Apple’s plan for cars: Using iPhone to control AC, seat, radio

The company is working on technology that will access functions such as a climate-control system, speedometer, radio and seats, according to people familiar with the effort. The initiative, known internally as “Ironheart”, is still in its early stages and will require the cooperation of automakers.

The work underscores the idea that cars can be a major money-maker for the tech giant — even without selling a vehicle itself. While plans for Apple Car have faced setbacks this year, including the defection of key executives, the company has continued to make inroads with CarPlay. It lets customers connect their iPhones to a vehicle to handle so-called infotainment features. Seven years after its launch, CarPlay is now offered by most major automakers.

Ironheart will take CarPlay a step further. The iPhone-based system can access a number of controls, sensors and settings, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project is secret.

Contains:

• Inside and outside temperature and humidity readings
• Temperature Zones, Fans and Defroster Systems
• Surround-sound speakers, equalizers, tweeters, subwoofers, and settings for adjusting fade and balance
• seats and armrests
• Speedometer, tachometer and fuel instrument cluster

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the Cupertino-based car plans for the California-based company.

By accessing controls and devices, Apple can turn CarPlay into an interface that can span almost the entire car. The data may also be used by Apple or third parties to create new types of apps or to add features to existing functions.

Some Apple users have complained about the need to jump between CarPlay and the car’s built-in system to manage key controls. This initiative will reduce that hesitation.

The effort will be similar to Apple’s approach to health and home technology. The company offers an app on the iPhone that can access and collect data from external health devices using its HealthKit protocol. The Home app, meanwhile, uses Apple’s HomeKit system to control smart devices, including thermostats, security cameras and door locks.

CarPlay will represent Apple’s strongest push into Ironheart cars since its release in 2014, but it may not be a hit with automakers. They may be reluctant to hand over control of key features to Apple. While CarPlay is now in more than 600 car models, other Apple initiatives launched in recent years have been slow to catch up with automakers.

Read more: Apple’s work on its electric car

In 2015, Apple began allowing car manufacturers to build third-party apps for CarPlay that could access car radios, GPS, and climate control. In 2019, it started supporting CarPlay on digital instrument clusters such as the secondary car screen. A year later, it announced CarKey, a feature for unlocking the car with an iPhone or Apple Watch, and electric-vehicle routing, the ability for the iPhone to understand when connected to an EV, and charger information in Map view. provides.

But automakers mostly shy away from adding these enhancements. The climate control and radio apps are only supported by some cars. And the EV routing feature is not available on any vehicles that are currently shipping. The CarPlay display extension is only supported by certain brands such as BMW and Volkswagen, and CarKey is on some BMWs.

For a while, Apple allowed its Siri voice assistant to tap into certain car features, allowing it to change audio sources and radio stations, move seats, and operate climate settings. But those features, which relied on app support from car makers, were removed in iOS 15, the latest version of the iPhone operating system, according to a message sent to developers in July. Apple may eventually delay or even cancel Ironheart features if they don’t show enough promise.

Some manufacturers, including Tesla Inc., have completely disregarded the car efforts of Apple and Google to build their next-generation infotainment ecosystems. Ford Motor Company is also looking to be more ambitious. It recently hired Doug Field, former Tesla chief engineer and head of Apple’s own car project, to work on its in-car technology.

Read more: The collision between Tesla cars and iPhones

Still, carmakers run the risk of upsetting iPhone fans by focusing on their own incompatible systems. And that could eventually influence more of them to adopt Apple’s technology. They can also choose to implement the features in different ways depending on the car. In some vehicles, Apple may gain access to climate control, while others may simply provide access to the speaker.

For Apple, the project could provide useful insights for its efforts to build a self-driving car. However, the company will not collect user or car data as part of the initiative.

After Fields left, the company appointed Apple Watch and health software chief Kevin Lynch as its car project head. An actual car is probably years away – if it ever happens – but Apple has several ex-Tesla vice presidents and former BMW electric car executive Ulrich Kranz working on the project.

Having a strong foothold in cars could also establish the iPhone in the daily lives of customers. Every time the device handles more tasks – like using the car, paying for groceries, showing ID or opening the door of the house – it gives consumers another reason to remain iPhone users.

Then they are more likely to upgrade to the new model and stay away from rival phones. Even with Apple’s push into new territories, the iPhone remains the company’s biggest money maker, accounting for nearly half of its sales, or about $138 billion last year.

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed.