It’s 2025, but Apple’s website still says the major next-generation CarPlay update we’ve all been waiting for will arrive in 2024. While Apple clarified that robot vacuum support in the Home app has been delayed until “early next year,” which is now this year, it’s not completely similar to the CarPlay technology of the future.
Interestingly, after the company previewed this big CarPlay update a few years ago, it announced at the end of 2023 that the first car manufacturers are already working to support this new experience. In addition, Apple is known for clarifying delays. Over the past year, companies have announced plans for delayed products or features in the final days of those years. However, that is not the case for the introduction of the next generation CarPlay.
Last November, MacRumors found that the iOS 18.2 beta has redesigned the CarPlay icon while also finding an image submitted in the EU by Audi that shows how the next generation of CarPlay will look in the car.
However, Apple released iOS 18.2, and we didn’t get anything new with this CarPlay experience. At the end of 2023, Aston Martin and Porsche announced plans to use the next-generation CarPlay design in their cars. However, the automaker has not yet released a new vehicle that supports this feature.
In addition, Apple released some new features for the old CarPlay experience in iOS 18, such as:
- Announced Notification Support: Notifications Notifications can read aloud a summary of notifications when using AirPods or CarPlay.
- Spatial Audio: Drivers can now listen to Spatial Audio songs and albums available on Apple Music and third-party apps when connected to CarPlay. Vehicles with multichannel audio capabilities can enable immersive sound experiences. Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos is also possible in compatible vehicles.
- Accessibility: Color Filters, Bold Text, Voice Control, and Voice Recognition accessibility settings are now available in CarPlay in IOS 18, providing a consistent experience between iPhone and vehicle.
BGR will tell you when Apple updates its website, giving a new timeline for the next generation of CarPlay.
