In 2014, Apple introduced CarPlay, a system that puts the iPhone at the center of the car’s infotainment experience. The truth is that, while CarPlay has several advantages over Android Auto and other platforms, it still has limitations. That is why the company is working on a new project called IronHeart to improve the features of CarPlay.
Apple’s Ironheart project will bring new features to CarPlay
That’s precisely what Apple wants to address with “IronHeart,” the name of the project, according to Bloomberg, that will allow CarPlay to follow a similar path as HomeKit and allow manufacturers to use the iPhone to control a car’s air conditioning, seats, and sound.
This project, still in its early stages, will be carried out with the collaboration of car manufacturers, who will be the ones to take advantage of the possibilities offered by this technology.
The idea is to extend CarPlay’s capacity when it comes to controlling certain elements of the car that until now were an integral part of the car’s own systems such as:
- Exterior and interior temperature and humidity readings.
- Air conditioning zones, fans, and defrosting systems.
- Adjustment of speakers, equalizers, and other controls of the car’s sound system.
- Seats and armrests.
- Clocks that measure speed, revolutions, consumption, and fuel levels.
Bloomberg points out that this initiative would be aimed at making CarPlay have a similar philosophy to the one HomeKit already has. This system allows the iPhone to access and aggregate data from external devices such as thermostats, security cameras, or smart locks.
It’s unclear whether manufacturers will approve a project allowing them to relinquish control of these elements, and even if they do, the process may not go well.
Companies such as Tesla and Ford have been working for some time on more ambitious infotainment systems, and it is to be expected that other manufacturers will also go in that direction even if they also partially open the door to Apple’s technology.
