Honda's Prologue EV is essentially a rebadged Chevrolet Blazer EV, built on the same GM underpinnings but sold with a key difference: it retains Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, which GM stripped from its own EVs in favor of a Google-built Android Automotive OS. This near-identical pairing of vehicles, one with phone mirroring and one without, has effectively created an unplanned real-world test of how much consumers value that feature.
a.wholelottanothing.org
· 2026-09-06
Ottocast makes a small USB dongle that plugs into a car's existing CarPlay port and relays the connection to an iPhone over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for a cable. After an initial Bluetooth pairing and approval step, the adapter automatically reconnects to the paired iPhone each time the car starts. The interface, controls and features remain identical to standard Apple CarPlay, with no separate Ottocast software layer.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-05
MapQuest is rolling out an experimental version of its navigation app for Android Auto, letting drivers view its maps on car dashboard screens instead of Google Maps or Waze. The move follows a surge in downloads after the company declined to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' following a Trump administration directive. MapQuest also confirmed CarPlay support is coming soon for iOS users, and the app is testing crowdsourced reporting of accidents and police activity.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-05
Anthropic released a Claude iPhone app update this week that adds CarPlay support, letting drivers resume recent chats or start new voice conversations from their car's display. This makes Claude the fifth major AI chatbot to support CarPlay, following ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, and Meta AI, which added the feature just days earlier.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-04
MapQuest has rolled out experimental Android Auto integration, letting its navigation app appear on vehicle dashboards for the first time. The September 1 update also introduces crowdsourced incident reporting for crashes, closures, and speed traps. Early testers report bugs like a zoomed-out map view and leftover iOS-related code, including a stray CarPlay notification.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-04
Ford VP Alan Clarke explained that after evaluating Apple, Google, and other mapping providers, the company chose Apple Maps for native integration in its upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, including the Fathom model. He cited Apple's flexibility, improved map quality, and close collaboration on EV-specific needs like range estimation and battery preconditioning as deciding factors.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-01
A viral TikTok video mislabeled the plastic covering on new cars' CarPlay touchscreens as a permanent screen protector, but it's actually a temporary shipping film meant to guard the display during transport and delivery. Manufacturers do not intend for drivers to keep it on long-term, since prolonged exposure to heat can cause the adhesive or plastic to melt onto the screen.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-01
Google is rolling out a refreshed Android Auto app icon, replacing the familiar blue design with a green one featuring rounder corners, spotted in version 17.6.663424. The change appears tied to a broader Android Auto redesign expected in the coming months that will bring widget support, video playback, and a more fluid visual style.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-01
CarPlay received three notable app upgrades in August: MLB's app now lets users browse games and hear live radio feeds with in-car score displays, Meta AI joined ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok as a chatbot option (though still in limited testing), and The Weather Channel's Storm Radar app added live weather maps, radar layers, and route-based alerts. These updates arrive ahead of Apple's broader CarPlay overhaul expected with iOS 27 in September, which will add a dedicated Siri app and AI features.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-31
Apple's own guidelines reveal that lossless audio streaming through CarPlay only works over a wired USB connection, not wirelessly. This is because wired CarPlay uses the uncompressed LPCM codec, while wireless CarPlay relies on AAC-LC, a lossy codec that discards some original audio data to reduce file size.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-30
The Weather Channel has released a CarPlay version of its Storm Radar app, filling a gap left by Apple Weather, which still isn't supported on CarPlay. The new app shows a live map with radar, clouds, and precipitation layers, plus current conditions and forecasted weather at a driver's destination alongside ETA. The same update also brings new home screen widgets and a redesigned Apple Watch app.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-30
Meta AI has begun appearing as a CarPlay-compatible app on iPhone, joining ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok as third-party chatbots available in Apple's car interface. However, many users currently see a 'not supported' message when launching it, suggesting the rollout is still in limited testing, and a paid Meta AI account doesn't unlock access either.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-29
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