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Apple announces new in-car iPhone controls

By | Published on Tuesday 4 March 2014

Apple CarPlay

Apple has announced a new in-car system to work with the iPhone. Called CarPlay, it will allow iPhone users to connect their devices to their car’s dashboard touchscreen, taking over from the in-built operating system and giving them in-vehicle access to a number of Apple’s own and third-party apps.

Cars made by Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo with CarPlay capabilities will be unveiled in Geneva this week, while thirteen other manufacturers, including BMW, Ford and General Motors, have committed to add it to their own vehicles in the near future.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Vice President of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing, said in a statement: “CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car. iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing line-up of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva”.

Users will also be able to use iOS voice command system Siri to control CarPlay, and while use of its proprietary Maps app is being particularly talked up by Apple, the vast majority of the in-car services that will be available have some sort of music element – there are Apple’s own Music and Podcasts apps, of course, but software from companies such as Spotify, Beats Music, iHeartRadio and Stitcher will be available too.

The system will work with iOS7 on the iPhone 5 and upwards.



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