Apple officially decreased the wraps, which is eagerly awaited, and debut it in the 2026 Aston Martin Vanquish – with more car manufacturers that are expected. But what about BMW? After we spoke to designers and engineers from both brands, we received a resounding answer: they have already passed it on. What exactly is CarPlay Ultra and why should BMW have nothing to do with it? And what does that mean for the standard car play we know?
CarPlay Ultra represents Apple’s most ambitious foray into automotive integration and expands the interface of the iPhone beyond the central infotainment screen to comprise the instrument cluster and other vehicle controls. This enables a seamless mix of Apple’s ecosystem with the native systems of the car and offers functions such as customizable displays, siri integration for climate and audio controls and real-time vehicle data visualization.
However, BMW and Mini have drawn another course. While both brands continue to support standard -parlay, they no longer have to attribute it to the deeper integration of CarPlay Ultra. This decision corresponds to the recent unveiling of its iDrive X system and the Mini OS9, both of which emphasize a proprietary user experience. IDRIVE X has a panorama display that spans the dashboard and offers drivers the opportunity to adapt widgets, ambient lighting and driving modes to their preferences – something that is much more advanced than CarPlay Ultra apparently. And Mini OS9 is incredibly unique with its circular layout and the lack of cluster display.
BMW and Mini continue to include standard carplay
This does not mean that BMW and Mini will end their car play integration. We directly blamed the team for Bot Mini OS9 and the new Idrive X that the plan will be to continue to offer CarPlay as we know it today. However, the integration of Ultra into the car display of the car and the telematics of the system itself is off the table.
This approach suggests the desire to keep control over the core user interface and vehicle functionalities instead of handing over these aspects to external technology ecosystems. The idea is that this strategy enables both brands to ensure a uniform brand experience in their vehicles, even if they perform popular functions such as CarPlay.
For Mini enthusiasts, this continues to mean access to Apple CarPlay’s familiar surface for navigation and media, without the full dashboard integration that CarPlay Ultra offers. While some consider this as a restriction, BMW and Mini consider their systems due to the deep integration of the control units of the car before the car play in relation to vehicle functionality.
While the automotive industry navigates through the interface of technology and tradition, the attitude of BMW and Mini to CarPlay Ultra emphasizes the ongoing debate on how much control automatic car manufacturer should maintain the experience in the car. At the moment they appear satisfied to offer the best of both worlds: inclusion of the essential smartphone integration and at the same time their own design and functional philosophies.
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