The future of Apple's CarPlay.
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The long rumored Apple-built car is getting closer to reality with a target release date of 2026. But it may not be as fantastic as you expect.
It's easy to let our imaginations run wild when we think about what Project Titan could be, but in reality it only needs to integrate most of Apple's current technology to be successful. Tesla has shown that people are willing to go electric because of the right mix of performance, technology and price.
As long as Apple keeps the price of each car below $100,000 (maybe closer to $50,000) and promotes driving and serviceability as core benefits, the company has a chance to make a big impact on the automotive market.
The ability to track your car, view its cameras remotely, set speed limits, and even move it around—all in a mobile app—are features that Tesla owners are already enjoying. Apple could match those capabilities and still make car ownership even less of a headache by adding features already found across the entire product line.
Let's take a look at all the hardware and software currently on the table and see how these things do what Apple has to offer to make most other vehicles on the road seem dated.
Siri
Siri will be an essential element of any Apple-designed car, whether it's the centerpiece or not. Surprisingly, there are still no good voice assistants in cars of 2022. Even at Tesla, voice commands seem rudimentary.
Relying on Siri while traveling at 70 miles per hour may not inspire confidence, but we're willing to bet it works better than most other options on the market right now.
We hope that Siri will be able to handle all the tasks related to the car: roll down the windows; close the trunk; raise the third row of seats; turn off the heated seats after 10 minutes and so on. You don't need to use Siri to do all of this, but it would be nice if you could.
Apple's car may even be the source of why a company might want to simplify the voice assistant's wake-up word and get rid of “hello”.
CarPlay
Apple has already revealed its future plans for CarPlay. In the demo, this feature extended beyond the infotainment unit and extended to the dashboard screens. He even replaced all the sensors.
It is clear that Apple is creating a new version of CarPlay for itself. However, the company said that other manufacturers may adopt it and tailor it to their own needs.
No one should be surprised when the inside of an Apple car resembles in some form this initial design, slated for 2023.
Whether it will perform well on the road is anyone's guess, but the controls and various info widgets looked nice.
CarKey (and Home Key)
Unlock your future Apple Car with using your iPhone is a given. Tesla has been doing this on a large scale since at least 2017. The Bluetooth method that Tesla uses for its cars works fine, but connecting digital keys in the same home can be annoying.
You can use CarKey on your iPhone to unlock some cars.
Apple's CarKey should make it much easier to use and share digital keys. CarKey is still in its early stages and is mainly used with BMW vehicles, but the similar Home Key technology gives us an insight into the automotive experience.
Home Key has become more common in 2022. We've used several Home Key locks and it's honestly been great to use Apple Wallet on an Apple Watch or iPhone.
Apple Maps
Five years ago, Apple Maps was a joke. Today it's pretty good. It certainly deserves to be proudly shown on the big screen in the car.
Recently, with the introduction of new 3D buildings and routing features, it seems that Apple continues to refine mapping to improve navigation. Maps can even plan a route based on electric vehicle charging.
HomeKit
HomeKit may not appear to be connected to the car at first, but car charging can be integrated into the Home app. to handle the vehicle's connection to your electrical network.
Similarly, there may be options to show camera alerts from an Apple Car on an Apple TV while browsing if the vehicle detects a threat or tampering.
Autonomous Driving
It was once rumored that an Apple car was completely autonomous. steering wheel. It seemed silly at the time, and apparently it no longer is.
The latest information suggests that the Apple car will be capable of autonomous driving in the same way as some other manufacturers, and mainly on the highway.
To be honest, we don't think this piece of the puzzle is absolutely necessary to wow consumers.
More importantly, how Apple integrates all of its state-of-the-art technology to create a seamless and coherent driving experience. It's just as easy to imagine an Apple VR headset before it's released— because all the parts are already there (spatial audio, avatars, collaborative media and more).
Even more practical, the AirPods Max demonstrate that Apple didn't have to revolutionize the market to enter and leave a mark. The company just needed to combine hardware and software to create something worthwhile at a premium price.
