CarPlay no longer wants to be a simple entertainment interface. Apple wants to make it a real OS capable of modifying the parameters of the cars in which it is integrated.
In the rain of announcements for this WWDC 2022, it would be easy to make the new Macbook Air M2 a major novelty. But the most important announcement of this evening may be elsewhere, and not necessarily in the highly anticipated MacOS Ventura or iOS 16. What if Apple’s biggest hit was called CarPlay?
The new version of CarPlay, version iOS 16, is no longer content to dress the infotainment screen of the car with an interface inspired by the iPhone, it attacks the entire dashboard. Indeed, Cupertino now aims to offer a complete solution to the automotive industry that manages both the multimedia system display and the instrumentation screen. Apple’s demonstration during this WWDC also consisted in showing that its OS for cars was able to adapt to all interiors. That is to say as well to a classic instrumentation as to a triple screen system like that of the Mercedes Hyperscreen or even to a large screen in portrait format like on the Tesla Model 3 or the Mustang Mach-e .
From then on, CarPlay is no longer content to provide a more intuitive interface and shortcuts to applications as useful as Waze or Spotify, it becomes the sole intermediary between the passengers of the car and the latter. The adjustment of the air conditioning, the driving mode or even the search for charging points become his prerogatives, he who communicates directly with the vehicle system. How ? According to Apple, it is the iPhone that will make the link between the vehicle and its screens. It will not only be able to retrieve certain data such as speed, torque or remaining range, but it will also be able to modify settings (driving modes) or the on-board environment (air conditioning, heated seats, etc.)
To achieve such a level of control over a vehicle, there is no secret, you must obtain the consent of the manufacturer. So far, the only player to have succeeded in completely replacing proprietary brand solutions is Google. In this sense, Apple aims for nothing more than to offer an alternative to Google Automotive. The latter is gaining more and more ground with manufacturers. He first settled at Volvo before convincing Renault and more recently the Stellantis group (Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, etc.) to abandon the development of own solutions to entrust him with the control of their software part.
Apple announces that it has entered into negotiations with a large number of car manufacturers. In the list unveiled during this WWDC, we find neo-converts to the Google system, such as Volvo Ford or Renault, but also players more resistant to change and invested in the development of their own OS such as Mercedes or Porsche. Whatever happens, Apple has already warned that the first full integrations will not see the light of day before the end of next year. Until then, each manufacturer will have plenty of time to be able to choose their side.
The summary of WWDC 2022 in video