Apple CarPlay’s overhaul aims to do away with automakers’ proprietary software entirely.

Apple detailed significant updates to its CarPlay platform at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday.

During its keynote presentation, Apple presented what it called a “snapshot”of the “next-generation”CarPlay standard, which allows iPhone users to control and view phone apps through their car’s dashboard. The company says the update will allow CarPlay to integrate more deeply with the vehicle’s hardware, allowing information to be displayed across multiple screens in the vehicle as more and more vehicles integrate more and more displays.

The idea, it would seem, is to make CarPlay something closer to an in-car interface, and not just a phone-mirroring infotainment system like it is today.

This takeover will allow you to do things like adjust the climate control, activate the seat heater, or tune the radio directly through CarPlay without leaving the Apple user interface. Apple says the software will take control of the car’s dashboard, so you’ll be able to see current speed, fuel and battery levels, rpm, navigation details and other general information in a more unified, very Apple-like design.

The update will also provide a range of themes and layouts to customize the appearance of the car’s dashboard. In addition to different background colors and dial treatment, for example, one variant displayed speed, gear, and fuel information on top of a street-level navigation view from Apple Maps. The company has shown support for iPhone-like widgets for apps like Weather, Apple Music, Calendar, and Home, which you can access right from the control panel. All this can adapt to different screen sizes in a given vehicle, the company says.

Apple didn’t go into too much detail on how the new functionality works during its keynote, simply saying that a connected iPhone will “talk to your vehicle’s systems in real time on the device, ensuring privacy.”The company noted that it will share more information about the updated CarPlay “in the future”and that it will begin announcing compatible vehicles in late 2023. However, the slide during Apple’s speech did list Ford, Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, Land. Rover, Audi, Acura, Honda, Lincoln, Jaguar, Volvo, Renault, Polestar and Infiniti as car manufacturers who plan to support this “new CarPlay vision”.

With all this, embedded software has traditionally not been a strong point of automakers, to put it mildly. Apple seems to be as good a candidate as any to make the best user experience for new full-screen cars, and the images it showed on Monday are nothing short of aesthetically pleasing – although how well would it all work as a functional car. human-machine interface. remains to be seen. However, if everything goes right, the new CarPlay could make driving more enjoyable for iPhone owners and those already familiar with the trend towards more screens.

As a refresher, the Apple WWDC conference detailed updates for many of Apple’s existing operating systems. The company also introduced a new M2 system-on-a-chip along with updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. You can follow all of our coverage of Apple announcements here.

Listed image from Apple