Apple has only sanctioned a small set of App Store apps to support its CarPlay feature with Audio Books for iPhone today joining that limited list. The latest version of Audio Books adds integration with CarPlay head units for easily finding audiobooks to play through your car stereo on your drive.Audio Books is a free iPhone and iPad app from AudioBooks.com with a collection of over 60,000 audiobooks including 2500 free titles. New Audio Books users can claim one paid title for free after signing up for an account including the new Becoming Steve Jobs biography (Review, $12+Amazon, $13 iBooks, Free Audible/Audio Books).
The CarPlay interface for Audio Books presents both saved books in your library as well as featured books from the service. You can also easily navigate through genres of audiobooks and quickly find free titles to listen to on your drive without signing up for an account. You can see the Audio Books CarPlay interface below:
Aside from CarPlay integration, the new version of Audio Books includes a new design (but not iPhone 6 native resolution) and more:
What’s New in Version 5.0.3
-Fully updated user interface with a new minimalist look and feel
-Improved book browsing and general user experience for international users
-Full integration with CarPlay and select in-car infotainment systems
-Audio player updated to incorporate full functionality and controls without sub-menus
-Re-organized settings page displays critical account information more prominently
-Improved navigation throughout the app for a more intuitive user experience
Audio Books for iPhone is available for free on the App Store.
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Given that Amazon virtually have a monopoly on the audiobook market, and that many have built large Audible libraries, this is a surprising addition.
Now if only automakers would add carplay support
just buy aftermarket. there no need to spend a additional $2.5k – $5k for crippled OEM navi.
Why would one do that if the unit they have WILL (eventually) take CarPlay? Me, I’m just waiting (impatiently) for Honda to flip the switch on my 2015 Honda Fit. Not sure who to blame… at this point. I just want it in my car. Now.
Eric Hofstetter: if you have ever purchased a car you would know this kind of ” support / update ” only comes when you purchase a newer car. you are dreaming if you think support will be added to your current vehicle even if Honda said it was going to happen.
I’ve heard that Volkswagen is launching new car models by the end of April in the European market. But they have also said that CarPlay isn’t currently approved by Apple. :S
With all of the PSAs and news reports about the dangers of texting while driving, why do ALL the pictures of CarPlay units have the Messages App so prominently displayed? Someone at Apple not paying attention?
Because Carplay doesn’t show you the text on screen. Siri reads your texts, dictates your replies but at no point is there actual text on screen. I used it all the time in my car, it’s like having a verbal conversation with the recipient.
How accurate do you find Siri or the iOS dictation in general? Sometimes it works flawlessly other times I may as well be speaking Martian. Naturally this is using the iPhone and not CarPlay.
Either way, it’s shockingly better than the dictation routine built into OS X.
Siri’s pretty good, I find it’s ideal for short messages such as “I’m stuck in Traffic, I’ll be 20 minutes late” but you wouldn’t dictate an essay with it. Her other functions are limited, you can ask her the weather, but you can’t ask what’s playing in the Cinema for example.
I do find as I’m in a car, and using a 3rd party headunit I do need to be very deliberate in my pronunciation but that makes all the difference to the success of sending a correct message. TBH, I’m more of a texter than a talker, so for me Carplay is fantastic. Having Spotify in the mix makes life a whole lot better.
Plus, there’s full handsfree too, I can drive and without pushing anything just say “Hey Siri, call my Fiancé” and off it goes.
Just to clarify, the screenshot above with the texter’s name is all you see. Once you tap on the unread text it’s all speech/dictation/Siri from there.
Because it does messaging by voice using Siri