Apple CarPlay Ultra

 Apple CarPlay Ultra hands-on : What's the latest about Automakers 

It’s been more than a decade since Apple unveiled the original version of CarPlay. In that time, the system has become indispensable for countless drivers all over the world. But while new iterations of iOS have introduced user interface tweaks and some additional customization features, its basic functionality hasn’t advanced much since that announcement since March 2014. This changes with the introduction of CarPlay Ultra. Apple fanatics love talking about the company's ecosystem, how well their iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and MacBook sync together for a seamless experience. This extends to driving via CarPlay, and Apple revealed an expansion of the system earlier this year called CarPlay Ultra, where Apple's crisp user interface takes over the main touchscreen, the digital gauge cluster and key functions such as the climate controls.

Luxury automaker Aston Martin is the first OEM to offer support for Apple’s enhanced phone mirroring system. First shown at WWDC 2022 and now available on any iPhone 12 or newer that’s running iOS 18.5 or later, CarPlay Ultra is designed to deliver greater integration with the vehicle itself, offering not only the ability to have CarPlay on multiple displays within the vehicle but also the option to adjust things like climate controls and drive mode settings from within the CarPlay interface. Much like the original version of CarPlay, CarPlay Ultra has had a protracted gestation period and is finally making its debut in Aston Martin’s high-performance SUV, the DBX707. The fact that Aston Martin is the first out of the gate with support for CarPlay Ultra illustrates just how much the company’s approach to technology has evolved in recent years. Like many low-volume auto manufacturers, Aston Martin has a history of partnering with other automakers in order to gain access to technologies which are simply too expensive for the British outfit to develop by itself. That’s why models like the DBX707 and Vantage sports car are powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that’s supplied by Mercedes-AMG and then further tuned by Aston Martin.

It’s certainly not a bad thing, though, with 697 horsepower on tap and an exhaust note that sounds like Beelzebub gargling a mouthful of nails, the DBX707’s powertrain dishes out performance and character in equal measure. But the downside of this technical partnership, is that Mercedes-Benz refused to provide Aston Martin with the latest versions of its infotainment tech, so the vehicle’s systems were effectively outdated before they even landed in showrooms. Recognizing that the infotainment system has become an integral part of the driving experience and is something that an owner will likely interact with every time they get into a vehicle, Aston Martin recently struck out on its own and built one from scratch. But this development also raises a question: why give Apple more control of the in-car technology if you finally have an infotainment system worth touting? An Aston Martin representative said that while offering more choice and personalization options factored into the decision, it ultimately came down to customer requests. They also noted that familiarity is a big factor: with a luxury brand like Aston Martin, many of its customers have multiple vehicles, and CarPlay removes some of the friction involved in re-acclimating to a vehicle’s operating system each time they switch from one to another. 

Automakers will have to decide if they want to appease the hordes of iPhone users, especially in the US, where Apple has a higher market share in the smartphone sphere, with CarPlay Ultra, or stick to their guns and develop their own systems and work to convince customers to abandon the familiarity of CarPlay. This decision could have a huge impact on sales: the Financial Times cites a 2023 survey from consulting firm McKinsey that nearly half of car shoppers won't buy a car without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and that 85 % of car owners who have Apple CarPlay prefer it to their car's native infotainment system. Aston Martin said that the development process for CarPlay Ultra was a learning experience for both the automaker and Apple; the latter learned how to navigate the labyrinth of international safety regulations which dictate things like the required colour palette for certain vehicle system readouts, while the former gained a better understanding of the tech giant’s approach to interface design. The automaker also explained that Apple essentially provided a blank template that Aston Martin’s engineering team then populated with the functions which they expected drivers to use most often. Although there are still a few settings that are only accessible through the native infotainment software, other features which haven’t been given a proper CarPlay Ultra makeover, like the Sound and Stage settings for the DBX707’s Bowers and Wilkins audio system, can still be accessed within the CarPlay interface. In this particular instance, rather than requiring the user to navigate out of CarPlay to get into the native software to make a change and then jump back into CarPlay, the native UI’s menu just pops up in a window inside of CarPlay itself, thereby eliminating all of those additional steps.

There are also quite a few more personalization options available as compared to the standard version of CarPlay. Aston Martin developed its own bespoke CarPlay Ultra theme for the digital gauge cluster and there are a number of other Apple-supplied gauge cluster “themes” to choose from, which can be further embellished with different colours and wallpapers. In the DBX707, the theme options and the choices for the information displayed in the centre of the gauge cluster can be scrolled through using the small touchpad on the steering wheel. Despite the fact that CarPlay Ultra communicates with a vehicle wirelessly, regardless of whether or not the phone is plugged into a data port, its response to inputs was immediate and free of any unsightly hiccups or choppy transitions. While there’s a sense that aesthetic continuity is the main attraction here, there are also some features that provide genuinely new functionality, as well. For example, with CarPlay Ultra, you can set it so that Apple Maps shows you navigation instructions on both the gauge cluster and the infotainment system with different visual orientations for each. So if a section of the route is unclear from the view on the gauge cluster, you can simply look over at the infotainment system display to see it from a different perspective. One of the few complaints we have about Aston Martin’s new infotainment system is that the text in the native operating system is often too small to easily be read at a glance, and that issue is comprehensively addressed by CarPlay’s large font sizes and oversized on-screen buttons. Aston Martin said that the development process for CarPlay Ultra was a learning experience for both the automaker and Apple.

Several car companies have reportedly decided not to offer CarPlay Ultra, which reskins virtually every infotainment system in Apple's design language. Five automakers have backed out from their initial plans to offer Apple's new CarPlay Ultra software in their vehicles, as per a reports available. The automakers reportedly changing their plans are Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar and Renault. CarPlay Ultra sees Apple's software take over the central touchscreen, digital gauge cluster and other integral functions such as the climate-control system.  But now it seems that CarPlay Ultra, initially expected to roll out across a plethora of brands, is facing some problems. It’s hard to say whether or not CarPlay Ultra will eventually become as indispensable as standard CarPlay is now. Although the majority of automakers currently support the standard version and a number of them have expressed interest in bringing CarPlay Ultra compatibility to their vehicles in the coming years, some don’t seem eager to give Apple more control over their screens, while others are actually phasing out CarPlay support entirely.

It’s understandable that a manufacturer like General Motors would want to see a return on investment for the massive amount of money that it’s pouring into software development. On the other hand, most automakers still only spend a limited amount of time updating a particular infotainment system before turning their attention to whatever comes next. With CarPlay on board, the system’s aesthetic and functionality are largely dictated by Apple’s development road map, so while the native infotainment software might get left in the dust after a few years, CarPlay itself looks just as fresh in a vehicle from 2016 as it does in a contemporary model. And if all goes according to plan, CarPlay Ultra’s ability to operate on all of a given vehicle’s displays should take this future proofing concept several steps further. According to a report from the Financial Times, several automakers said that they have no plans to introduce CarPlay Ultra to their vehicles. The companies listed are Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar and Renault. These brands had all initially stated their intent to implement CarPlay Ultra. CarPlay Ultra will allow users to control things like changing the radio station without leaving CarPlay. We reached out to the automakers for comment, with Mercedes responding with a vague statement that didn't confirm or deny its participation in CarPlay Ultra, but it noted that they "have introduced our advanced Mercedes-Benz Operating System in our all-new CLA" and they are "also committed to enhancing our Apple CarPlay integration into the infotainment domain.

Audi, however, said: "While we continue to offer traditional CarPlay on our vehicles, we have chosen not to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra into our current portfolio of cars as we have just introduced our all-new MMI interface in our latest models." Polestar provided the following statement: "Right now we have no news to share about Apple CarPlay Ultra for Polestar vehicles." In a statement, Volvo said: "Regarding Apple CarPlay Ultra, no decision has been made." It seems that some automakers view CarPlay Ultra as a step too far, removing brand identity by redesigning aspects of the infotainment system that have been a differentiating factor for each company. CarPlay Ultra's big move is reskinning the gauge cluster, showing things like the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, tire pressures and more in Apple's clean, if not slightly cold, design. Unlike before, drivers also won't need to leave CarPlay Ultra to adjust things such as fan speed or temperature in the climate menu or change the radio station. CarPlay Ultra will take over every screen in the vehicle. While automakers are reportedly allowed to customize these designs to fit their brand identity, it's clearly not distinct enough for some. According to the Financial Times report, Renault, which is working on a software system with Google and Qualcomm, told Apple, "Don’t try to invade our own systems." Automakers also see developing their own infotainment system as a way to potentially generate revenue from in-car services. So far, CarPlay Ultra is only available in Aston Martins, although Porsche, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are set to join the party soon. These brands aren't alone in pushing back against the spread of CarPlay Ultra. General Motors announced in 2023 that it wouldn't implement CarPlay, not Ultra, but just the standard CarPlay that is currently available in nearly all new cars sold in the US, in its EVs. So far, we've seen several new GM models which don't feature the software, including the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV.

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