TL;DR: It’s official, Apple’s next-generation CarPlay is late. The delay is a rare miss for Cupertino, a company known for meeting its self-imposed deadlines and its highly predictable product cycles. The tech giant has quietly updated its website, removing all references to the supposed 2024 launch date, effectively acknowledging the pushback.
Apple seems to remain committed to the project despite the delay, emphasizing ongoing collaboration with multiple automakers. “We continue to work closely with several automakers, enabling them to showcase their unique brand and visual design philosophies in the next generation of CarPlay,” the company said in a statement to MacRumors.
The next-generation CarPlay, first unveiled at WWDC 2022, promises a significant overhaul of the in-car experience. It’s designed to integrate with a vehicle’s instrument cluster, providing information on speed, climate control, and other car data directly through the CarPlay interface. Users will be able to control various vehicle functions, including radio and temperature, directly from the interface.
While Apple has not provided a new timeline for the release, there are indications that development is progressing. References to the next-gen CarPlay were recently found in the iOS 18.3 beta, and new visuals of the system have been submitted to a European database.
Previously, Apple had announced partnerships with several car manufacturers, including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, and Volvo. In December 2023, Aston Martin and Porsche previewed their next-generation CarPlay designs, though neither has delivered a product to market.
Meanwhile, some manufacturers like General Motors and Rivian have opted out of CarPlay integration, preferring to maintain control over their own automotive systems. However, Apple maintains that its current CarPlay platform is available in over 98 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. over the past few years.
Apple’s next-generation CarPlay promises to offer what the company calls “the best of iPhone and the best of your car.” The system will allow drivers to personalize their experience, with customizable gauge cluster designs and layouts, including brand-specific options that reflect each automaker’s style.
Vehicle controls will see significant enhancements as well. For example, the adaptive cruise control feature will display a visual band in the instrument cluster, indicating the vehicle’s proximity to the set speed. Other design elements will include color-coded fuel and temperature gauges, with red indicators providing warnings for low fuel or high engine temperatures. Moreover, the instrument cluster will showcase not only essential vehicle data but also real-time information such as dynamic maps and daily schedules.