If you came to know about Apple CarPlay while riding in one of your friend’s cars and were impressed by its features and conveniences, some questions might arise in your mind.
Do you have to pay a monthly subscription? And the biggest question among them which is about Apple CarPlay price: is CarPlay free to use?
The feature is indeed free to use and comes pre-installed in new cars sold after 2014. There are no other features as good as Apple CarPlay for your Apple devices, and you don’t need to pay any kind of fee to use it.
What Is Apple CarPlay?
Apple CarPlay is a software that allows you to easily access certain important apps on your iPhone and use them on your car’s dashboard screen.
This makes navigation easier and eliminates the need to use your phone while driving.
Apple CarPlay was released on March 10, 2014, and since then, most cars have come with the feature pre-installed.
Even if you have an older model, you can always buy a package including Apple CarPlay along with some other premium features.
How to Use Apple CarPlay?
Using Apple CarPlay is very simple, and you only need a lightning cable that comes with your Apple device to connect your phone. After that, you will see an option to enable the CarPlay pop-up on your car screen.
But if you have the latest model car, the process becomes easier. In newer models, you can connect your phone wirelessly to Apple CarPlay.
If the connection is successful, you can then use all the basic features of your iPhone, like making calls, messaging, using maps to navigate, playing your favorite podcasts, etc., and you can do all these things with a simple touch.
Another important feature of the Apple CarPlay is that you can also use Siri in your car as long as Siri is activated on your iPhone. You can activate it manually or press the button for voice command on the car steering wheel if you have it.
How to Get Apple CarPlay If My Car Doesn’t Have It?
If you happen to own a car that was released before 2014, unfortunately, you won’t have Apple CarPlay installed in your car. But there is a solution that will cost you some money.
For that, you will have to buy an aftermarket stereo that comes with Apple CarPlay installed. Many popular brands sell these, and you can buy from them without a doubt in quality—for example, Sony, JVC, Alpine, Kenwood, etc.
Again, some cars don’t support Apple CarPlay at all. In that case, there is no possible way to access Apple CarPlay.
With that being said, before buying any new/preowned car, you should converse with the manufacturer/owner to see if the features you want are available with the model of the car you want.
What Apps Are Supported by Apple CarPlay?
At first, you were only able to use Apple-exclusive apps for calling, messaging, navigation, or any other needs. But with time, Apple CarPlay has provided a way to use any other third-party apps for your benefit.
Now you can use apps like Google, Facebook, Chrome, WhatsApp, and Instagram too.
Besides this, you don’t need to install the apps on CarPlay again. You can just use the apps installed on your Apple devices. If you want, you can rearrange, add or remove any other apps of your choice too.
In a word, it is made to adhere to your needs in the most convenient way possible.
Do You Have to Pay a Monthly Subscription for Apple CarPlay?
If Apple CarPlay is already installed in your car, there is no need for you to pay any other additional costs, and you can continue to use it in the future for free. Even the updates that come with newer versions of iOS require no additional fees to be paid.
However, if you want to use apps that require an internet connection, you will have to pay for the internet bill. Other than that, you don’t have to worry about any other extra billings.
But if you don’t have CarPlay installed, as mentioned above, purchasing an aftermarket stereo might end up being too expensive for you, as even the starting price for aftermarket stereos is quite high. These are available starting from around $200 and might go as high as $1000.
So, you should consider if having Apple CarPlay is worth paying for a new stereo system in your car.
Benefits of Using Apple CarPlay
You can find many notable advantages of using Apple CarPlay. Some of them are mentioned below for your convenience:
Convenient App Optimization
The apps are arranged and have bigger icons to ease your needs while driving. Especially the bigger app icons make it easier to access apps while you are concentrating on driving and also reduce the risk of accidents.
Easier Navigation
It is far easier to look at the CarPlay interface for location rather than using your phone to do so while driving. Besides this, you can also use voice commands to make the process easier. This leads to fewer distractions for you while driving.
Support for a Wide Variety of Apps
Additional support for third-party apps and Apple-exclusive apps is one of the many reasons Apple CarPlay is popular. Besides necessary features, this is a really nice feature of CarPlay.
Conclusion
Apple CarPlay is a really smart and useful addition to your car, and you sure won’t regret using it. Hope all of your doubts and questions have been solved about Apple CarPlay price: Is CarPlay Free to Use?
Spending for an aftermarket stereo would be worthwhile if you really need navigation and audio streaming features.
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