Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo are aboard for the launch of the operating system, which lets drivers access various iPhone functions through a car’s built-in screen.
The official announcement for CarPlay was made at the Geneva Motor Show.
Apple talked up iOS in the Car at its Worldwide Developers Conference last year, with VP Eddy Cue — a Ferrari board member — showing a mockup of a car’s LCD with Apple menu buttons for maps, phone, music, and messaging. Many cars already include integration with iOS music functions. Cue said Chevrolet, Ferrari, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes, Nissan, Volvo and others would be introducing iOS integration this year.
CarPlay taps Siri to allow drivers to make calls, listen to voice mail and hear incoming alerts and messages. Integration with maps allows turn-by-turn directions to show up on the vehicle’s infotainment system, while on the audio side, CarPlay supports iTunes radio, podcasts and certain third-party apps including Spotify and iHeartRadio. (Apple’s CarPlay website also lists Stitcher and Beats Radio, with more app support said to be in the works.)
Google had teamed up with Audi to develop in-car entertainment and information systems based on its Android OS.
Source: c/net, re/code