Apple will release the next generation of CarPlay in 2024, refreshing the world’s most popular in-car interface with new features. The new CarPlay would be an absolutely wireless system now, hence only working with compatible vehicles via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi—no physical USB connections. Just thinking about it, this move further lashes changes right from top to bottom to better the user’s experience and ease the integration process of iPhones with car infotainment systems.
The next update to CarPlay will bring a slew of new apps and deepen the integration with car hardware even further. Other features include more granular climate controls, tire pressure monitoring, and trip data tracking. Those features can be accessed and controlled directly in the CarPlay interface, making for a much more integrated and intuitive drive.
It has also conceptualized next-generation CarPlay that will work with multi-display setups. It can overtake multiple screens within the vehicle, from the main infotainment screen and instrument cluster display to any other screens in the car. Users will be able to customize it much more than earlier versions of the CarPlay system. This would include picking different gauge cluster designs and layouts and even the ability to change color schemes to suit taste or that of the car manufacturer.
We can also see that CarPlay is going to integrate with several car functions, such as speedometers and fuel gauges—maybe even climate control systems. Given this level of integration, just about everything concerning a car’s interface that a driver needs to be in control of can be done through CarPlay, hence reducing the need for switching between different systems and thereby making it more unified.
First off the blocks, though, will be luxury car brands like Porsche and Aston Martin. The new interface of the car shall proliferate with models such as the Aston Martin DB12. Other companies that have vowed to support this new system include Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Renault, and Volvo. How many models each of these companies will provide first with the updated CarPlay version remains the real question.
This becomes a huge step forward for Apple on its way to ruling in-car entertainment. Apple, by providing a wireless-only setup that is tacked down deeper with more features, gives users a more integrated and enjoyable drive—further entrenching CarPlay as one of the leaders in in-car platforms.
