While the spotlight has been on CarPlay Ultra lately, the regular version of CarPlay is set to receive some enhancements alongside iOS 26. Apple will announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, and the software update is expected to upgrade the CarPlay experience in at least two ways. The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote, and the update will likely be released in September. There will likely be more CarPlay changes alongside iOS 26 — these are just the known ones. New Design 9to5Mac this week reported that at least some of iOS 26's rumored design changes will extend to the CarPlay interface, which would make sense. iOS 26 is expected to…

Polestar remains committed to offering CarPlay Ultra in its future electric vehicles, a company spokesperson told MacRumors today. However, the brand did not provide a specific timeframe for availability, or any other details at this time. Many automakers have been tight-lipped about adopting CarPlay Ultra, so Polestar confirming that it still plans to offer the software system is notable. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Apple said that many other automakers around the world are working to offer it over the next year and beyond, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Polestar was one of more than a dozen automakers that Apple had listed as being committed to offering the next generation…

Earlier this month, Apple announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its in-vehicle software system. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, but Apple said that many other automakers around the world are working to offer it within the next year. We asked more than a dozen automakers about their CarPlay Ultra plans, and we have rounded up their responses below. Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the companies had little to nothing to say about their future plans, and they may not want to risk upsetting Apple by divulging information prematurely. Apple's announcement did reveal that Hyundai, along with its Kia and Genesis brands, are among the…

The next generation of CarPlay is finally starting to roll out, and it includes a new feature that solves one of regular CarPlay's longstanding limitations. Apple last week announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, and it offers a Radio app, allowing you to control AM and FM radio stations within CarPlay. With regular CarPlay, you must switch between CarPlay and your vehicle's built-in software interface to control the radio, so CarPlay Ultra will be more convenient for this purpose. CarPlay Ultra's built-in Radio app can also be used to control satellite radio stations, but this is less notable given that SiriusXM already offers a CarPlay app. Apple shared an image of the SiriusXM experience within the Radio app, but unfortunately…

Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme. To learn more, read our coverage of Apple's announcement. Starting today, CarPlay Ultra is available in newly-ordered Aston Martin vehicle models in the U.S. and Canada, and it will be rolling out in select existing Aston Martin vehicle models through a software update in the coming weeks. Fortunately, if you cannot afford a $250,000 luxury vehicle from Aston Martin, CarPlay Ultra…

The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the first comprehensive look at the system in the real-world. The video shows the ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra setup process, navigation, personalizing the instrument cluster, controlling vehicle functions, widget options, customizable themes, and more. Earlier today, Apple announced that ‌CarPlay‌‌ Ultra is now available for new Aston Martin vehicle orders in North America, and will expand to vehicles globally over the next year. Existing Aston Martin vehicles with the…