BMW has confirmed it will not integrate Apple’s CarPlay Ultra into its vehicles. A spokesperson for BMW AG stated, “BMW currently has no plans to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra.”
Instead, the German automaker is prioritizing its proprietary iDrive system. A revamped version of iDrive was announced earlier this year at CES and is slated to debut in the iX3 model. This updated iDrive will then be rolled out across all Neue Klasse vehicles.
While standard CarPlay will still be supported in BMW vehicles, its integration will be scaled back. As announced at CES, CarPlay functionality will be restricted to the center display. It will not extend to other surfaces such as panoramic or heads-up displays.
CarPlay Ultra, which offers deeper integration between iPhones and car systems, launched recently after a significant delay. Despite initial promises of broad automaker support, the project has seen a reduction in momentum. Several brands, including Fiat, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, and Volkswagen, are among 20 manufacturers that have either confirmed they will not support the feature or have not yet committed to its integration.
