Apple CarPlay: updated design and better support for Siri in iOS 13

Apple's CarPlay will benefit from a major update when iOS 13 will be available later this year, with updated visual design and new features such as improved Siri support and a "clear mode," announced the company at its annual Worldwide Developers conference on Monday. Apple calls it "the biggest update of all time" for CarPlay.

The most notable difference regarding discounting, at least based on what has been shown on the scene, is that Apple gives CarPlay an updated look. In iOS 13, CarPlay will have a new dashboard that can display multiple applications in a single view, such as Maps and Music. Apple updates the CarPlay calendar application to include more relevant information and the Music app to further highlight album art, favorites and new music discovery.

Siri notifications and suggestions will also be simplified in the updated CarPlay. The video updates reflect many changes announced by Google for Android Auto last month, including the announcement of a "dark mode".

CarPlay will also benefit from many improvements in terms of compatibility and usability in iOS 13. A major update is that opening an application on the connected phone will not trigger its opening in CarPlay. Apple claims to make this change so that, for example, "passengers can choose a song on the device, while the driver can continue to watch Maps". Apple also wants to allow car manufacturers to allow CarPlay to display on other screens. (like groups of digital instruments).

Siri now works with third-party navigation and music apps, and Apple is announcing a hands-free "Hey Siri" handsfree that will use a car's built-in microphone. (An official Siri support page says that "Hey Siri" is not compatible with CarPlay, although some examples work it in a very buggy and unreliable way on some cars.) Apple has announced that CarPlay would be able to automatically adapt to several screen sizes and resolutions it currently supports, too.

The new CarPlay will also include a "Do not disturb while driving" mode that stops notifications, relying on the feature currently available on iPhones. A list of new features is available here.