Whether Apple is working on a car with Apple on the hood we don’t know, but it seems that, in parallel, in Cupertino they are working on an evolution of CarPlay
Apple would have identified an alternative method than building a car to offer the characteristic experience of Apple inside modern cars. The Apple-branded car has been talked about for a long time, but plans for such a project have never been confirmed or denied by the Cupertino-based company.
While waiting to see if the “Apple Car” will be made, the well-informed claim that the company is pursuing the project of an integrated system in the car that can stand up to Android Automotive, a kind of deeper integration than the one that can guarantee Android Auto, the main rival of Apple CarPlay. Apple’s current system is used by millions of drivers around the world to manage their music, get directions and make calls through their phones, but Cupertino is working on a system that would give users the ability to manage their cars with the typical Apple user experience.
Apple’s answer to Android Automotive
Apple’s equivalent of Android Automotive for now would be known by the internal name of IronHeart, which is certainly temporary. According to rumors, it would still be in the gestation phase and of course if Apple could get the collaboration of car manufacturers the development would go faster.
IronHeart, just like Android Automotive, could manage climate control, multimedia playback, seat adjustment, all the information related to speed, remaining range, fuel consumption, and so on.
Apple CarPlay is currently a very popular system used by iPhone owners and compatible cars, the result of more than seven years of development in which both manufacturers and users have learned to know and appreciate it.
Total management of the car with advanced CarPlay
With IronHeart instead, Apple would go to the “next level” offering a series of additional possibilities that the people who know about Apple’s strategy – who, needless to say, have asked to remain anonymous – would have summarized as follows: air temperature and humidity information, both outside and inside the cabin; climate control adjustment, including flow direction, fan intensity and windshield and rear window defrosting; speaker, seat and armrest adjustment; and management of crucial trip information, so speedometer, tachometer and remaining range indication.
Apple reportedly reflected on the demand from several customers for an “Apple-like” car management system, who over the years have complained about the need to switch from CarPlay to the in-car system for viewing or setting key features. The “evolved” CarPlay, IronHeart, would be an answer to these customers.