Summary
Everything seems to have an “Ultra” version these days, and that includes Apple CarPlay.In 2022, the company said the next generation of CarPlay would be launching in 2024—that didn’t happen. Regardless, CarPlay Ultra is here now.
The obvious first question is, what makes this “Ultra?” It’s all about taking CarPlay beyond just a single central touchscreen. This isn’t just an extended version of your iPhone’s screen. It’s integrating deeply with the car’s systems. You’ll be able to control things like your vehicle’s radio and climate directly through the CarPlay interface using the touchscreen, physical buttons, or even Siri.
The biggest leap is how it uses all the driver’s screens—including the instrument cluster right in front of you. CarPlay Ultra can display real-time content and gauges there, offering dynamic and visually appealing options for your speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temperature, and more. You can even have your turn-by-turn navigation directions appear within your gauge cluster alongside your speed.
Beyond the standard gauges, CarPlay Ultra also lets you bring information from your iPhone into the instrument cluster. In addition to maps, this means the ability to control media playback, view data from advanced driver assistance systems, and even check your tire pressure, all integrated into the display behind the steering wheel. The idea is to keep your eyes closer to the road while still providing information at a glance.
Theoriginal CarPlayis like a third-party set-top box plugged into your TV. It lives completely isolated from the TV’s stock interface. However, CarPlay Ultra is essentially like a TV with abuilt-insmart TV interface. There’s only one interface that allows you to control everything connected to the TV. You don’t have to switch inputs to play a Blu-ray, and you don’t have to leave CarPlay Ultra to control the radio.
CarPlay Ultra is arriving on new Aston Martin vehicles in the US and Canada. Apple says Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are also working on adding CarPlay Ultra. If you’re already an Aston Martin owner with a compatible infotainment system, you should see it rolling out via a software update in the “coming weeks.”
In order to use CarPlay Ultra in your car, you’ll need aniPhone 12or newer running iOS 18.5 or later. The timeline for other manufacturers who previously announced support back in 2022, like Porsche, is unclear for now. Check out the video from Top Gear below to see CarPlay Ultra in action.
