Apple’s multi-billion dollar eclectic vehicle, formally known as “Project Titan,” may have gone the way of the iPod. Still, the tech behemoth’s ever-popular Apple CarPlay, which essentially allows someone to use their iPhone through their car’s infotainment system, has a bright future.
Last year, the tech giant inked a deal with luxury automakers Porsche and Aston Martin to develop customized versions of CarPlay to work on those vehicle’s screens instead of just their central infotainment screen.
Customizing Apple Carplay
According to a report from Autocar, Aston Martin and Porsche have been displaying custom versions of CarPlay. In particular, the esteemed European automakers highlight dials that reflect their brand language while also being an integral part of the CarPlay experience.
Autocar’s report notes how unprecedented this is due to how rarely the tech company allows customization of its products. It could signal a significant shift coming down the road for the company.
Another part of what makes this so major is that it presents an entirely new direction for the future of CarPlay’s interface. Autocar’s report cites an October 2023 statement from Cyril Dorsaz, formally the principal project manager for Porsche Digital in the US, as an example of how Apple CarPlay needs to improve.
Dorsaz said, “You have to switch back and forth to control some features around media, for example, more specific features around climate. And ultimately, we learned through customer research that this is something that our customers are not really happy with.”
Autocar’s report cites that Aston Martin based their infotainment system upon an older, outdated Mercedes system. Given that, it’s easy to see how a customized version of Apple CarPlay will significantly enhance the infotainment experience for Aston Martin drivers.
Customers are now expecting (demanding) more from their vehicle’s infotainment systems than ever before. Consumers expect luxury-performance brands such as Porsche and Aston Martin to deliver the best product experiences that money can buy.
An all-encompassing Apple CarPlay experience that optimizes a vehicle’s infotainment interface to provide the smoothest driver experience possible when interacting with these cars is essential for all involved. Simply put, app switching is outdated in 2024.
Autocar’s report also addresses that this collaboration between Apple, Porsche, and Aston Martin, while being a tremendous marketing opportunity for each of them, could allow Apple to look towards integrating CarPlay into the heads-up display (HUD) setups that many automakers are starting to favor for conventional vehicles.
It’s an enticing possibility to think about. But it’s worth imagining how cool and convenient it would be for a driver to use their iPhone’s “Visual Look Up” feature without opening its camera. We’re getting ahead of ourselves here, but if future versions of CarPlay could allow for a modified version of that feature to communicate with the car’s computer and project a diagnosis of what’s wrong with the vehicle onto the HUD, it could be like having an interactive owner’s manual ready to help drivers whenever they need it.