The feature enables unlocking, locking, and starting the vehicle using an iPhone or Apple Watch via NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Ultra Wideband. Digital Keys stored in Apple Wallet will continue to function even when an ‌iPhone‌ has run out of charge. Owners will be able to share access with up to seven additional users.

Porsche was highlighted as an upcoming partner when Apple outlined next-generation Car Key support at WWDC. Porsche Digital Key support will be available on 2026 model year versions of the electric Cayenne and Macan as part of the Comfort Access option.

MacRumors today discovered that Apple has now enabled the required infrastructure on its backend, meaning that Porsche simply needs to roll the feature out, suggesting that this will take place relatively soon. Earlier this week, Samsung announced that its Samsung Wallet service now supports Porsche Digital Key access for select models beginning with the 2026 Macan, using similar standards.

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Porsche was on Apple’s list of automakers committed to offering the next generation of CarPlay, now known as CarPlay Ultra, when it was first announced in June 2022. Porsche went on to preview what CarPlay Ultra would look like in its vehicles in December 2023, but it had not provided a further update on its plans until now.

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.

Launched last month, CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle’s instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker’s identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides driving data like current speed, and other info like tire pressure.

The report also listed some automakers that said they have no plans to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault.

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Polestar had told MacRumors that it looked forward to “bringing the next generation of CarPlay to cars in the future,” but the Financial Times report said otherwise, so they might not be planning to offer it after all.

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The upcoming 2026 model year Porsche Taycan, 911, Panamera, and Cayenne feature an upgraded version of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system, making it more responsive, adding Dolby Atmos support, and integrating Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. The new system brings the Porsche App Center, a kind of app store for the vehicle, to all of the new models.

It continues to support the standard version of Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto. Support for Apple’s next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ experience is again conspicuously missing from Porsche’s new lineup, and the automaker did not mention it at all during its latest announcement—another bleak sign for the delayed feature.

Next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ will have deeper integration with a vehicle’s instrument cluster, climate controls, FM radio, and more. It will also support multiple displays across the dashboard, and offer widgets for apps like Calendar and Weather. In addition, next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ will be highly customizable, allowing automakers to tailor the design of the system to match their vehicles.

Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022. Until the end of last year, Apple’s website said that the first vehicles with next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ support would “arrive in 2024,” but this did not occur.

Aston Martin and Porsche previewed next-generation CarPlay vehicle designs in late 2023, but neither automaker has announced any vehicles with support for it. Apple continued to highlight next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ in WWDC 2024 coding sessions for developers and it shared a statement in January reiterating its commitment to the feature.

When it unveiled next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ in 2022, Apple said committed automakers included Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, and Volvo. Nearly three years have gone by since Apple shared that list, however, so it is unclear if it remains entirely accurate.

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Porsche is upgrading the infotainment in the upcoming 2026 model year Taycan, 911, Panamera, and Cayenne with “more responsive” software and features such as an Alexa personal assistant.

The 2026 Porsche Communication Management (PCM) will get the Porsche App Center introduced in the Macan Electric. It provides “direct access to a large number of apps” and a “wide range of services” that can run on the touchscreen. In an email with The Verge, Porsche spokesperson Calvin Kim said these new models run on the MIB3 architecture, first launched in 2022, and not Google’s Android Automotive OS like in the Macan Electric.

Apple’s delayed next-generation CarPlay was expected to be introduced on Porsche and Aston Martin vehicles, but Porsche made no mention of it in this announcement. The new system still has the same old CarPlay and Android Auto, though.

Porsche’s in-car apps could reduce the need of phone mirroring services like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Many EV makers like Tesla, Rivian and GM don’t even include the ability to mirror your device and require you to subscribe to connectivity services inside the car.

Porsche will include 10 years of Porsche Connect service standard in each of these new vehicles to “optimize the digital user experience.” Part of that experience also includes Amazon Alexa, which in addition to Porsche’s Voice Pilot, can be used as the drivers’ digital voice assistant. Alexa can play music and podcasts, open your garage door, edit to-do and shopping lists and more. Porsche doesn’t say if this is the revamped AI-powered Alexa Plus that Amazon announced in February.

Porsche is also adding Dolby Atmos support with the new PCM system in models with premium audio equipment like Bose that can give occupants an immersive, spatial sound experience. 2026 Porsches can be ordered now and will arrive at US stores in “late summer 2025.”

(via Cult of Mac – Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is the most powerful production car the brand has ever made. During its premiere video, Porsche briefly showed off its custom race engineer cockpit app for the Vision Pro that allows a spectator to view laps from the perspective of the driver accompanied by key statistics and a track map in 3D space.

Speaking to Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, Cook congratulated the automaker on the new vehicle and highlighted the potential of the Vision Pro headset to “reimagine track experiences.”

Good morning, Oliver. Congratulations to you and the Porsche team on the new record you’ve set with this incredible new vehicle. It’s these kinds of extraordinary milestones that show the world what can happen when a team of incredibly dedicated people come together to break new ground on a big idea. Porsche has always been known for excellence and we’re proud to see a number of our products play a role in what you do and it’s so great to see Apple Vision Pro helping reimagine track experiences.

I believe deeply that spatial computing has the potential to revolutionize virtually every industry and you’re showing one of the many ways Apple Vision Pro is going to make the impossible possible.

The CEOs noted their companies’ partnerships over the years, such as the Porsche app and Apple CarPlay integration. Porsche is often among the first automakers to adopt and integrate with Apple technologies, such as Apple CarPlay, a native Apple Music app, vehicle functions in Apple CarPlay, and the next-generation CarPlay experience. The brand even offers CarPlay-equipped audio systems compatible with classic Porsche vehicles dating as far back as the 1960s. Nevertheless, Cook’s appearance in another company’s announcement video is unusual.

Thanks, Michael Burkhardt!

This article, "Apple CEO Tim Cook Makes Unusual Appearance in Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Premiere Video" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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(via Cult of Mac – Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

(via Cult of Mac – Tech and culture through an Apple lens)