While CarPlay did undergo some necessary updates in iOS 27, some users still aren’t happy with what the in-car infotainment suite offers, and I agree with them. From a feature standpoint, Android Auto is still miles ahead of CarPlay, even if it’s a slightly less reliable platform. When it works, it blows CarPlay out of the water. But Apple could certainly close the gap if the next round of CarPlay includes some of the key features users are clamoring for.
Whether it’s better compatibility or deeper integration with a certain type of vehicle, or simply adding some controls that a few users have to go outside CarPlay to access, making these seemingly small adjustments could make Apple’s venture into infotainment that much friendlier for the end user.
Deeper EV Integration
EV drivers have more information to think about
While the rise of EVs has slowed in the U.S. market, it’s still taking off elsewhere in the world, including Canada. Additionally, the used EV market is starting to turn more heads in America than ever before, making hundreds of new EV drivers examine how well CarPlay works with their cars.
More than anything, users want state-of-charge information available directly on maps. While traditional ICE drivers don’t have this information readily available in CarPlay either, this is a sticking point for EV charging route mapping, a feature which Apple is proud of in its Maps software. Additionally, EV users hope Apple will add more support for third-party charging networks. To top it off, some users have reported inaccurate routing information when using the EV Charger mapping feature — an issue that needs to be addressed before anything else.
Climate and vehicle controls in the CarPlay UI
With CarPlay Ultra dead in the water, this is the next logical step
Remember when CarPlay Ultra was supposed to revolutionize the in-car infotainment experience? Yeah, me, too. Here we are a few years later, and what was once a noble project has been struck down time and time again by manufacturers. Now, companies like Harman Automotive are using Android and Google software to make native systems work as well as CarPlay, and Apple is losing the fight.
One way to ensure that they stay in the game, though, would be to take a bit of what CarPlay Ultra was meant to do as far as A/C controls and vehicle information, embed it in their own UI, and allow CarPlay to have a bit more functionality than it does in its current state. Obviously, manufacturers would have to get on board with this, but if Apple isn’t going to handle readouts of things like speed, RPMs, or warning lights, then this seems like a happy middle ground on which Apple could convince manufacturers to meet them.
Broader app categories
With iOS 27 opening up video playback, this could be on the way
One of the more notable features added in iOS 27 was the ability for drivers to use video playback when they’re parked. Users have been asking for video playback for years, and now that it’s available, the question is whether Apple will allow streaming developers to build apps strictly for the CarPlay UI. Streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime have the funds to develop such a thing, and if they can get ahead of the game, the experience could be here as soon as iOS 28.
An intriguing option for me, though, as someone who makes a lot of phone calls in the car, would be an expansion of note-taking apps that can work alongside phone calls and send me detailed summaries of my calls, meeting highlights, or even full transcripts. Due to safety concerns, CarPlay is still somewhat restrictive about which apps it allows to appear. Hopefully, that grip is loosening a bit as the updates keep rolling.
Multiple user profiles
The ability to swap users instantaneously would be family-friendly.
While on the smaller side of the requests, adding multiple user profiles would be a great usability addition to CarPlay and its current offering. For instance, say that your navigation won’t map to a nearby gas station or fast-food joint you know is along your route. Instead, it only shows stations or restaurants that are tens to even hundreds of miles away. It’s happened to me before, so I’m sure it’s happened to you, too.
When this happens, my wife has to direct me to the nearest Chick-fil-A or Love’s travel stop, and my on-screen navigation is practically useless. However, if we could quickly switch user profiles once she maps out our route, it would save me the trouble of asking her to guide me step by step and save her the anxiety of telling me to take an exit when I really should have kept going straight. Additionally, it would allow her to simply hop in my car, connect her phone if she needed to take it somewhere, and operate as usual.
