with mockups depicting interiors from sports car manufacturers Aston Martin and Porsche.
Apple hopes automakers will mess around with the most minute of details.
Focusing on the gauge cluster, the designer demonstrated how developers can customize the font of the numbers, the style of the tachometer or speedometer needle, and even the dash marks between every numbered increment on a speedometer or tachometer.
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Apple also demonstrated how CarPlay will integrate into a particular car’s various in-car technology.
For instance, cars with cruise control and adaptive cruise control can be equipped with visual markers on the speedometer to indicate how fast the car is set to go, while those equipped with manual transmissions can have visual indicators of recommended gear changes and the current gear position.
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Dynamic content such as calendars and moving navigation maps can also become a fixture in the gauge cluster alongside traditional gauges.
You can even add background wallpapers to the gauges for a pop of personality.
Overall, the new version of CarPlay is meant to be visually different from car manufacturer to car manufacturer, model to model, and even across trim levels. If a driver does not like a particular design, they can change it as simply as widgets on an iPhone.
Apple’s website says that the first models incorporating the new version of CarPlay will be available in 2024 but has not yet mentioned any specific manufacturers. Due to the flexible nature of the CarPlay software, the degree to which the mentioned features will be integrated will likely vary widely.
CarPlay is currently available in over 800 models spanning major automakers, including Honda, Ford, and Ferrari.
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