In just a few years, Apple has moved from an optional, rarely limited-use facility to a new car consumer to CarPlay. In its simplest form, CarPlay takes your iPhone’s user interface and applications, and places them on your car’s dashboard screen.
CarPlay completely replaces your car’s infotainment system (ie infotainment, BTW), and comes with some apps you use, such as Maps (Apple, Google, Waze), Music (Apple, Spotify, Etc.), messages, WhatsApp, phone, podcasts, etc. .
For the latest iOS 13 upgrade, Apple has taken more things. Now, automakers are invited to place the CarPlay interface on more than one display. As cars begin to display multiple screens, this makes sense because it means that CarPlay can appear on the central screen and digital tool kit behind the wheel.
There’s a lot you like about CarPlay, but it’s not perfect yet. Some manufacturers have started charging membership fees for the service (which seems a bit mediocre, since the software works on your phone, not on the car), and not all apps are available. Read on to learn more about what Apple CarPlay is, how it works, and how you can get it yourself.
What is CarPlay?
In simple words, CarPlay takes your iPhone’s user interface and places it on the infotainment screen of your vehicle’s dashboard.
This means that when your iPhone is connected, the car system of the iOS home screen is changed, complete with the app icon and the default home button. New with iOS 13 is a new home screen, located to the left of the normal app launcher.
Swipe to this new screen, and you can see the map and media playback controls at the same time, plus two app icons and other shortcuts. What actually appears on this screen depends on how you use CarPlay, and the size of your car’s screen.
CarPlay already interacts with any control in your car, whether it’s touch screen, buttons, knobs, sound, or a combination of all of them.
CarPlay does not include every app in your smartphone, because running a fortnight on your vehicle’s control panel is a disaster that is clearly waiting to happen, and some app elements are replaced by sound and dictation.
For example, your iMessages and WhatsApp messages are read by Siri rather than displayed on the screen.
Most cars require you to connect your iPhone to a USB port with a Lightning cable, but some newer models support wireless CarPlay, which works via Bluetooth connectivity to the car.
It’s more convenient, but if you use CarPlay Wireless, you want to make sure that your iPhone sits on the wireless charger, as it can quickly drain your battery if you’re streaming music on 4G And use maps to navigate. Fortunately, wireless charging has also become common in high-priced cars.
CarPlay is designed to eliminate the desire to have a quick look at the iPhone behind the wheel. It’s safer, easier and more comfortable – or that’s the idea anyway.
Which cars support Apple CarPlay?
As of October 2019, more than 500 models of cars with CarPlay are available as standard or additional payment options.
Some cars add CarPlay when you choose an enhanced sound system, for example, or choose a higher level than the cabin level.
Other manufacturers charge and add CarPlay on their own, and the price can vary greatly.
For example, Honda CarPlay is standard on some models, with Mercedes charging £ 267 (around $ 330 and A $ 480) and Ford CarPlay at £ 550 (about $ 680 / $ 1,000) for the sync system. 3 in Fiesta – with a large touch screen and the company’s navigation system.
At the other end of the scale, Ferrari charges 2,400 pounds (about $ 2,900 / $ 4,400) to add the program needed to make it a success.
Some manufacturers, such as Mazda, allow CarPlay to be modified for some used cars. For example, the company charges £ 350 (about $ 450 and A $ 650) to fit the CarPlay with the current generation of the MXP-MX. Alternatively, drivers using a screwdriver can purchase the parts and install them in half.
Finally on the subject of cost, some manufacturers such as BMW started paying annual subscription fees to CarPlay after the first 12 months. BMW charges $ 80 / £ 85 / A for $ 179 per year, or new buyers can pay $ 300 / £ 295 (about $ 450) for a 20-year membership tied to the car.
We have included a list of manufacturers that currently provide CarPlay service at the end of this article. While it has not yet included everyone, it is good to take the name of a car manufacturer off the top of its head that does not offer CarPlay – except Tesla, of course.
Apple Aftermarket CarPlay Solutions?
If you are not in the market for a new car, you can get some carplay in your life by installing an aftermarket stereo.