Apple CarPlay: everything you need to know
APPLE’S IPHONE-COMPATIBLE IN-DASH EXPERIENCE
BEFORE INTERFACES SUCH as Apple CarPlay, no one minded if their car’s dashboard only offered the most basic of digital information. There was a clock, for example, and if you were lucky you might have even be told what temperature it was outside.
But as smartphone technology improved, drivers quickly demanded more from their vehicles. After all, why should the phone in your pocket have a better screen and more responsive user interface than the one in your car, which cost considerably more?
To their credit, car manufacturers are faced with five, or even 10-year product cycles, so no matter how advanced their infotainment system looks at launch, it is bound to look dated well before the car gets its first facelift.
That’s where Apple CarPlay comes in. Powered by your iPhone, CarPlay gives your car an interface which looks like iOS, but is simplified so it can be safely and legally used while driving.
WHAT IS CARPLAY?
In simple terms, CarPlay takes the user interface of your iPhone and puts it onto the infotainment screen of your car dashboard.
This means when your iPhone is plugged in, the car’s own system is replaced by the iOS home screen, complete with app icons and a virtual home button.
CarPlay can be interacted with via whatever controls your car already has, whether that be a touch screen, buttons, knobs, voice or a combination of all of these.
CarPlay doesn’t include every app on your smartphone, because playing PUBG on your car dashboard is clearly a disaster waiting to happen, and some elements of apps are replaced by voice and dictation.
For example, incoming iMessages and WhatsApp messages are read out to you by Siri instead of shown on the display.
Most cars require you to plug your iPhone into the USB port with a Lightning cable, but some newer models (like the latest BMW 5-Series) now support wireless CarPlay, which works via the car’s Bluetooth connection.
This is more convenient, but you’ll want to make sure your iPhone is sat on a wireless charger if using wireless CarPlay, as it can drain the battery quickly if you’re streaming music over 4G and using the Maps app for navigation.
CarPlay is designed to remove the urge to take a quick look at your iPhone behind the wheel. It’s safer, easier and more convenient – or that’s the idea, anyway.
WHICH CARS SUPPORT APPLE CARPLAY?
There are over 300 models of car with CarPlay available either standard or as a paid-for optional extra.
Some cars bundle CarPlay when you opt for
MOST CARS REQUIRE YOU TO PLUG YOUR IPHONE INTO THE USB PORT WITH A LIGHTNING CABLE, BUT SOME NEWER MODELS (LIKE THE LATEST BMW 5-SERIES) NOW SUPPORT WIRELESS CARPLAY, WHICH WORKS VIA THE CAR’S BLUETOOTH CONNECTION.
the enhanced sound system, for example, or pick a higher level of cabin trim level.
Other manufacturers charge a premium for adding CarPlay on its own, and the price can vary significantly.
For example, Honda includes CarPlay as standard on some models, and Ford includes CarPlay with its Sync 3 system in the new Fiesta (along with a larger touch screen and six speakers).
At the other end of the scale, Ferrari charges a huge $US3,000 for adding the software necessary to make it work.
We have included a list of manufacturers currently offering CarPlay at the end of this article. Although it doesn’t include everyone just yet, you’ll be doing well to name a car maker off the top of your head that doesn’t offer CarPlay
APPLE CARPLAY AFTERMARKET SOLUTIONS?
If you’re not in the market for a new car, you can still get some CarPlay in your life by installing an aftermarket stereo.
Manufacturers like Alpine, Clarion, JBL, JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer and Sony all sell car stereo systems with CarPlay, as well as other goodies like Android Auto, Bluetooth and DAB digital radio.
Prices start at around $360 for an entry-level unit from a company like Power Acoustik, and go beyond $900 for a fold-out system from Pioneer.
What you need to know about these systems is that car stereos come in two sizes; single DIN and double DIN. Single DIN units are usually two inches tall, while double DIN means a system which is four inches tall.
The former, like the Pioneer AVHZ7000DAB we referred to above, is a single DIN unit with a motorised screen which folds out of your dashboard. Modern cars with their curved dashboards tend to not cater for aftermarket stereos like these without modification to the dashboard - something which is generally not advisable.
WHAT DOES CARPLAY LOOK LIKE?
CarPlay is designed to look a lot like iOS. Sure, the home screen background is made black and most of your apps are hidden from view, but CarPlay is still the bare bones of your iPhone.
The main screen shows a selection of apps like Phone, Music, Maps and Messages, along with the time, your phone’s signal strength, and a virtual home button.
As you open and close apps, the most recent three appear at the side of the user interface nearest the steering wheel, making it easy to return to the map, for example, without taking your eyes off the road for more than a quick glance.
That really is the point of CarPlay; it offers access to your iPhone’s core features without distracting you from driving.
That’s why most apps are hidden, and why many employ Siri to read things out rather than letting you read them off the screen.
For example, open the Messages app and you’ll see a list of the most recent people to chat with you, but when you tap on a name Siri reads out any unread messages, or asks if you’d like to dictate a reply.
Notifications appear at the top of the screen as they do on your iPhone, but these are limited to apps which can be used by CarPlay. If your phone receives a breaking news alert from the BBC, for example, it won’t show up.
CarPlay also employs several tricks to make you spend less time looking at it. If you
MAPPING WAS AN AREA WHERE CARPLAY COULD HAVE BEEN VASTLY IMPROVED. NOW YOU HAVE A CHOICE THAT ISN’T APPLE MAPS AS APPLE HAS REVEALED THAT GOOGLE MAPS AND WAZE WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH CARPLAY WHEN IOS 12 ARRIVES.
scroll through the artists list in your Music app, the interface will start showing large letters instead of every artist. Scroll until you get to the right letter, then pick the artist you want.
The home screen also shows an app to tap on if you want to return to the car’s own infotainment system.
To adjust the layout of apps on CarPlay you have to head into the Settings app on your iPhone itself (when it isn’t connected to the car).
Tap General, then CarPlay, then the car you want to change the home page of, and move the apps around as you would on the home screen of the phone itself.
Mapping was an area where CarPlay could have been vastly improved. Now you have a choice that isn’t Apple Maps as Apple has added Google Maps and Waze support with iOS 12. As with Apple Maps, they are available straight from the Dashboard of your car. Opening up to these third-party apps will certainly mean more people will be interested in choosing CarPlay for their infotainment needs.
CARPLAY?
The beauty of CarPlay it how it can be controlled by whatever interface your car has. Generally speaking, this means there are three options.
USE SIRI
Using Siri, you can talk to your vehicle and tell it what to do. That includes playing music from your favorite band or even requesting a specific playlist. You can also have your messages read out to you before you dictate a reply.
You can also yell ‘Hey, Siri’ at your phone to activate its virtual assistant. However, this might not work so well if your iPhone is stored away somewhere in the cabin, like the glovebox.
USE THE TOUCHSCREEN
Some CarPlay cars come with touchscreen displays cooked into the dashboard. Using this display, you can open and close apps using a very simple home screen.
This is certainly the most straightforward method of using CarPlay, but interacting with a touch screen can take your attention off the road more than using physical controls.
USE YOUR KNOBS
Of course, your car has physical buttons, knobs and controls, and, in some cases, you’re still able to use these alongside the touchscreen and Siri options.
Volume controls, track skip and control knobs are all seamlessly integrated and work as expected - and so too do those on the steering wheel.
WHAT ABOUT DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTERS AND HEAD UP DISPLAYS?
Increasingly these days, cars include head-up displays and screens behind the steering wheel to show turn-by-turn directions, vehicle information and music data.
Apple CarPlay does not integrate with these auxiliary displays just yet, unfortunately, so you’ll have to look at the main dashboard screen for all notifications, media playback and turn-by-turn directions.
Which is probably for the best, as really… do you want to be relying on your phone for something that important?