CarPlay’s evolution has in several ways been a disappointment since the “next generation” of CarPlay was first previewed in 2022. But all of a sudden, in the span of a mere month, CarPlay’s future looks brighter than it has in years—in part because of a redefinition of what that future will be.
The next generation of CarPlay is no longer just CarPlay Ultra
CarPlay’s previously announced “next generation” seemed like it would never arrive.
But now, it’s finally here—with a twist. And arguably, it might be better than what Apple previously announced.
When the company unveiled next-gen CarPlay at WWDC three years ago, it had a bold vision to take over more aspects of your in-car experience.
Despite initial pledged support from many vehicle brands, with passing time, automakers have seemed more reluctant to yield their software experience to Apple.
So the company pivoted, and what we’ve ended up with—after a long wait—is a two-pronged CarPlay approach that’s good news for all users.
CarPlay Ultra officially launched last month, and my first reaction was very positive. Not primarily because of any specifics about the first supported vehicle, however.
Rather, I saw CarPlay Ultra as great news because it was very clearly not meant to replace standard CarPlay.
Instead, CarPlay Ultra arrived as a separate, more premium alternative. And I was optimistic some of its features would eventually trickle down to the standard CarPlay experience.
Just weeks later, that’s already happening.
iOS 26 brings all CarPlay users a feature-packed release
CarPlay is getting a lot of upgrades in iOS 26.
There’s more coming than I can remember at any point since “next-gen CarPlay” was first unveiled.
One big new feature is widgets, which are a direct import from CarPlay Ultra.
But there’s also a new Liquid Glass design, video support, Smart Display Zoom, and more.
It’s a huge year for CarPlay.
And Apple’s rollouts of both CarPlay Ultra and iOS 26’s new features tells us something very important.
CarPlay’s “next generation” isn’t limited to $200,000 vehicles. Rather, it will benefit all users
Apple is reinvesting heavily into the standard CarPlay experience both now and into the future. All while simultaneously expanding CarPlay Ultra where it can.
CarPlay is finally entering a new era of change, and it’s off to a great start.
Are you optimistic about the future of CarPlay? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
Best CarPlay accessories
- MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
- 10-foot iPhone cable USB-C to USB-A
- FLYLEAD car charger with 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports
- Apple AirTag for tracking your car
- AirTag 4-pack for only $75
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