Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra is ready, but only in Aston Martins for now

In time, CarPlay Ultra will roll out to other automakers.

May 15, 2025 - 14:22
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Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra is ready, but only in Aston Martins for now

It's a few years later than we were promised, but an advanced new version of Apple CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay is Apple's way of casting a phone's video and audio to a car's infotainment system, but with CarPlay Ultra it gets a big upgrade. Now, in addition to displaying compatible iPhone apps on the car's center infotainment screen, CarPlay Ultra will also take over the main instrument panel in front of the driver, replacing the OEM-designed dials like the speedometer and tachometer with a number of different Apple designs instead.

"iPhone users love CarPlay and it has changed the way people interact with their vehicles. With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers we are reimagining the in-car experience and making it even more unified and consistent," said Bob Borchers, vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple.

Aston Martin main instrument display running CarPlay Ultra
Apple has designed various dashboard themes for Aston Martin. Credit: Aston Martin
Aston Martin main instrument display running CarPlay Ultra
Some are less information-dense than others. Credit: Aston Martin

However, to misquote William Gibson, CarPlay Ultra is unevenly distributed. In fact, if you want it today, you're going to have to head over to the nearest Aston Martin dealership. Because to begin with, it's only rolling out in North America with Aston Martin, inside the DBX SUV, as well as the DB12, Vantage, and Vanquish sports cars. It's standard on all new orders, the automaker says, and will be available as a dealer-performed update for existing Aston Martins with the company's in-house 10.25-inch infotainment system in the coming weeks.

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