March 3, 2014: With the CarPlay launch, Apple introduces iOS functionality for iPhone users behind the wheel via the car’s in-dash screen.
Showcasing the new car infotainment platform at the Geneva International Auto Show, Apple calls CarPlay “a smarter, safer and more fun way to use iPhone in the car.” Vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are the first off the line to incorporate it.
CarPlay launch in 2014: A new way to use iPhone on the road
At its Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013, Apple demonstrated what it called “iOS in the Car.” That was the first time Apple actually turned the key on the software, which it rebranded “CarPlay” for its release on March 3, 2014.
Some considered it Apple’s biggest release since the iPad in 2010. People were excited to see how CarPlay would bring a new UI for car infotainment systems, just like Apple TV brought a slick interface to television viewers.
As it does today, CarPlay allowed a driver to plug an iPhone into a car’s console jack and gain access to iOS features on the car’s entertainment touchscreen. That enabled hands-free use of Phone, Apple Maps, Siri, Messages and iTunes Radio (now Apple Music). Users also gained access to a handful of third-party audio apps — Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Stitcher. (And where was Pandora? Speculation suggested it was too big an iTunes competitor to include at launch, although it arrived later.)
‘iOS in the Car’ demo from WWDC 2013:
At launch, vehicles integrating CarPlay came from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. They revved up CarPlay for attendees of the Geneva International Auto Show that year.
Buzz about the CarPlay launch in 2014 led to speculation about how CarPlay works, of course. Apple’s interface got leaked. Specifically, how could Apple put its own UI on a carmaker’s entertainment interface/touchscreen? Well, partnerships granted private API access. Some described CarPlay as a glorified iPhone app. It simply worked with a car’s system based on QNX Software Systems’ platform rather than replacing it.
“Connectivity to smartphones and other mobile devices is a key strength of QNX Software Systems’ platform for car infotainment systems, and many automakers and tier one automotive suppliers use our platform to implement smartphone/head-unit integration in their vehicles,” a spokesperson for QNX told Cult of Mac at the time.
“We have a long-standing partnership with Apple to ensure high-quality in-car connectivity to their devices, and this partnership extends to compatibility support for Apple CarPlay,” they added.
Given that the CarPlay launch in 2014 drove off only with select partners, people wondered how Apple would interact with third-party developers going forward. Would it go the route of Apple TV and limit access? Or would it open up access to all iOS developers? Over time, it turned out to be the latter, with developers needing to seek approval via a CarPlay app entitlement for the type of app they want to make (e.g., audio, messaging, fueling, navigation, etc.).
See the Apple CarPlay demo from Geneva car show in 2014
Glorified app or not, Apple took CarPlay seriously then. And it still does now.
“Having something in the automobile is very, very important. It’s something that people want and I think that Apple can do this in a unique way better than anyone else,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company’s Q3 earnings call in 2013, describing CarPlay as a “key focus for us.”
Having Apple devices in the car meant a lot to Apple. That’s because users spend a lot of time in their cars, of course. And car sales were on the rise.
CarPlay launch in 2014: It all started with iPod
You can trace the development that led to the CarPlay launch back to iPod, believe it or not. Apple reached out to automakers in 2003 and 2004 to get iPod support in cars. It hoped users could bring thousands of songs on the road rather than relying on a radio and CD player. Only a few years passed before upward of 90% of vehicles in the United States supported iPod.
In 2010, Apple launched iPod Out service with iOS 4.0. It let users pair iPods with in-car entertainment systems. Soon 35 car manufacturers adopted it. Then, in 2012, Apple and Mercedes-Benz said A-Class Mercedes Benz drivers would get to use apps on their iPhones via voice commands. That worked via Drive Kit Plus integrated with Mercedes-Benz’s Digital DriveStyle App.
Much more recently, CarPlay handled a big turn in the road. Apple introduced further integration with car systems at WWDC22. Updates later took to the road in Aston Martin and Porsche vehicles.
Also on this day…
Photo: Apple/Computer History Museum
1975: Homebrew Computer Club meets for first time
The Homebrew Computer Club, a hobbyist group that will help spark the personal computing revolution, holds its first meeting in Menlo Park, California.
It becomes a welcome forum for computer geeks at a time when few others care about the nascent technology. Regular attendee Steve Wozniak and his friend Steve Jobs will eventually show off the first Apple-1 unit at the club.
