Apple Claims CarPlay Ultra is a Revolutionary Upgrade, Controlling Dashboard, Seats, and More

【PCauto】Apple has officially launched the next-generation in-car interaction system, CarPlay Ultra. According to the company's statement, this system aims for “deep integration of vehicle hardware,” marking not just an upgrade of the existing CarPlay system but a comprehensive overhaul of traditional in-car entertainment interfaces. It aims to cover all in-vehicle display terminals, including the dashboard, central control screen, and rear-seat entertainment systems.

Since its concept was revealed in 2022, the system has undergone three years of development and is finally making its debut. CarPlay Ultra will first be featured in new models from Aston Martin, including the DB12, DBX, Vanquish, and Vantage series, with starting market prices around RM772,110, placing them firmly in the luxury car category.

Notably, users of these models can achieve system compatibility through a software update a few weeks after the launch. In addition to Aston Martin, automotive brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have confirmed their support, while brands such as Porsche, Ford, and Volvo plan to gradually adopt the system in future models.

From a functional perspective, CarPlay Ultra boasts significant technological advantages. In terms of system integration, it can control core functions such as the vehicle's dashboard, climate control, and seat adjustments. Dynamic widget features deliver real-time information on navigation, weather, and schedules. Multi-screen collaboration technology allows different screens in the vehicle to operate independently; for example, the driver can focus on navigation while the passenger enjoys multimedia content. The operating logic mirrors the iOS system style, supporting gesture commands and Siri voice activation, effectively lowering the learning curve for users.

However, a closer examination of the system reveals several limitations in practical application.

First, the high market prices of the cooperating models create a barrier that distances the system from the mass consumer market, contradicting the original intent of making technology accessible. This effectively restricts advanced technology to high-end users.

Second, even for users who meet the necessary conditions for use, the completeness of the system's functions has not been fully realized. Despite Apple's emphasis on deep hardware integration, automotive manufacturers impose many restrictions on CarPlay Ultra’s functionalities for the sake of brand ecosystem independence and user data security.

As a result, CarPlay can only offer basic services like navigation and audio playback, while expanded functions like climate control and window operation remain unattainable. Furthermore, the display of navigation information is limited to the central control screen and does not effectively utilize the dashboard and heads-up display (HUD), leading to idle hardware resources and negatively impacting the convenience and safety of information retrieval during driving.

Essentially, the collaboration between Apple and automotive manufacturers on CarPlay reflects a struggle over interests. Apple is attempting to establish dominance in the in-car intelligent systems sector through its technological edge, while traditional automakers are concerned about brand control and data sovereignty, making it difficult for both parties to reach effective consensus on their interests.

As a successful example of CarPlay and automotive collaboration, HUAWEI's HarmonyOS cockpit has achieved success by enabling seamless interaction between smartphones and vehicles. Users can easily transfer videos or navigation tasks from the car to their phone with a single press when exiting the vehicle. In terms of hardware collaboration, the system can unify the control of the car’s climate, seating, and audio systems, enabling various interactive experiences, such as using voice commands to adjust both temperature and music volume simultaneously.

Additionally, the HarmonyOS cockpit is built on Huawei's cloud services, creating an open ecosystem that allows third-party developers to easily integrate and expand in-vehicle application scenarios, which stands in stark contrast to Apple’s relatively closed CarPlay environment.

Even if Apple touts CarPlay Ultra as a revolutionary upgrade, its benefits are confined to a small proportion of high-end car users, leaving the majority unaffected.