Three years after it was first announced, CarPlay Ultra is finally making its way into cars – well, so long as you’re driving an Aston Martin. Apple’s next-generation car software will debut on Aston Martin’s core sportscar range, where it’s included as standard from today in the US and Canada.
Whereas the existing Apple CarPlay simply projects your iPhone’s apps, maps and features to your car’s infotainment display, CarPlay Ultra is more like an operating system designed to run the whole cockpit. The iOS-styled interface powers everything from the centre touchscreen to the driver instrument cluster – including crucial information like the speedometer, fuel gauge and parking cameras – and can be used to manage car functions like radio and temperature controls.
Aston Martin says it’s worked closely with Apple to keep the interface consistent with Aston Martin’s branding, suggesting that the design of CarPlay Ultra will be adapted for each car it appears in and won’t be entirely Apple-led. The tech giant had previously touted CarPlay Ultra’s wide-ranging personalisation options, saying automakers will be able to “express their vehicle’s character” through the interface.
Customisation options aren’t just for the manufacturer either. Drivers will be free to curate their own widget layouts on the car’s infotainment screen, choose from a number of cluster designs and pick their own colour themes and wallpapers.
In Aston Martin cars, CarPlay Ultra will support capacitive single and multi-finger gesture control on the 10.25in infotainment display, as well as voice controls via Siri. Physical buttons will remain for the most critical controls like gear selection, drive selection, heating and ventilation, with override switches for safety features like lane assist.
Aston Martin CEO, Adrian Hallmark called the Apple partnership “a clear example of our dedication to collaborate with the best companies in the world to bring unique experiences and in-vehicle capabilities to our customers. Building on our in-house state-of-the-art infotainment system, CarPlay Ultra will provide additional functionality and personalisation opportunities which place Aston Martin at the forefront of infotainment in the sector.”
Bob Borchers, Apple’s VP of worldwide product marketing, says “iPhone users love CarPlay and it has changed the way people interact with their vehicles. With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers we are reimagining the in-car experience and making it even more unified and consistent.
“The next generation of CarPlay gives drivers a smarter, safer way to use their iPhone in the car, deeply integrating with the vehicle while maintaining the very best of the automaker. We are thrilled to begin rolling out CarPlay Ultra with Aston Martin, with more manufacturers to come.”
While Porsche, Polestar and others have expressed interest in CarPlay Ultra, Apple’s ambition to dominate the dashboard could face a mixed reaction from manufacturers. CarPlay and Android Auto have been readily adopted by most, but it’s unclear whether manufacturers that have invested heavily in their own bespoke infotainment systems would want to cede too much control to the tech giant.
CarPlay Ultra will still require an iPhone to work, which is mildly concerning for a software platform so deeply integrated into the car’s operation. Aston Martin’s own infotainment system will still be the foundation on which CarPlay Ultra runs, so Samsung Galaxy owners needn’t worry about being locked out of their Vanquish for having the wrong phone.
Aston Martin is introducing CarPlay Ultra as standard in its new DBX, Vantage, DB12 and Vanquish models, starting in North America today and rolling out to all markets within the next 12 months. Existing owners can receive CarPlay Ultra as an update through Aston Martin’s dealer network.
