Apple Inc. Rolls Out CarPlay; Puts iPhone In The Car

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) made its big move on Monday by announcing the roll out of CarPlay, which will debut in Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Jaguar, Hyundai, Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC) (TYO:7267) and Volvo vehicles this week at the Geneva Motor Show. Previously named ‘iOS in the Car’, the CarPlay will allow drivers to control their iPhones through voice and touch with minimum distraction.

The tech giant said BMW, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Kia Motors Corporation (KRX:000270), Mitsubishi Motors (OTCMKTS:MMTOF), Opel, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:NSANY) (TYO:7201), Suzuki Motor Corporation (TYO:7269), Subaru, Peugeot Citroen, and Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM) are committed partners that will support CarPlay integration in their future models.

Automakers to launch Apple CarPlay compatible vehicles in Geneva

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) said Monday that CarPlay will be an integral part of the iOS 7.1 update. Users can simply plug in their smartphones into compatible cars to control call handling, navigation and entertainment through voice commands and steering-mounted commands. Drivers can turn on Siri through a steering-mounted button, and give voice or touch commands while keeping their eyes on the road. Apple Maps will display directions with estimated travel time, traffic conditions notification and turn-by-turn prompts. Vehicles with touchscreens will display an iOS-like interface.

Apple’s CarPlay to support third-party audio apps

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s VP for iPhone and iOS marketing, Greg Joswiak, said that iPhone users always want to keep their content at the fingertips. And CarPlay lets them do it while minimizing distractions. Siri will notify drivers about voicemails and incoming calls, and can read messages to them. It can even read driving directions, and return missed calls for you. You can dictate responses to the messages Siri reads. CarPlay also allows drivers to access their podcasts, music and audiobooks by simply asking the iOS voice assistant to pull up what they want to hear. Moreover, CarPlay will also support third-party audio apps such as iHeartRadio and Spotify.

However, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) didn’t mention whether it will offer competing services like Google Maps on CarPlay. The tech giant hasn’t yet revealed what a car must have to become CarPlay compatible.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares fell 0.46% to $523.84 in pre-market trading Monday.

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