Apple CarPlay 2 project continues to be delayed, is there anything worth waiting for?

If you visit Apple's website right now, you can clearly see that the company has promised that the first cars with CarPlay 2 will launch in 2024. But even though 2024 is over and we're just entering 2025, Apple has remained silent about the next generation of CarPlay.

The good news is that despite the unexpected delay, Apple's CarPlay 2 project is still going ahead and has not been canceled as some rumors have suggested.

Apple entered the car market in 2014, with the launch of the CarPlay platform and ambitions to build an Apple-branded electric car, codenamed "Project Titan". Over time, the ambitions to develop a standalone electric car have diminished, and the company has instead focused all its resources on making CarPlay the standard interface for modern cars around the world, directly competing with Google's Android Auto.

Back in 2022, Apple gave us a tantalizing look at CarPlay 2 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 22). The next-generation CarPlay promises to support multiple screens and bring more advanced features to popular apps. With the release of iOS 18.2 Beta, Apple also revealed some of the much-anticipated changes to CarPlay 2.

The next generation of CarPlay is the ultimate iPhone experience for the car. CarPlay 2 delivers content to all screens in your car, including the instrument cluster. This ensures a cohesive design experience that's the best of your car and iPhone—with manufacturer-specific designs that reflect your car's personality and brand. Some vehicle functions, like radio and climate controls, are handled right from CarPlay. Personalization options range from widgets to custom instrument cluster designs, making the experience unique to the driver.

While Apple has missed its target date of releasing the next-generation CarPlay in 2024, the company has re-committed to not abandoning the project. Instead, Apple may be working on a version of CarPlay tailored to each vehicle, which will obviously take more time.

According to Apple writer Mark Gurman (Bloomberg), "Apple's design team has to work with automakers to create a unique interface and style for each car model. Even without a fully integrated approach, the new CarPlay still needs to be customized."

There's no word yet on which Apple car partners will be licensed to use CarPlay 2. So far, Porsche and Aston Martin are the only car brands that have officially approved CarPlay 2 support.

Samuel Daniel

Update 06 January 2025