Apple CarPlay Ultra makes a striking appearance in its debut with Aston Martin supercars.

      Apple CarPlay Ultra represents the next iteration of the Cupertino, California-based company's smartphone projection system designed for vehicles, and it is offered in new cars across the US and Canada.

      When we mention "new cars," your choices are currently quite restricted to a single manufacturer: Aston Martin. Therefore, you will need considerable financial resources to experience CarPlay Ultra firsthand.

      CarPlay Ultra offers significantly enhanced integration and customization compared to the standard CarPlay you may already be familiar with. The regular version takes over your vehicle's infotainment display, providing access to supported CarPlay apps, such as Phone, Messages, Maps, and a variety of music streaming services.

      However, it does not allow access to your car's controls (you must exit CarPlay and revert to the original operating system), nor does it take control of the cluster display.

      So, what does CarPlay Ultra offer? As you might expect, it addresses both of those limitations.

      Vehicle-specific features now available in CarPlay Ultra

      We are accustomed to seeing CarPlay dominate the central infotainment display in our vehicles, but CarPlay Ultra enhances this with much more functionality at your disposal.

      Whether it’s changing the radio station on the built-in stereo, adjusting climate settings, or tweaking performance configurations, all of these can now be managed through the CarPlay Ultra interface. Apple also mentions that you can use Siri to control various vehicle functions.

      The most exciting advancement occurs on the driver-specific screen.

      Cluster control

      I’ve had the opportunity to drive and review a diverse range of vehicles over the years, and while I appreciate the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I’m often left disappointed that these systems do not utilize the increasingly common full cluster displays behind the steering wheel.

      CarPlay Ultra addresses this frustration by commandeering the entire digital cluster display, offering views of essential app features such as navigation in Maps, alongside the usual data you would expect to see there – speed, RPM, range, etc. Apple has collaborated with Aston Martin to refine the design of its cluster display, providing various themes for drivers to select from.

      How to use Apple CarPlay Ultra

      To utilize CarPlay Ultra, you will need a compatible car (currently, a new Aston Martin) and an iPhone 12 or later running at least iOS 18.5.

      At launch, CarPlay Ultra is available in new Aston Martin models (the DBX, Vantage, DB12, and Vanquish) ordered in the US and Canada beginning May 15. Current Aston Martin owners in the US and Canada with vehicles featuring the brand’s next-generation infotainment system will receive CarPlay Ultra through a software update at local dealers over the coming weeks. Aston expects to roll out CarPlay Ultra to supported vehicles worldwide within 12 months.

      For those who cannot afford an Aston, the positive news is that other manufacturers are undertaking the integration of CarPlay Ultra into their vehicles, with Apple confirming that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are currently working on it.

      We may discover even more information about CarPlay Ultra next month during Apple's WWDC 2025 conference.