Apple first introduced CarPlay back in 2014 as a part of iOS. CarPlay is an iPhone-based car system that allows users to control music, use maps, make phone calls, and more. One of the biggest complaints against this system is how limited it is. Users often find themselves switching from CarPlay to the car's built-in system to control other parts of their cars. However, Apple is said to be working on fixing this issue.
What's IronHeart?
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a project internally known as IronHeart. This project aims to take CarPlay to the next level, bringing the biggest upgrades to it since it was first released. According to the report, these potential changes could allow users to access and/or control:
- Inside and outside temperature and humidity readings
- Temperature zones, fans, and the defroster systems
- Settings for adjusting surround-sound speakers, equalizers, tweeters, subwoofers, and the fade and balance
- Seats and armrests
- The speedometer, tachometer, and fuel instrument clusters
Apple is said to be cooperating with automakers to allow these changes to occur.
Other car-centered Apple projects and features
Apple is also rumored to be working on its own electric car, but we aren't expecting a public reveal any time in the near future. In the meantime, Apple has been working on features that integrate with existing cars, such as CarKey and an advanced version of CarPlay. It's worth mentioning that this project may never see the light of day, though. Apple removed Siri support from CarPlay with the introduction of iOS 15, since not enough people use it. So, Apple will have to carefully study all factors revolving around project IronHeart and release it (or not) accordingly.
CarKey allows users with supported car models to unlock their vehicles with their iPhones, even if their batteries are dead. iPhones with the U1 chip (iPhone 11 and newer) can also take advantage of this feature without having to take them out of your pockets or bags.
What are your thoughts on project IronHeart? Do you use CarPlay or CarKey? Let us know in the comments section below.