Apple CarPlay to bring iPhone interface to cars

Apple has announced its next big thing: “CarPlay.” The system will mirror some of the smart-phone apps on the car’s screen to allow drivers to make calls, use Maps, listen to music, and access messages with a simple touch, or use Siri for voice control activated by a steering wheel button. The new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, due this fall, will be the first production car to offer CarPlay.

After Mercedes, the CarPlay is due to appear in Volvos and Ferraris, and Apple says it is also working with BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota for future systems.

CarPlay is compatible with iOS 7, and it works on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s.

Like many drivers, the team at Consumer Reports has found it frustrating to deal with a wide variety of complicated in-car infotainment systems. Some are better than others.

And we often find ourselves asking, why can’t this be as simple as it is on a smart phone, only up high on a big screen where we can see and reach it? Now Apple, the company known for transforming how we live our lives, is stepping in to answer that question.