Apple’s CarPlay Ultra is here with the goal of taking over the automotive infotainment industry, but not every OEM is on board with the tech company’s big plan. Notably, BMW is the latest automaker to say “no thanks’ to Apple’s immersive software. A spokesperson for the German company told BMW Blog that it “currently has no plans to integrate” the system into its next generation of infotainment.
This isn’t the first time BMW has turned its nose up at CarPlay Ultra. Back when Apple previewed the software in 2022, the Bavarians weren’t jazzed about the idea. Despite the fact that it had been listed as a future partner by Apple, it hasn’t changed its mind, according to BMW Blog. Instead of relying on CarPlay Ultra, it will go forward with its upcoming operating system called iDrive X. It’s set to debut on the iX3 electric crossover and then spread to all future Neue Klasse models. With a panoramic display that runs across the entire dashboard and a parallelogram-shaped main touchscreen, it looks to be a major departure from what we’ve seen in BMWs of the past, and I can’t tell how CarPlay Ultra would even fit into this setup if engineers wanted it to.
Not alone
BMW isn’t the only automaker to say “nein” to CarPlay Ultra. Its main German rivals, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, have taken similar steps. So have Polestar and Volvo, according to Motor1. This news comes despite the fact that — at one time, at least — Apple said they would. I don’t know what changed or what was lost in translation, but here we are.
Still, some automakers remain committed to CarPlay Ultra. Porsche and the entire Hyundai Motor Group are on board with the new technology, and Aston Martin has already started rolling the system out in some of its cars, like the 2026 Vanquish Volante that I reviewed earlier this week. It’s not exactly clear when another company will take the leap and cede control of their infotainment to Apple, but I cannot imagine it will be too long from now. For the most part, people really like CarPlay, and it’s hard to say if that’s because CarPlay is really good or if their car’s native operating system is really bad. My gut says the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
