Apple’s long-brewing next generation of CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay Ultra officially launched this morning. And while anyone not driving an Aston Martin may be disappointed, Apple’s announcement actually brought good news for all CarPlay users.
The future of CarPlay isn’t what Apple thought
Three years ago, Apple laid out its plans for the next generation of CarPlay.
It’s been a long wait, but today the newly branded ‘CarPlay Ultra’ is here—first on Aston Martin vehicles, and later other automakers.
Unless you’re in the market for an ultra-premium new car (or already own one), today’s announcement may seem irrelevant to you.
But the details of Apple’s announcement reveal it’s actually good news for all CarPlay users.
When Apple originally presented its vision for CarPlay’s future, it felt very much like a ‘CarPlay 2.0.’
In other words, next-gen CarPlay was the future, which meant the existing CarPlay would become the past.
Today’s announcement, however, makes very clear that Apple’s not taking that approach.
CarPlay Ultra isn’t ‘CarPlay 2,’ and that’s good news for the rest of us
For anyone worried about CarPlay’s future now that something new has arrived, Apple has reassurance for you.
In its press release announcing CarPlay Ultra’s launch, Apple included a key sentence near the end:
CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay, which is beloved by drivers around the world and has fundamentally changed the way people interact with their vehicles, providing a safer, smarter way to use iPhone in the car.
”CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay”—the word choice is important, as is Apple’s naming choice.
CarPlay Ultra is not a replacement for CarPlay.
Apple isn’t eventually going to phase out CarPlay as more and more automakers support its new system.
Through its branding, and press release, Apple makes very clear that CarPlay Ultra is not ‘CarPlay 2.’ It’s not a replacement, but rather an alternative.
Current CarPlay will continue getting better, alongside Ultra
Now that CarPlay Ultra has officially shipped, I’m optimistic Apple will continue investing in the current CarPlay system—perhaps more than it has in a while.
We’ve seen signs of this happening already, with new features added to CarPlay in recent iOS updates.
Perhaps some of CarPlay Ultra’s features will eventually trickle down to standard CarPlay too.
Top comment by Tom
Was this ever a worry? This new version can never replace the current CarPlay because it would alienate millions of users. This was always positioned as a separate parallel version.
Likely not any time soon, since Apple still needs ways to differentiate the system. But a version of widgets coming to standard CarPlay seems likely eventually.
In short: CarPlay Ultra is good news because Apple no longer sees it as the future of all CarPlay offerings. Rather, it’s a new, premium option that “joins” the existing CarPlay.
And hopefully before long, all CarPlay users will start to benefit.
Best CarPlay accessories
- MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
- 10-foot iPhone cable USB-C to USB-A
- FLYLEAD car charger with 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports
- Apple AirTag for tracking your car
- AirTag 4-pack for only $79
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments