Apple Keeps Its Eyes On The Road

Apple has unveiled plans to trump Google in the connected car arena and keep drivers hands firmly on the wheel. The technology giant revealed its latest iPhone technology for cars at the Geneva Motor Show this week in a bid to improve passenger and driver safety.

CarPlay will allow iPhones to plug into cars so drivers can call up maps, make calls and request music with Siri voice commands or a touch on a vehicle's dashboard screen.

Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are already on board and will be the first car manufacturers to incorporate the platform in their vehicles and the technology is set to revolutionise the way we think about car entertainment systems.

CarPlay is designed with safety in mind, which means the interface has been optimized for voice commands – this means that drivers won’t have to take their eyes off the road to interact with their on-board infotainment.

CarPlay is expected to reduce driver distraction, improve passenger safety and act as a welcome aid for less able drivers.

“iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction,'' said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPhone and iOS product marketing.

Announced at the Geneva International Motor Show, Apple has rebranded its iOS in the Car initiative as “CarPlay” and has been touted as the vehicle equivalent of Apple’s AirPlay for living rooms.

The platform features Siri, Maps and digital music plus seamless integration with the driver’s iOS device.
CarPlay will be able to enjoy listening to their own tunes from their iTunes account, as well other services including Spotify and iHeartRadio – just some of the third party apps that work with the platform.

Aside from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo, Apple is also working on deals with other car manufacturers. The likes of Jaguar, Land Rover, the BMW Group, Ford and Honda could all feature CarPlay in the future.

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