Gadgetory

this is Dan cifra with the verge here at the New York International Auto Show Apple is demoing carplay it's simplified version of iOS optimized for use in the car we got a chance to look at how car play works in upcoming hyundai volvo and mercedes-benz vehicles partly relies heavily on Siri in fact auto manufacturers can disable manual text input entirely and provides quick access to the things you need most while driving namely music navigation phone calls and text messages carplay also provides access to third-party apps that have been updated to support it there's only a handful available right now but you can listen to I Heart Radio Spotify or podcast or your car stereo most of the difficult interactions are done through Siri you dial numbers send any text messages enter destinations and call up music with your voice it works well most of the time and the system uses the microphones already built into the car instead of using the iPhones microphone to pick up your voice carplay works in different ways depending on a car specific hardware configuration Volvo's implementation uses both a touchscreen and hardware buttons while Hyundai opted for the all touchscreen route mercedes-benz chose to forego that touchscreen entirely and requires drivers control carplay with a hardware knob and a handful of buttons like iOS carplay really lends itself to touch interactions and it was definitely easiest to use in the cars with touchscreens each car manufacturer integrates carplay into its existing navigation systems differently as well Hyundai and mercedes-benz essentially run car play as an app with it completely separate from the native navigation system volvo on the other hand has built an interface that integrates car play as a panel along with the native navigation system bluetooth phone app and media playback it's much faster and easier to navigate on Volvo's system and it doesn't feel like you're working in two different worlds as much as the Mercedes and Hyundai's versions the other thing that's a bit weird about car play is that it duplicates many of the things that car makers have already put into their cars it's a second navigation system second phone apps second music player and second voice recognition system car makers don't really have much of a choice here if you don't have an iPhone you're still gonna want to use navigation and Bluetooth features in your car and they have to provide them still despite duplicating almost everything your car already does carplay is nicer to use in virtually any automakers interface and it integrates with your text messages and smartphone apps much better apple's initial carplay rollout is rather limited in addition to hyundai mercedes benz involved just Ferrari and Honda have committed to launching cars with it this year 13 other manufacturers have also signed on board to support car play at some point in the future will car play be the car interface of the future only time will tell but I really wouldn't mind having it in my car right now