New CarPlay could be predecessor to standalone OS, Apple car by 2025: Report

Apple’s significant redesign of its in-car infotainment feature, CarPlay, is a predecessor to an upcoming standalone operating system for cars – and eventually Apple’s first car of its own brand by 2025, according to a report on the matter by Bloomberg. The report suggests that despite departures from Apple’s purported car development team, work is still on at full swing – and the new CarPlay interface is the first step towards Apple playing a bigger role in future cars.

The new generation Apple CarPlay interface goes beyond just the central infotainment screen, which is what the offering has been so far. This screen is mostly used for music streaming, phone calls and navigation, and the upcoming version is expected to go well beyond that. As described by Apple, the new software is designed for a future where every average car has multiple displays – including replacing the central instrument cluster with a virtual one, and the same for the air-conditioning and ancillary controls that typically lie below the display.

Such virtual displays can be increasingly found in consumer vehicles, and they are not restricted to luxury cars, either. It is this that Apple seemingly wants a bigger part of, and the new CarPlay therefore integrates the mechanical systems of a vehicle to offer a tachometer, temperature control and engine particulars through the software setup itself.

The Bloomberg report now suggests that the new CarPlay model could be the first offering for Apple to standardize car software the way Google’s Android Automotive (not to be mistaken with Android Auto) OS is looking to do. The latter makes Android run as an operating system in car systems, with inbuilt connectivity, a Play Store and more. Swedish carmaker Volvo has been among the first adopters of Android Automotive OS.

It further adds that Apple has typically built a software platform before delving into a new hardware category, and the new CarPlay experience is a precursor to Apple’s upcoming car operating system itself.

However, it remains to be seen how Apple’s introduction to the automotive space works out, even as reports suggest that Apple is on course to make a first announcement for its own car by 2025.