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Has Apple’s next-gen CarPlay already lost the battle for next-gen cars?

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2025

Empowerment

Has Apple's next-gen CarPlay already lost the battle for next-gen cars?

Summary

Android Automotive is already built into a lot of cars, whereas Apple’s next-gen CarPlay remains vaporware.

The Android tech is good enough that some people may not even care about connecting their iPhones when the time comes.

Apple still has some incentive to deliver the final product, though, and we could hear more about it at WWDC 2025 this June.

In recent months, I’ve found myself writing a lot more about CarPlay than I would’ve expected. Part of that is an increased automotive focus here at Pocket-lint, but it’s also a topic that’s legitimately in the news. Mostly, that’s because Apple missed a 2024 window for launching its next-generation CarPlay platform, despite first revealing the technology back in 2022. The company even had two major partners announced at the time, Porsche and Aston Martin.

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The latest related development is that Hyundai is developing a new operating system for its cars, dubbed Pleos. That in itself wouldn’t be relevant, except that Pleos will see Hyundai join Rivian, GM, Polestar, and many other auto brands in adopting Android Automotive (not to be confused with Android Auto). Does that mean that Apple has missed the boat on next-generation CarPlay? Not yet, I think, but it’s an open question.

The Nissan Leaf is dead, long live the new Leaf

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The Nissan Leaf is dead, long live the new Leaf

I’m going to miss the Leaf’s earlier spirit, but it’s probably for the best.

The Nissan Leaf is dead, long live the new Leaf

I’m going to miss the Leaf’s earlier spirit, but it’s probably for the best.

CarPlay support is also widespread, but only in its most basic incarnation, i.e. the one that runs on a single screen and mostly lets you use the media and navigation apps on your iPhone, not control vehicle settings or check your mileage. For its next-gen tech, Apple is reportedly stuck working with individual carmakers to tailor it. It’s unavoidable — unlike Android, automakers aren’t allowed to take the iOS codebase and build their own spin-offs, or even license the equivalent of GAS. CarPlay might be free for carmakers to adopt, but only with Apple’s participation and approval.