Apple’s “CarPlay seeks to combine the benefits of the in-car system — namely the big, bright touchscreen — with the design, apps, and functionality of iOS. Plug an iPhone into a supported vehicle and the stock infotainment system will go away while the iPhone beams an iOS-style interface to the car screen,” Ron Amadeo writes for Ars Technica. “From our time with CarPlay, this system appears built from the ground up for computing on the go, with an easy-to-use, safety-focused UI, a heavy emphasis on voice commands, and a sliver of the huge iOS app ecosystem.”
“CarPlay is a “casted” interface—all the processing happens on the iPhone, but it uses the car screen as an external monitor. You plug in the iPhone and tap an icon on the car’s stock infotainment system, then the infotainment system goes away and Apple’s software commandeers the screen,” Amadeo writes. “Apple’s choice to go with an icon-grid home screen screams “iOS,” and the 4×2 icon grid on an 8-inch screen results in massive icons that are dead simple to use. You end up bouncing from app to home screen to app a lot, though, which is less than ideal while driving. The faster alternative is having always-on tabs at the bottom of the screen for things like maps, phone, and media, which is the design style used by Android Auto and Ford Sync 3. That tabbed design allows you to jump from any major function to any other major function in a single tap.”
“CarPlay is a great way to get a top-shelf software experience while driving, especially when compared to the almost universally awful options from car manufacturers. It’s hard to overstate how bad most car companies are at making software. CarPlay brings competent, modern design to the car along with all your phone data, up-to-date maps, and tons of music apps. It integrates beautifully with the car, taking over the screen, steering wheel controls, and even turning down the HVAC system when issuing a voice command. The experience here is so much better than what car manufacturers ship, we have a hard time believing any iPhone owner with access to CarPlay would choose to ignore it,” Amadeo writes. “CarPlay doesn’t cover the entirety of what a car computer does, so occasionally you’ll have to leave Apple’s interface and hunt through the built-in infotainment system. The rare time we’ve had to do this was actually depressing, which is a testament to how much better CarPlay is than the stock car computer — we never want to leave.”
Tons more in the full review (including CarPlay’s current downsides) here.
MacDailyNews Take: Frequently updated, CarPlay can only get better!
SEE ALSO:
Apple blocked Volkswagen from demonstrating wireless CarPlay at CES – January 8, 2016
Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep to offer Apple’s CarPlay in vehicles – January 4, 2016
Toyota, QNX, others adopt Ford’s SmartDeviceLink platform – January 4, 2016
Which Mercedes-Benz vehicles will have Apple’s CarPlay in 2016 – December 14, 2015
Apple’s CarPlay attracting vehicle buyers GM dealers say – December 14, 2015
The Verge reviews Apple’s CarPlay: ‘Miles better than your car’s interface’ – September 4, 2015
WSJ reviews Apple CarPlay: Siri’s finally on the right road – August 18, 2015
Hands on with Apple’s CarPlay in the new Corvette – August 10, 2015
2016 Honda Accord delivers Apple CarPlay – July 24, 2015
GM to roll out Apple’s CarPlay across 14 Chevy models this year – May 27, 2015
Apple’s CarPlay success shows the power of having a long-term strategy – March 15, 2015
Apple’s real CarPlay: Cupertino doesn’t need to build cars in order to reinvent driving – February 28, 2015
Ford drops reputation-scorching Microsoft Sync, enables support for Apple’s sought-after CarPlay – December 12, 2014
Apple’s CarPlay looks like the future of in-car infotainment – April 13, 2014
