Apple CarPlay ready to hit the road (pictures)

Here's how Apple wants you to use your iPhone in the car. Is the CarPlay-equipped Ferrari out of your reach? Don't worry -- Honda and Hyundai are on board, too.

Jon Skillings

Jon Skillings is an editorial director at CNET, where he's worked since 2000. A born browser of dictionaries, he honed his language skills as a US Army linguist (Polish and German) before diving into editing for tech publications -- including at PC Week and the IDG News Service -- back when the web was just getting under way, and even a little before. For CNET, he's written on topics from GPS, AI and 5G to James Bond, aircraft, astronauts, brass instruments and music streaming services.

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Jon Skillings

March 3, 2014 6:49 a.m. PT

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Apple CarPlay

Behold Apple's new CarPlay -- the integration of iPhone functions into an automobile dashboard. On March 3, Apple unveiled CarPlay (known previously as iOS in the Car) as a new way to let drivers "use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction."

CarPlay will be available as an update to iOS 7. But as CNET's Tim Stevens points out, cars themselves won't be running iOS; instead, they'll be receiving a signal from the handsets -- the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S -- when they're connected to the car via Lightning cable. Drivers will be able to use CarPlay either with fingers on the touch screen or by speaking out loud to the Siri software.

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Maps a la CarPlay

Apple says that CarPlay's Maps feature will offer up routing instructions, traffic conditions, and ETA, and will even try to anticipate your destination based on recent trips via contacts, e-mails, or texts. As with the iPhone itself, Siri can provide turn-by-turn directions.

CarPlay will be available in "select cars" shipping in 2014, according to Apple, from automakers Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. At this week's Geneva Motor Show, we'll all get a look at some CarPlay-equipped models from Ferrari, Mercedes, and Volvo.

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This is CarPlay calling

No need to hold your iPhone to your face when the dashboard gets involved. "CarPlay brings your car and iPhone together for a thoughtful experience that lets drivers focus on driving," says Apple.

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Get the message

Similarly, drivers will be able to speak and listen to Siri to deal with incoming messages and notifications, displayed on the CarPlay screen.

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CarPlay that funky music

CarPlay will support iTunes Radio, of course, but also a smattering of third-party audio apps including Spotify and iHeartRadio, along with a user's downloaded tunes, podcasts, and audio books.