Apple CarPlay gets icon boost, EV charging upgrade in iOS 18.4

Image: MacRumors

Apple's recent iOS 18.4 update quietly introduced notable enhancements to CarPlay, offering users with larger infotainment screens an expanded icon layout and improved electric vehicle routing.

MacRumors discovered that iOS 18.4 now displays three rows of app icons on CarPlay for vehicles with larger displays, up from the standard two. This allows for quicker access to more apps, reducing driver distraction. However, this feature appears limited to cars with larger screens, such as the 14-inch display found in the Toyota Tundra and is not visible on smaller displays like the 9-inch screen in a Honda Civic.

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Apple’s next-gen CarPlay takes over Porsche and Aston Martin dashboards first

Next-gen Apple CarPlay on Aston Martin (left) and Porsche (right)

Apple unveiled its next-generation wireless CarPlay that will transform the entire dashboard of Porsche and Aston Martin vehicles. The new feature, announced at WWDC 2022, will customize the display according to the automaker’s theme and allow CarPlay to control the vehicle’s functions, such as radio and temperature.

The Porsche version will have a three-dial layout with a houndstooth wallpaper, while the Aston Martin version will have a media display in the center with a green outline. The driving data will come from the car’s sensors, not the iPhone, which will only run the apps. Apple assured that the phone will not store or track the car’s information.

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GM to phase out Apple CarPlay, Android Auto in EVs

Photo: GM

GM's electric vehicles will lose access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, starting with the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. Instead, the carmaker's EVs will rely on Android Automotive and its apps. EV owners will get eight years of free Google Assistant and Google Maps without an extra charge. But GM hasn't mentioned what you'll pay to use the features afterward.

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BMW's new cars temporarily won't ship with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

If you're planning to buy or already bought a BMW recently, that might not come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on board. The carmaker is in the middle of switching chip suppliers to improve its supply chain in the long term as it continues to feel the impact of the global chip shortage. The new chips built into many of the new BMWs manufactured this year require updated software to run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. According to MacRumors, the BMW customers who received a new car without CarPlay or Android Auto were asked by dealerships to wait for an over-the-air update to enable the feature "by the end of June at the latest."