Summary
Apple’s CarPlay Ultra extends CarPlay into the vehicle’s instrument cluster and other driver displays, while adding controls for vehicle functions and automaker-specific designs. It began rolling out with Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada on May 15, 2025.
Apple’s CarPlay Ultra began rolling out on May 15, 2025, with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. The next-generation system builds on CarPlay by connecting the iPhone experience more deeply with the car’s own displays, controls and vehicle data.
The main difference is scope. Apple describes CarPlay Ultra as an experience for all of the driver’s screens, including the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, rather than an interface limited to the car’s main infotainment display. It is designed to combine information from the iPhone with information generated by the vehicle.
What CarPlay Ultra adds
CarPlay Ultra can show iPhone content such as Maps and media alongside vehicle information such as advanced driver assistance system data and tyre pressure. The vehicle’s speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge can also use CarPlay Ultra designs and appear as part of a consistent interface.
The system also extends control beyond iPhone apps. Drivers can use the touchscreen, physical buttons or Siri to manage functions including the radio and climate controls. Apple says CarPlay Ultra can also provide access to vehicle-specific features such as audio-system configurations and performance settings.
Another addition is a set of iPhone-powered widgets designed to fit the car’s display or gauge cluster. These can present information at a glance without requiring the driver to move between unrelated interfaces.
The interface is not intended to look identical in every vehicle. Apple says its themes are developed with each automaker’s design team so that the system can reflect the brand’s visual identity. Drivers can select from instrument-cluster themes and customise their colours and wallpapers.
In practical terms, CarPlay Ultra is an expansion of CarPlay from an iPhone-connected infotainment experience into a broader layer covering the car’s main screens and selected vehicle functions. Apple says it joins, rather than replaces, CarPlay.
Initial rollout and compatibility
Aston Martin is the first automaker to launch CarPlay Ultra. Apple says the system is available for new Aston Martin orders in the U.S. and Canada, with support for existing vehicles that have the brand’s next-generation infotainment system planned through a software update at local dealers in the coming weeks.
Apple says CarPlay Ultra will begin with Aston Martin’s core model lineup and expand to vehicles globally over the following 12 months. Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are among the automakers Apple identifies as newly committed to bringing the system to drivers, although the announcement does not provide launch dates for those brands.
CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. The announcement specifies initial availability in the U.S. and Canada; rollout details for other markets depend on vehicle support and automaker availability.