No one has any idea when Apple’s updated CarPlay will come to new cars

Apple is no longer promising a 2024 launch date. for its updated CarPlay. That’s good news considering it’s 2025 now. However, this poses a problem for many iPhone users who were promised an in-car software update nearly three years ago.

Apple removed the expiration date for the new CarPlay from it Official landing page. The website still touts all the features to come and the car companies that have signed up for the software, but otherwise there’s no indication of when to expect it. Macrowalls I reached out to Apple to ask what was going on. The company responded that it is working “closely with several automakers, allowing them to showcase their unique brand and visual design philosophies in the next generation of CarPlay.” Apple also set the expectation for an announcement for automakers, adding that each brand, with which it works “will share more details as they near the announcement of their models that will support the next generation of CarPlay.”

The United States is a country reliant on car culture, so the operating system running in your vehicle is as important as the smartphone in your hand. It’s been frustrating for iOS users to wait for Apple’s answer to Android Automotive. Brands like Volvo, Renault, Ford, GM and BMW have signed up for this deeply integrated in-car version of Google’s mobile operating system. It can control everything from the ventilation system to the car’s locks, while keeping Google services front and center on the dash.

Apple’s revamped CarPlay, which showed up in 2022, promised the same kind of interwoven experience, but for iPhone users things like an information dashboard that spans in-car controls and radio and temperature displays. Luxury automakers like Porsche and Aston Martin have signed on, but have yet to debut anything from the partnership.

No one knows whether Apple or the automakers are to blame for the delay. Apple may be behind schedule as it tends to hold off on launching products until they are viable for marketing. As they waited, automakers adopted either bespoke software or Google to offer a similar experience for drivers.

I still think it’s too many screens in the car and not enough buttons, especially if you go by the promotional photo on Apple’s website. Android Automotive works the same way in Polestar and Hyundai cars. It’s all a cacophony of screens presenting all the information your phone would normally hide to protect you from distracted driving. But not in this era. In this era, it is full steam ahead with all the information you could ever need all the time. Happy driving!