Apple has just released its latest “Play” into the automotive sphere.

CarPlay is Apple’s BRAND NEW in-car infotainment system which promises to give you “The best iPhone experience on four wheels.”
The tech giant explains its recent endeavor as a:

“Smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car. CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music all in a way that allows yo to stay focused on the road. Just plug in your iPhone and go.”- Apple

The technology allows you to control your driving experience in 3 ways:

• Voice
• Touch
• Knobs and Controls

The technology is adapted to fit a variety of vehicle formats and set-ups allowing Apple’s technology to work on various platforms and manufactures, allowing Apple to reuse its technology over and over. This is very similar to the model Apple already uses, focusing more on software and experience upgrades than the hardware itself. Automakers control the hardware, while Apple controls the interface. This will allow Apple to move its way into some of the largest automakers in the game, broadening their consumer reach exponentially.
The Team:

The 2014 starting line-up includes:

• Ferrari
• Honda
• Hyundai
• Jaguar
• Mercedes Benz
• Volvo

with committed partners including: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford. Kia, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
Simplicity and Experience:

What is one of the main reasons people have joined the ‘Apple Movement?” Experience. The iOS operating system is what draws people to Apple’s iPhones and you can easily see many cues transfer over to CarPlay. It looks as if Apple’s main goal is to enhance the in-car experience, but it is much more than this. Giving a tech company like Apple control of the consumers automotive interface allows them to directly influence the automaker’s consumers experience.

This poses an interesting thought…

• How will giving a tech company control of your consumers experience affect your brand?

• Will the lines that separate manufactures and models now become much more blurry?

• What will distinguish top of the line models from low-end compacts if they all have the same infotainment system?

• How will the automakers and tech companies wants and needs correlate to conjoined goals?

The connected car is a revolutionary step that will change the entire automotive culture as we know it. Tech companies and automakers are partnering up all across the board with Google, Microsoft and Apple all racing to get their piece of the connected car cake. One this is for sure, the automotive experience is about to take a hard right turn, so buckle up and hold on.

By Josh Knutson

Sources: https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/

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