- BMW says it has no plans to integrate CarPlay Ultra into future cars
- Manufacturers are increasingly turning to internal infotainment
- Aston Martin is currently the only brand that offers Apple’s tech
Apple CarPlay was launched to a lot of fanfare at the end of May and adorns the countless screens of the amazing Aston Martin DBX 707 model.
But just weeks after its disclosure to the world, a number of big names in car manufacturers – once intended to work with the technology – began to support. This time it’s BMW.
Recently, a Renault employee was even quoted as saying “not invading our systems” by the Financial Times when asked about future partnerships with the tech giant.
Now, a BMW AG spokesman has stated that the company currently has “no plans to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra”, according to a post from the independent BMW blog discovered by 9TO5MAC.
Instead, the German car power center supports its own reinvention of the popular Idrive system, which was first debuted at CES late last year.
The system-it is first seen on the upcoming Neue Class IX-In-clutter new Haptic Controls and a full width screen that spans the entire front width. To hand over this new and innovative digital property to Apple feels counter intuitive.
As a result, the German car manufacturer will still support traditional CarPlay and Android Auto, but its use will be limited to the main screen for infotainment.
Analysis: CarPlay Ultra is a step too far
My early practical experience with Apple CarPlay Ultra proved that the system had many of the annoying problems that arose from traditional CarPlay use.
Mainly the ability to adjust important car settings or enjoy some DAB or satellite radio without leaving the CarPlay environment a blessing.
But when they were activated in the beautiful surroundings of an Aston Martin, the system felt too invasive, and the fully digital, very Apple-Y-Cockpit lost some of its unique charm.
This is the overriding problem that many manufacturers are facing, as most people feel that giving Apple the opportunity to take control of the entire infotainment experience not only suffocates fire differentiation, but also sees Apple potentially handling reams of valuable data.
Instead, Porsche remains the only manufacturer I can think of who has worked with Apple’s Automotive Developer Toolkit to produce a kind of halfway house.
Put an iPhone in a new Macan, Taycan or Panamera and you will still be able to adjust the temperature of Air Con and Fele with car settings, without leaving the CarPlay environment or abandoning the unique Porsche Digital Driver’s display.
To me, it feels like Apple needs to pursue this Avenue and improve the standard CarPlay experience, which should happen to iOS 26.
Otherwise, future cars risk homogeneous both on the outside and the interior.
