CarPlay Ultra, the new CarPlay that can send information to many screens in the car, finally made its commercial debut. It is now available on new orders for Aston Martin. Additionally, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, as well as “many other car makers around the world,” are working on offering CarPlay Ultra, announced Apple Thursday.
With CarPlay Ultra, your iPhone info such as maps and media can appear on all the driver’s screens, including the instrument cluster, with options for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge, said Apple. And gauge info and other “real time content” can appear on the CarPlay infotainment screen.
In addition to new Aston Martin vehicles, older vehicles under the brand can also get CarPlay Ultra through a software update due in the coming weeks (as long as the car has Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system).
With CarPlay Ultra, drivers can use either onscreen controls, physical buttons, or Siri to manage the car radio and climate controls, as well as advanced, vehicle-specific features and controls like audio system configurations or performance settings.
CarPlay Ultra also introduces widgets powered by iPhone that fit the car’s screen or gauge cluster to provide information at a glance, said Apple.
“With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers, we are reimagining the in-car experience, making it even more unified and consistent,” said Bob Borchers, Apple VP Worldwide Product Marketing. “This next generation of CarPlay gives drivers a smarter, safer way to use their iPhone in the car, while deeply integrating with the car’s systems and showcasing the unique look and feel of each automaker.
Apple originally showed the new CarPlay in 2022 with plans to release it in 2024.
The announcement follows news of Google bringing its Gemini AI to Android Auto.
Yawn, get an Android! LOL.