You might have forgotten about it, but Apple unveiled what it described as the “next-generation” of CarPlay way back at WWDC 2022. Since that initial announcement, however, Apple hasn’t said a word about next-gen CarPlay, nor have any of its automaker partners.
Despite the silence, Apple still seems adamant that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay will be announced this year…
What’s up with next-generation CarPlay?
On its website dedicated to CarPlay, there’s a small section at the bottom dedicated to the “Next generation of CarPlay.” Apple explains:
This next generation of CarPlay is the ultimate iPhone experience for the car. It provides content for all the driver’s screens including the instrument cluster, ensuring a cohesive design experience that is the very best of your car and your iPhone. Vehicle functions like radio and temperature controls are handled right from CarPlay. And personalization options ranging from widgets to selecting curated gauge cluster designs make it unique to the driver.
On that same webpage, Apple includes this tidbit: “Vehicle announcements coming in late 2023.” This claim has been there since next-generation CarPlay was first introduced back at WWDC 2022, and it hasn’t changed since then.
Generally, Apple is quite good at keeping its website up to date when it comes to timelines for new features. This would seemingly mean that things are still on track and the first cars with next-generation CarPlay will be announced before the end of the year. If not, Apple likely would’ve updated its website by now to delay the launch – or maybe this very article will remind it to do exactly that.
As a reminder, Apple previously said that the following automakers have signed on to support next-generation CarPlay:
- Land Rover
- Mercedes Benz
- Lincoln
- Audi
- Volvo
- Honda
- Porsche
- Nissan
- Ford
- Jaguar
- Acura
- Polestar
- Infiniti
- Renault
One thing to keep in mind: Just because a car is “announced,” doesn’t mean it will be available for purchase within a reasonable amount of time. On the other hand, next-generation CarPlay could theoretically come to cars that are already on the road – or to 2024 model year cars that have been announced but aren’t yet available.
Could we hear about next-generation CarPlay at next week’s “Scary fast” Apple event? It’s certainly a possibility, but I’m not sure how it would tie in with what’s expected to be a Mac-focused showcase.
With all of that said, there’s clearly still a lot we don’t know about next-generation CarPlay. While Apple obviously thinks it’s the future of the platform, automakers might be less enthusiastic about handing over control of the entire in-car experience to Apple.
We’ve already seen GM announce that it’s abandoning CarPlay entirely starting with its 2024 electric vehicles. Other automakers such as Porsche and Ford, however, have reaffirmed their commitment to CarPlay amid some of this uncertainty.
I’m hopeful that Apple makes good on its promise and that it’s able to find automakers that are willing to work together on implementing next-generation CarPlay. But while I am hopeful, I am not optimistic.
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