Apple’s CarPlay just got a James Bond-esque makeover.
The tech giant partnered with luxury car brand Aston Martin for the initial rollout of CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of the program that allows iPhone owners to bring the Apple ecosystem to their car.
Unlike its older sibling, which is restricted to the infotainment system in the center console, CarPlay Ultra gives your full dashboard the Apple treatment, including customizable features. The new program is like putting Siri in the passenger seat: It allows the voice-controlled assistant to manage functions like the radio, climate, and performance settings depending on the vehicle.
Drivers can tailor what they see on their screens in the car using their iPhone, mixing information from the vehicle itself with widgets powered by Apple.
“With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers, we are reimagining the in-car experience, making it even more unified and consistent,” Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing, said in a press release.
CarPlay Ultra is available with US or Canada-based orders for Aston Martin’s DBX SUV, Vantage, DB12, and Vanquish as of Thursday, with plans to expand to more of its lineup through a software update on compatible vehicles. If you’re hoping for instant access to the new program, it’ll likely be a six-figure splurge.
A 2025 Aston Martin Vantage starts at $194,000, and the “Supercar of SUV’s” DBX retails for $256,000 to start, according to Car and Driver magazine. The British automaker said it would be limiting imports to the US as it monitored the “evolving” tariff situation, CEO Adrian Hallmark wrote in the company’s first quarter earnings report.
Apple first announced its plan for a second generation of CarPlay in 2022. In January, it amended the CarPlay webpage to remove its 2024 timeline without an updated launch date, according to MacRumors.
Eventually, Apple said, CarPlay Ultra will roll out to other automakers, like Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, which have already committed to launching the new program.
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