For more than a decade, the Apple Car was one of Silicon Valley’s favorite rumors – until the project was canceled in 2024. But now Apple may have delivered something even more impactful: a way to turn every car into an Apple Car. And that comes with serious implications for radio’s long-held dominance in the dashboard.
Three years after first teasing a radically expanded in-car experience, Apple has officially unveiled CarPlay Ultra, its next-generation dashboard operating system. First previewed in 2022, the software goes far beyond mirroring your iPhone on the infotainment screen. It now integrates fully into every single visual screen in an automobile, giving Apple complete control over what drivers see and how they interact with their car.
Unlike previous versions that ran alongside automaker-designed systems, CarPlay Ultra replaces them across all dashboard displays. It creates a consistent, Apple-designed interface across makes and models. Drivers never need to leave Apple’s environment to check maps, adjust climate settings, or even change the radio station – terrestrial or satellite – thanks to new dedicated apps for those functions.
This mirrors Android Auto’s 2024 “Car Radio” feature, which began allowing users to access AM, FM, and HD Radio directly within Google’s interface, eliminating the need to toggle back to a car’s native system. Both tech giants are working to keep users within their own operating ecosystems, minimizing interaction with automaker or third-party controls.
In CarPlay Ultra, Apple offers only limited room for customization. Automakers can tweak themes and gauges, but drivers are otherwise immersed in Apple’s unified user interface. Compatible with iPhone 12 or newer, the system works with wired or wireless connections, supports buttons, knobs, and touch inputs, and adapts to a variety of screen shapes and sizes.
In the years to come, radio faces a heated battle as platforms across the audiosphere realize just how valuable the in-car consumer is and rush to take dashboard share from the longtime leader, radio.
While AM/FM still holds a commanding lead in the car – two-thirds of drivers prefer it to streaming services, according to Audacy’s multi-year connected car research – radio is now up against a more tightly controlled, software-first dashboard environment. Quu’s 2025 In-Vehicle Visuals Report found that only 26% of the top 100 best-selling vehicles now include a dedicated radio button, down from 36% just a year earlier. Compounding that decline, 74% of vehicles resume the last-used audio source when restarted. If that source was CarPlay Ultra, a podcast, or a music stream, AM/FM might seldom surface, unless the driver goes looking for it.
That’s not likely to happen by accident. With monetization tied to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and third-party subscriptions, Apple has little incentive to promote free, advertiser-supported platforms like terrestrial radio. In a walled-garden environment, visibility, integration, and ease of access become everything.
Even further disruption comes from the introduction of Slate Auto’s new EV truck, which ships with no built-in infotainment system at all. Drivers are expected to bring their own phones or tablets for entertainment and navigation, in a stark indication that the future of in-car audio is becoming increasingly app-driven. For broadcasters, this shift lends more credence to the argument for developing and promoting dedicated station apps, ensuring discoverability in environments where the radio dial is no longer the default.
On a separate front, SiriusXM – which is also integrated into CarPlay Ultra’s radio controls – is sharpening its focus on in-car listening, directly targeting terrestrial radio’s remaining stronghold. After falling short in its push to compete with streaming giants, the satellite broadcaster has pivoted to a strategy designed to peel share from AM/FM, rolling out new pricing models and an ad-supported tier aimed at capturing dashboard real estate at the moment of vehicle startup.
As for CarPlay Ultra, it has debuted solely in select 2025 Aston Martin models in the US and Canada, but Apple has secured future integration commitments from Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Ford, Audi, Honda, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche. GM remains absent as it continues its pivot away from Apple and Android in favor of its own proprietary infotainment platform.
I get it (for financial gain of both Apple and some mfrs) but we know that car buyers keep saying “put back the knobs” because humans can’t fiddle with screen prompts while driving and don’t want to battle still-not-ready-for-prime-time software/voice interfaces. Talk to dealers. They’ll tell you buyers’ battles with in-dash displays are the #1 complaint, post purchase. Some dealers have actually hired a person simply to program and set up buyers’
in-dash systems. Apple may be trying to fix all of that, but they don’t dominate the smart phone landscape. Andriod 70%+ vs Apple 28%. By starting in Aston Martin vehicles, we know who their test sample base is.
This garbage is more reason not to buy a new vehicle, especially an EV! Buy good used, and save your money!
No thanks. Apple, back off.
Nice article. As an exclusive Ford owner, I side eye Ford’s “ future integration commitments” with Apple. So, I will continue to “deny” dashboard access to my hand held devices’ data to remain immersed in the real world while driving. Having the power of decision making is pivotal. I hope, need, want and will continue to manually chose, control and enjoy my car’s entertainment choices and other on-board options
Comments are closed.