Anyone who is a frequent user of Apple CarPlay will know the inconvenience of having to exit CarPlay's interface to adjust certain vehicle functions, and then switch back once you want to return to using apps on your connected iPhone.
The lack of seamlessness is one reason quoted in April by General Motors for announcing plans to phase out CarPlay in favor of a Google-based infotainment system that will have many popular Google apps built in.
Porsche has found a somewhat elegant solution that gets around the issue. The automaker this week announced an updated My Porsche app for iPhones that will appear within CarPlay's interface.
The first model to support this capability will be the updated 2024 Cayenne due in showrooms later this year. It will eventually be rolled out to other model lines. Connecting the app to the vehicle requires a simple scan of a QR code displayed on the vehicle's infotainment system.
Specific functions users will be able to control via the CarPlay interface include changing audio settings, radio stations, the climate controls, and ambient lighting. For EVs, the CarPlay interface will be able to display the battery state of charge.
Some of the functions can also be combined using quick actions in CarPlay, such as a warm-up function that turns on the heater and seat warmers, while Apple's Siri voice assistant will prove handy when you want to concentrate on the road.
More functions will be added with future updates, Porsche said.
Apple eventually plans to launch a next-generation version of CarPlay that will take over more of the dashboard. In a presentation last summer, Apple previewed the new system and revealed that it will be able to take over the instrument cluster as well as the infotainment system.
