Apple rolls out CarPlay for safely using iPhones in the car

Apple has launched its CarPlay feature to give drivers a “smarter, safer, and more fun” way to use iPhones in cars. It’s clear that Apple intends for the iPhone to be the center of car electronics. And to do that, it has to own your dashboard.

Premiering at the Geneva International Motor Show later this week, CarPlay lets you make calls, use maps, listen to music, and access messages with just a spoken word or a single touch on a touchscreen. You can use the car’s native interface or push-and-hold the voice control button on a steering wheel to activate the Siri voice-driven artificial intelligence on an iPhone. That helps reduce distractions when you’re driving.

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Cars from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week. Others working on CarPlay features in the future include BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota Motor.

“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips, and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”

When an iPhone is connected to a vehicle with CarPlay integration, Siri can help you easily access your contacts, make calls, return missed calls, or listen to voicemails. When incoming messages or notifications arrive, Siri will be able to provide an eyes-free experience by responding to requests through voice commands, by reading drivers’ messages and letting them dictate responses or simply make a call.

CarPlay can also make driving directions more intuitive using Apple Maps. It can anticipate destinations based on recent trips via contacts, emails, or texts, and it provides routing instructions, traffic conditions, and estimated time of arrival. You can also ask Siri for spoken turn-by-turn directions, along with Maps, which will appear on your car’s built-in display. You can also access music, podcasts, audiobooks, and iTunes Radio via CarPlay.

CarPlay is available as an update to iOS 7 and works with Lightning-enabled iPhones, including iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5. It will debut in select cars in 2014.