Tech Giant Apple and Its CarPlay Ultra
Apple, as a tech titan, typically attracts queues of buyers for its expensive products. However, automakers are not showing particular enthusiasm for CarPlay Ultra.
The software was launched on May 15 in Aston Martin vehicles in the USA and Canada. At that time, the company stated:
CarPlay Ultra expands the capabilities of CarPlay and provides the best in-car experience, deeply integrating with the vehicle to combine the best of the iPhone and the car.
Apple also reported that it would collaborate with automakers to develop custom themes for their cars that “would reflect their unique design philosophy.” This promised to deliver “an experience that feels individually tailored for each car.”
Despite this, we haven’t heard much about CarPlay Ultra lately, and a number of automakers are not showing significant interest in it. Another one can be added to this list, as Ford CEO Jim Farley, in an interview with Decoder, expressed criticism of this system.
Ford’s Position on CarPlay Ultra
When asked about the possibility of adding CarPlay Ultra to their vehicles, Farley replied that the company is considering this option, but it “doesn’t like the execution” at the moment. He noted that the automaker is “very committed to Apple” and he has communicated with Tim Cook multiple times.
Farley also hinted that the company aims to be neutral, allowing both Apple and Android users to receive a quality experience. This is hard to argue with, although the company is studying customer experiences in China to gain insight into future steps.
Focus on Artificial Intelligence
The executive mentioned AI-based assistants, which are “very important” for Ford. In fact, Farley believes that “every customer should have an AI assistant in the car.” He added that it would not be just a voice, but “something concrete” that you can communicate with, like a companion.
Returning to Apple, Farley hinted that there are many questions regarding the relationship and who controls what. He noted that there is a limit, and that is control over the car itself. Essentially, displaying information on screens is acceptable, but the situation becomes more complicated with deeper integration.
Implementation Prospects
Although this is just a brief overview of an hour-long discussion, don’t expect CarPlay Ultra to appear in Ford vehicles anytime soon. However, it seems that artificial intelligence will become part of cars, regardless of whether consumers want it or not.
The automotive industry continues to experiment with integrating third-party technologies but remains cautious about handing over control of key functions. This may affect how quickly innovations like CarPlay Ultra will be adopted by mass-market manufacturers. In the future, we can expect more personalized systems that combine AI assistants with the safety and reliability of the vehicle.