Original author(s) Development status Active | Developer(s) Apple Inc. Operating system | |
Initial release March 10, 2014; 2 years ago (2014-03-10) Stable release 10.2.1 / January 23, 2017; 34 days ago (2017-01-23) | ||
CarPlay is an Apple standard that enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and controller for an iPhone. It is available on all iPhone 5 and later with at least iOS 7.1.
Contents
Most worldwide vehicle manufacturers have said they will be incorporating CarPlay into their infotainment systems over time. CarPlay can also be retrofitted to most vehicles with aftermarket vehicle audio hardware.
According to Apple's website, all major vehicle manufacturers are partnering with CarPlay.
Software
CarPlay provides access to Apple apps such as Phone, Music, Apple Maps, iMessage, iBooks, and Podcasts, as well as third-party apps such as iHeartRadio, Radioplayer, At Bat, Spotify, CBS Radio, Rdio, Overcast, Audiobooks.com, and Audible. Developers must apply to Apple for entitlement to develop CarPlay-enabled apps.
Manufacturers
Cars with CarPlay are available from the following brands:
Other brands with no models with CarPlay but which Apple says is partnering "in supporting CarPlay include:
Aftermarket head units can be purchased from Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, and JVC.
Predecessor
The concept of CarPlay (and subsequently Android Auto) was based on the little known (and used) Apple iOS 4 feature called "iPod Out" that was the result of a joint development between the BMW Group's Technology Office USA in Palo Alto, California, and Apple Inc. The result of several years of exploratory cooperation, iPod Out enabled vehicles with the necessary infrastructure to "host" the analog video and audio from a supporting iOS device while receiving inputs, such as button presses and knob rotations from a car's infotainment system, to drive the "hosted" user interface in the vehicle's built-in display. The iOS feature was first announced during WWDC in 2010 and first shipped as an implemented infrastructure in BMW Group vehicles starting in early 2011. The BMW and Mini option was called "PlugIn" and paved the way for the first cross-OEM platforms, introducing the concept of requiring a car-specific interface for apps (as opposed to MirrorLink's simple and insufficient mirroring of what was shown on the smartphone's screen).
Development
During development its codename was Stark. Apple's Eddy Cue announced it as iOS in the Car at the 2013 WWDC. In January 2014 it was reported that Apple's hardware-oriented corporate culture had led to release delays. CarPlay was launched with its current branding in at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2014 with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo among the first car manufacturers.
Adoption
June 2013, BMW initially announced it would not be implemented, but later changed this policy.
November 2013, Siri Eyes Free mode was offered as a dealer-installed accessory in the US to some Honda Accord and Acura RDX & ILX models. In December, Honda offered additional integration, featuring new HondaLink services, on some US and Canada models of the Civic and the Fit.
September 2014, a Ferrari FF was the first car with a full version of CarPlay.
November 2014, Hyundai announced the Sonata sedan will be available with CarPlay by the end of the first quarter of 2015.
October 2015 Maruti Suzuki India lunch Baleno hatchback With carplay
December 2015, Volvo implemented CarPlay in the 2016 XC90.
January 2016, Apple releases a list detailing the car models which support CarPlay.
Competition
The Open Automotive Alliance's Android Auto is a similar implementation used for Android devices.
MirrorLink is a standard for car-smartphone connectivity, currently implemented in vehicles by Honda, Volkswagen, SEAT, Buick, Skoda, Mercedes-Benz, Citroën, and Smart with phones by multiple manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, and HTC.
Some vehicle manufacturers have their own systems for syncing the car with smartphones, for example: BMW Assist, Hyundai Blue Link, iLane, MyFord Touch, Ford SYNC, OnStar, and Toyota Entune.
General Motors has released an API to allow the development of apps that interact with vehicle software systems.