Apple interface goes beyond infotainment screens with new CarPlay Ultra

Smartphone integration is now expanding beyond just your typical maps and music streaming services on your infotainment screens.

Apple, along with Aston Martin, has now rolled out the CarPlay Ultra – which extends the software from just the infotainment screen to the instrument cluster, enabling users to curate their own screen setups for a more personalized experience.

CarPlay Ultra now provides information for all of the driver’s screens, displaying real-time content with the freedom of choosing how you want the layout to look like with multiple preset options. Basically, Apple takes data from your car and displays the information using the Apple design language without delving away from the familiar CarPlay user interface.

This also allows users to skip the learning curve of operating different infotainment and instrument screens when switching from one car to another, as the Apple CarPlay Ultra is designed to display your preferred settings regardless if you’re driving your own car or buying a new one. CarPlay Ultra works on iPhone 12 or newer with iOS 18.4 or newer, and works wirelessly like the usual latest Apple CarPlay software nowadays.

Apart from taking over the instrument cluster screen, CarPlay Ultra also expands the function of the software as you can now change climate control settings and even change radio stations without stepping away from the CarPlay interface.

CarPlay Ultra allows automakers to express their distinct design philosophy with the look and feel their customers expect. Custom themes are crafted in close collaboration between Apple and the automaker’s design team, resulting in experiences that feel tailor-made for each vehicle.

Aston Martin gets first dibs of CarPlay Ultra in the US and Canada market, while existing Aston Martin vehicles with the next-gen infotainment system are also set to get CarPlay Ultra through a software update in the coming months. 

Many automakers have also already signed up to integrate the software to their vehicles. Those include Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, along with already announced partners that include Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, and Volvo. Expect those brands to launch the CarPlay Ultra in their vehicles in the coming months.