Apple didn’t give CarPlay much stage time during their WWDC keynote address, but the company is still adding new CarPlay features as part of iOS 15 coming this fall.
Andrew O’Hara for AppleInsider:
For iOS 15, Apple is improving the capabilities of virtual car keys. CarKey can now utilize Apple’s ultra-wideband U1 chip found on recent devices. This exact spatial awareness ensures that the car can never be started without your phone in the vehicle and that you will never lock your doors with your phone inside…
Some features Apple won’t have ready in time for the initial iOS 15 release. One of those features is the ability for Siri to announce your messages as they arrive. This feature also works with AirPods and reduces the need for drivers to interact with their infotainment system while on the road. Users are able to listen to Siri and respond entirely hands-free. Apple says this will be coming later this year in a subsequent iOS 15 update.
Similarly, Apple is also saying that the revamped Maps experience will be arriving after the iOS 15 launch. The new Maps app will have much more detail than it does now.
MacDailyNews Note: When released in an iOS 15.x update, Apple’s Maps will offer drivers incredible road details like turn lanes, crosswalks, and bike lanes; street-level perspectives as you approach complex interchanges; and a new dedicated driving map that helps you see current incidents and traffic conditions at a glance.
With Announce Messages in CarPlay (also slated for an iOS 15.x update), Siri will be able announce incoming messages in CarPlay. Users will be able to turn announcements on or off when a message is read and Siri will remember the preference – or you can set announcements “off” or “always on” through Settings.
