Revealed: Next-generation Apple CarPlay adds climate control

Apple has revealed new functionality for its next-generation CarPlay smartphone mirroring interface, which is set to offer much more personalisation of a car’s on-board displays.

The next-generation CarPlay system will make the leap from a car’s infotainment display to all of its screens, including the instrument panel.

This will allow it to control a much wider range of on-board functions, including the climate settings, driving modes and driver assistance settings.

Car makers will be able to design these new interfaces according to a vehicle’s specification. For example, the climate control menu can be tweaked to show how many seats and climate zones a car has and buttons can be added for extra functions such as seat heaters.

The new iteration of CarPlay will also be able to present a wider range of notifications on the instrument and infotainment displays, with prompts including tyre pressure warnings.

Features such as reversing cameras and inclinometers are also supported by the revised interface, meaning drivers won’t have to leave CarPlay to access more specialised functions.

Ultimately, however, the design of a vehicle’s CarPlay interface will depend on how well a manufacturer supports the new technology and how it chooses to configure the displays.

Aston Martin and Porsche will be the first two brands to offer the new system: it's set to arrive in each marque’s new models later this year.

Apple said the next-generation CarPlay will function only via wireless connection and that drivers will still be able to access the existing iteration that’s contained within an infotainment screen.

Explaining the new system, Tanya Kancheva, an engineer in Apple’s Car Experience division, said: “Cars have changed a lot since CarPlay first launched [in the Ferrari FF in 2014], with larger screens, more of them and with a ton more features.