In late 2023, Porsche previewed what next-generation CarPlay could look like in its vehicles, with a pair of images showing a custom instrument cluster and more. However, the luxury automaker has yet to release any vehicles that support the software nearly a year later, and it sounds like it still has no imminent plans to do so.
A spokesperson for Porsche today informed MacRumors that the automaker plans to maintain its current level of CarPlay integration in the "near term." Porsche supports standard CarPlay, and while some of its vehicles like the Taycan offer additional features like EV routing in Apple Maps, that is not next-generation CarPlay.
Aston Martin also previewed its next-generation CarPlay design alongside Porsche last year, but it has yet to release any vehicles that support the system.
Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay support will "arrive in 2024," but no vehicles support the software yet. Apple and automakers have just over a month remaining to meet that 2024 timeframe.
Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay in June 2022, promising deeper integration with the instrument cluster and climate controls, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, a dedicated FM radio app, widgets, and more. The interface can be tailored to each specific vehicle model and automaker's brand identity.
When it unveiled next-generation CarPlay, Apple said committed automakers included Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, and Volvo. Nearly two and a half years have gone by since Apple shared that list, however, so it is unclear if it remains fully accurate.
It is still very possible that next-generation CarPlay ends up launching this December, and recent activity suggests that Apple is still making preparations. Earlier this month, a few redesigned next-generation CarPlay icons appeared in iOS 18.2 beta code, and Apple filed to protect its next-generation CarPlay designs in the European Union.
Apple has been adding next-generation CarPlay references to iOS since iOS 17, so it is unclear what the minimum iOS version requirement will be for the system. In any case, we expect iOS 18.2 to be released on December 9. Hopefully, Apple will finally announce next-generation CarPlay availability details at some point next month.
