The prophecy that Apple will invade all aspects of our life seems to be getting truer than ever – the technology giant has officially unveiled their CarPlay system ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
Described as a “smarter, safer and more fun way to use [the] iPhone in the car,” the CarPlay system will enable users to make calls, listen to music and access Maps via Siri or the car’s native interface. The system can also read messages aloud and allow the driver to dictate a response.
CarPlay will be available as an update to iOS 7 and will work with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5.
The system will initially be supported by Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo but will eventually gain support from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota. Chrysler also issued a statement saying “Our companies are focused on iPhone and iPod compatibility testing with Chrysler Group’s current Uconnect Systems, and we continue to discuss and explore technologies that can further enhance the driving experience and keep drivers focused on the road.”
Clearly missing in the list is Volkswagen. We wonder – is the German carmaker a Microsoft or Android fan to disregard this feature?
According to Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing, Greg Joswiak, “CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car.” He went on to say “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”
Whatever the case may be, we hope this technology reaches our shores too, and soon.