Polestar and Volvo are adding Apple CarPlay to their latest infotainment system.
The Polestar 2, Rechargeable Volvo XC40 and 2022 Volvo XC60 Infotainment system features built using Google’s latest Android Automotive software.
They launched without Apple CarPlay; both brands instead promised it would be added to the mix with an over-the-air update.
While the native infotainment system features apps like Spotify and Google Maps, plugging in CarPlay allows owners to use the phone’s voice assistant to send and receive text messages on the go.
A Volvo spokesperson has confirmed the update will bring the technology to the XC40 Recharge and XC60 in the coming weeks, while a Polestar spokesperson said CarPlay will arrive in its vehicles sometime around the end of June. .
The wider Volvo range will get the Android Automotive infotainment system as part of a suite of updates to roll out in mid-2022.
Those vehicles will either feature CarPlay from the moment they are delivered, or offer owners the opportunity to download it as part of a collection update.
Polestar will welcome an updated version of the 2 elevation in November with the latest version of Android Cars.
CarPlay is now a complement to the vehicle’s infotainment system controlled by the owner’s phone. However, by 2023, it will be more deeply integrated into new cars.
Along with the central infotainment screen, Next-generation CarPlay system will integrate with the driver’s additional and readout displays used to control things like climate.
Owners will be able to customize their dials, such as how they can customize the Apple Watch watch face. Along with the typical, phone-inspired design, it looks like Apple took inspiration from older cars with analog-style watch faces.
Apple says the system is designed to integrate with a variety of screen shapes and sizes, not just horizontal displays, and has confirmed Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Nissan, Ford, Audi, Honda, Volvo, Renault, Infiniti and Polestar are working to integrate the updated system into their next-generation vehicles.
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