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Apple wants to take over every last screen with CarPlay
Apple
Apple
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A next-gen version of Apple CarPlay is making waves in the automotive space at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event today. It’s far more than just a minor update to the regular, old screen projection on the infotainment display. No, today Apple proposed a system that would take over every screen in the car, instrument cluster included.
As shown, Apple software would power literally every last part of the car's user interface. By contrast, today's Apple CarPlay can take over your infotainment system’s display, but that’s where the experience ends. The gauge cluster (if it’s fully digital) and any other ancillary screens are all powered by OEM-designed software. In Apple’s example of the next-gen system, the instrument cluster essentially becomes an Apple CarPlay-powered instrument cluster, using Apple-designed gauges, widgets and more. The look you end up seeing on the cluster is highly customizable with various Apple-designed gauges, layouts and more. But, it would be a unified and consistent experience across every vehicle capable of running this version of Apple CarPlay. In theory, the gauge set of a Porsche could be made to look exactly like that of a Nissan, should both companies decide to support this level of integration.
How does this work? Apple says that “your iPhone communicates with your vehicle’s realtime systems in an on-device, privacy friendly way.” Yes, that is extremely vague, but there’s no additional information as of now. At the very least, it seems like the iPhone will continue to require the same wired or wireless connection to the car to make the system run. But again, that’s not made crystal clear here.
Skip to 40:28 in the video above to see the section on Apple CarPlay.
The integration goes deeper into the infotainment system, too. Instead of having to exit out of CarPlay to tune the radio or adjust the climate control (in cars without physical climate controls), you’d be able to do both within the Apple CarPlay software. This really would be a true Apple takeover of your everyday vital car functions. You’d be able to customize the display with widgets such as the calendar app, music app and more, allowing you to move them between the central infotainment display and gauge cluster as you wish.
So, when is it coming? And what cars will be able to run this software? Apple doesn’t have clear answers to either of these, but it did flash some brands up onto the screen and say that they’re “excited to bring this new vision of CarPlay to customers.” Those include Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Nissan, Ford, Lincoln, Audi, Jaguar, Acura, Volvo, Honda, Infiniti, Polestar and Renault.
As of now, Apple says it’s going to start to announce specific vehicles that will support it “late next year.” Basically, don’t expect this to hit cars anytime soon, as the first vehicles announced will be toward the end of 2023.
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Volvo’s next-generation cars will feature gaming-derived graphics
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Volvo joined forces with Epic Games, the company that created the Fortnite franchise, to give its next-generation cars a faster infotainment system with vastly improved graphics. Using technology gleaned from the world of gaming promises to unlock a long list of new features.
Don't expect to see a Fortnite-themed display in the XC90's replacement; the partnership isn't going that far. Volvo explained that it will use the Unreal Engine, a real-time 3D creation tool developed for industries outside of the gaming world, to develop the digital interface it will program into future additions to its range. This technology will allow it to deliver richer colors, sharper renderings and new 3D animations.
Good graphics aren't worth much if the software is annoying to use, so Volvo will power its next infotainment system with the third-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms designed by Qualcomm. We're told that the end result is a system that's over twice as fast as the one Volvo currently uses, and whose graphic generation and processing capacities are up to 10 times faster. Volvo hasn't released a video of the software in action yet, but we won't have to wait long to see it: the feature will debut in a new flagship model due out by the end of 2022.
This isn't the first time that Volvo has enlisted the help of a technology company to design an infotainment system. Its current cars (like the C40 Recharge) are fitted with Google's Android Automotive OS infotainment system. And, the worlds of gaming and in-car technology have collided before: Nissan notably asked Polyphony Digital, the company behind the Gran Turismo franchise, to design the GT-R's display.
