Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra is making its worldwide debut in the Aston Martin Lagonda, DBX707, and ‘across all new core models’.
CarPlay Ultra offers a seamless experience across the central display, and for the first time, the driver instrument cluster. It displays key vehicle information and allows users to control vehicle functions through bespoke Aston Martin and CarPlay Ultra features.
Apple pivoted away from designing their own car, but they’re taking control of the digital cockpit. CarPlay Ultra replaces the gauges, the GPS, the climate control, and more; here Apple is becoming the car’s operating system.
Luxury tie-ins have been a successful strategy for the iPhone maker; as with the Apple Watch Hermès, Apple is partnering with a prestigious brand to establish their technology as a status symbol.
The logic is that Aston Martin is leading the way today; tomorrow, others will follow. The cockpit becomes like an Apple Watch. That’s what tech-first Chinese car buyers are said to want — will it be the same elsewhere in the world, with more stringent safety regulations and pressure from consumer and safety groups not to have everything in the car touchscreen-operated? That remains to be seen.
CarPlay Ultra features the ability to display maps and media in full screen. Drivers can curate their own multi-screen setup, with the freedom to modify the layout. There’s a choice of different instrument cluster themes, colors, and wallpapers. Drivers can manage vehicle functions, such as radio and climate, using the touchscreen controls, physical buttons if they’re provided, or Siri. iPhone-powered widgets can be added, as well.
