#AppleCarPlay

Porsche is adding some neat features to its smartphone-mirroring systems -- which has me wondering, what else can be added?

Honda says their first volume electric vehicle, the Prologue, will play nicely with wireless Google built-in plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Why are we mentioning a seemingly trivial item? Because alert readers know Prologue is baked using General Motors ingredients – and GM recently indicated it plans to swear off smartphone integration in favor of its own interface.

Porsche wasn’t the first to jump onto the Apple CarPlay train years ago, but the automaker has fully embraced the technology. The Taycan EV recently gained the ability to map charging locations in Apple Maps, rather than using its in-built navigation system, giving owners more options with Apple’s friendly interface.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are among the most asked-for tech features in new cars, but automakers can’t seem to come to terms with what that means for their own technology interfaces. Toyota was super slow to offer the tech, much to the irritation of buyers, and we recently learned that GM plans to phase the feature out in EVs going forward. The automaker’s cross-town rival, Ford, won’t be heading down the same path, as CEO Jim Farley said the battle has already been lost.

General Motors has done something that I think might be a bit dumb. It also had me checking the calendar to make sure it was for real.

Earlier reports that the BMW i4 would ship without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, with the smartphone-mirroring systems set to be installed via over-the-air updates at a later time, appear to be incorrect.

I was sitting in line for a car wash this morning, readying a test vehicle for photos, and since the line was long and moving slow, I started perusing Twitter on my iPhone while listening to the radio.

The same phone that was plugged into the Ford Maverick’s USB port so that I could run Apple CarPlay.

You know it’s a slow news week — at least so far — when you get an embargoed release from Infiniti mentioning software updates that will now enable wireless Apple CarPlay on vehicles that came from the factory without that functionality and find it worth a post.

Most of us have synced our phones to a vehicle to play music, unwittingly funneling personal information to the manufacturer in the process. But only an elite few have used their mobile device to digitally summon an automobile out of a garage or remotely tell it to pre-condition interior temperatures to the desired specification. However, that’s likely going to be the future and Apple would very much like to be leading the charge.

The tech giant is reportedly developing a way to better integrate smartphones with cars by accessing systems that are currently unavailable to CarPlay. Apple’s new program, internally known as IronHeart, seeks to collaborate with automakers so that its phones can network with vehicles in new and interesting ways. It’s effectively CarPlay 2.0 and sounds as though it would be giving the company access to just about every item drivers might interface with on a daily basis.

EV drivers, take note — if you use Electrify America’s app to find chargers, the app will soon have support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Mazda is upgrading the infotainment system of the 2018 Mazda 6 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Starting in September, the company will even allow owners who purchased one earlier in the year bring their vehicle into the dealership and have it upgraded, free of charge.

While that’s incredibly kind of them, there’s a catch. You have to own the Touring trim or above. If you bought a lesser Mazda 6, you’ll be out left out in the cold. But the automaker previously said it wouldn’t include the popular phone integration setup until 2019, making this a nice gesture. The 2019 CX-9 is supposed to be the first vehicle to see Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment, though we’ve also heard Mazda talking about future dealer upgrades for all models equipped with Mazda Connect for a small fee in other parts of the world.

Apple loves it when people buy its toys, but doesn’t appreciate it when other companies try to muscle into its technology playpen.

Whether the tech giant likes it or not, the Volkswagen-owned Seat brand just became the first automaker to design and market an app that is compatible with Apple CarPlay.

Today’s QOTD comes from a reader, who wants some car audio advice for his Smart ForTwo.

You’ve seen the 2016 Chevrolet Volt at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show; now see what else automotive-related is debuting at the annual tech show in Las Vegas.

At its 2014 Innovation Workshop, Volkswagen unveiled an assortment of technologies, ranging from doors that open and close automatically, to 10-speed transmissions and more powerful diesels.