The first trial of CarPlay Ultra in an Aston Martin has deemed Apple’s in-car upgrade a massive success, even if car manufacturers will be wary of handing over the UI reins. The next-generation interface expands the iPhone-based interface across multiple displays on the dashboard, and promises a more cohesive experience for drivers. One of the first topics is car manufacturer personalization and control. Not all manufacturers are keen on using the new CarPlay, due to the way it dominates all of the available screens, including the instrument panel. This resistance has led to Apple working to make CarPlay Ultra as acceptable as possible, by offering as much customization as possible. Apple’s implementation is to provide a set of templates, so that the manufacturers can tailor how the various elements of the interfaces appear within CarPlay Ultra itself. CarPlay Ultra is more than just using the interface on an increasing number of displays in a vehicle. Some of the elements are still iPhone-hosted services as before, but now it incorporates data points and controls sourced from the car itself, referred to as “local UI.” Elements such as speed and fuel level are incorporated into Apple’s interface, which is then shown to the driver. On top of that is “punch-through UI,” which refers to some elements from the car’s native infotainment system to work directly, with minimal interference from CarPlay itself. This can take the form of things such as a car’s reversing camera, handled by the onboard system but displayed within CarPlay itself without extra elements. Apple also upgraded how CarPlay itself interfaces with the iPhone itself. To get the new CarPlay Ultra working, you need an iPhone 12 or later, running on iOS 18.4 or newer. Furthermore, while earlier CarPlay could use wired and wireless connections with the iPhone depending on the setup, CarPlay Ultra works entirely wirelessly by default. The booting process prioritizes the instrument panel display first, so that the driver can use the vehicle, even if other CarPlay Ultra elements take a little longer to get going. There is a default layout, but drivers can also switch between a few options on the fly. This includes altering the visual style without changing item placement for a few of them. The main infotainment screen doesn’t seem to have changed that much at first glance. Existing CarPlay users will be familiar with how it works and appears, but changes can quickly become apparent. With local UI in use, the in-car functions now appear within CarPlay, without needing to exit it. Users can also customize the appearance of CarPlay from the screen. The slickness, integration, and Apple familiarity are plus points for an interface, something car manufacturers frequently struggle to get right.