A few months ago, Apple revealed the upcoming version of CarPlay, which is far more extensive than ever before. Not only does it have more functionality but it integrates with cars’ interfaces more than ever. However, BMW isn’t going to join in on the new CarPlay party.
The latest Apple CarPlay sort of takes over car’s entire infotainment system. It not only takes over the car’s main screen but also the car’s digital gauge cluster, climate controls, and navigation. It’s essentially an entire automotive infotainment system that temporarily replaces the car’s own system while it’s in use.
While in use, the car’s gauges become Apple CarPlay gauges, the car’s climate controls are built into it, so are heated seats, and navigation. So once Apple CarPlay is engaged, that’s really all the front passengers use, for everything. Which is actually why BMW doesn’t want to participate.
BMW isn’t interested in having Apple CarPlay take over the entire car’s system. Which I sort of get. I’m just speculating here, as BMW didn’t provide a concrete reason as to why, but BMW invests a ton of money into creating its own technological identity that replacing it with Apple’s does kind of ruin it. BMW also invests time and money into making its gauges and infotainment to be intuitive to drivers while on the move (with varying degrees of success) and replacing that with a system developed by a phone manufacturer might be troublesome.
However, it’s important to not that if Apple releases any updates on its current CarPlay setup, in which is uses just the main screen and can add some info to the gauge cluster, then BMW will adapt that. However, the new “CarPlay on Steroids,” as BMW calls it, won’t be part of BMW’s future moving forward.
Here are the manufacturers that will be using the new CarPlay:
- Acura
- Audi
- Ford
- Honda
- Infiniti
- Jaguar
- Land Rover
- Lincoln
- Mercedes
- Nissan
- Polestar (new addition)
- Porsche
- Renault
- Volvo
[Top Image provided for media use by Apple.com]
