2025-05-16
Next-generation Apple CarPlay ultra is here and is officially called CarPlay Ultra. Users can’t use it right now, but if you want you need an Aston Martin.
According to Apple, support for current models will be added “in the coming weeks,” and the rollout will include new Aston Martin automobiles ordered in the US and Canada. It’s a muted introduction, more subdued than expected for a function that Apple had hinted at as a significant advancement in automotive infotainment. It appears that other automakers are in line. Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai are “working on” extending their support. That is consistent with what we heard when Apple first revealed this redesign in 2022. Porsche was also on that list, however, it’s unclear when it was added.
Apple CarPlay Ultra: Is there something new?
Integration is Apple’s selling point. Fuller, deeper, and dispersed among all of the car’s screens. The instrument cluster, which includes the speed, RPMs, fuel, tire pressure, maps, music, and even ADAS data, is in addition to the main display. CarPlay Ultra aims to be the owner of that visual space if the driver finds it important. All of it is available on an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later.
It’s interesting to see that Apple is combining traditional tactile controls with touchscreen technology. The climate and radio will be controlled via buttons on the steering wheel, knobs, or your voice through Siri. Nobody likes to sift through options to chill the cabin by two degrees, so that’s a simple yet wise approach.
Widget support is among the more elegant features. A subtle allusion to Apple’s fixation with UI smoothness and scaling, they are made to “perfectly fit” every screen size or form, even oddly shaped instrument clusters.
When Apple CarPlay Ultra first revealed this redesign in 2022, it was expected to be completed by 2024. That slipped. When CarPlay Ultra will be available in more widely used cars is still up in the air. And there’s a little ambiguity there. When it comes to software integrations, automakers are typically sluggish to act, particularly when it comes to the instrument cluster, which is an area that most of them still keep quite secure.
With its cleverer layout, improved integration, and increased control, CarPlay Ultra appears to be a true improvement, but for the time being, almost no one can afford it. You will have to wait unless you have an order for a new Aston Martin.
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