Bmw Wants You To Use Its Fancy New Infotainment, Not Apple Carplay Ultra

BMW

Apple's CarPlay Ultra is here pinch nan extremity of taking complete nan automotive infotainment industry, but not each OEM is connected committee pinch nan tech company's large plan. Notably, BMW is nan latest automaker to opportunity "no thanks' to Apple's immersive software. A spokesperson for nan German institution told BMW Blog that it "currently has nary plans to integrate" nan strategy into its adjacent procreation of infotainment.

This isn't nan first clip BMW has turned its chemoreceptor up astatine CarPlay Ultra. Back erstwhile Apple previewed nan package successful 2022, nan Bavarians weren't jazzed astir nan idea. Despite nan truth that it had been listed arsenic a early partner by Apple, it hasn't changed its mind, according to BMW Blog. Instead of relying connected CarPlay Ultra, it will spell forward with its upcoming operating strategy called iDrive X. It's group to debut connected the iX3 electrical crossover and past dispersed to each early Neue Klasse models. With a panoramic show that runs crossed nan full dashboard and a parallelogram-shaped main touchscreen, it looks to beryllium a awesome departure from what we've seen successful BMWs of nan past, and I can't show really CarPlay Ultra would moreover fresh into this setup if engineers wanted it to.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

BMW isn't the only automaker to opportunity "nein" to CarPlay Ultra. Its main German rivals, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, person taken akin steps. So person Polestar and Volvo, according to Motor1. This news comes contempt nan truth that — astatine 1 time, astatine slightest — Apple said they would. I don't cognize what changed aliases what was mislaid successful translation, but present we are.

Still, immoderate automakers stay committed to CarPlay Ultra. Porsche and nan full Hyundai Motor Group are connected committee pinch nan caller technology, and Aston Martin has already started rolling nan strategy retired successful immoderate of its cars, for illustration the 2026 Vanquish Volante that I reviewed earlier this week. It's not precisely clear erstwhile different institution will return nan leap and cede power of their infotainment to Apple, but I cannot ideate it will beryllium excessively agelong from now. For nan astir part, group really for illustration CarPlay, and it's difficult to opportunity if that's because CarPlay is really bully aliases if their car's autochthonal operating strategy is really bad. My gut says nan truth lies location successful nan middle.