BMW says one of the biggest claims about Apple CarPlay is a 'myth'
Published on Sep 15, 2025 at 2:38 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
BMW says its data shows that one of the biggest claims about Apple CarPlay is actually a ‘myth’.
Whether a vehicle is compatible with Apple CarPlay can be a dealbreaker for some folks.
However, BMW’s Senior Vice President of UI/UX Development Stephan Durach has recently spoken about what he calls the ‘CarPlay myth’.
He claims that, contrary to some reports, drivers don’t rely on CarPlay all that much.
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A BMW exec spoke out about the Apple ‘CarPlay Myth’
Back in May, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, initially introduced exclusively in Aston Martin vehicles, with more marques slated to follow suit in the following months.
“With CarPlay Ultra, together with automakers, we are reimagining the in-car experience… making it even more unified and consistent,” Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers said at the time.
However, fast-forward a few months, and the uptake of Apple CarPlay Ultra has been slow, with many carmakers refusing to introduce the new technology.
Among the brands to turn down Apple CarPlay Ultra is BMW.
“BMW currently has no plans to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra,” a spokesperson told BMW Blog back in July.
Now, BMW’s Senior Vice President of UI/UX Development has said the carmaker’s data shows that people don’t rely on CarPlay for navigation as much as you might think.
“In the past, there was always talking about a myth,” he told BMW Blog.
“People say they’re driving all around and using CarPlay for navigation. I can tell you, that’s not true.”
BMW collects data from around 10 million cars, so it seems the marque has the numbers to back up what Durach said.
“We can see what our customers are doing, what kind of controls they’re using, in what of kind of driving conditions they’re using them,” he added.
Durach says that most BMW drivers are using the company’s built-in navigation system instead of relying on CarPlay to get around.
However, Durach added that many drivers do still use CarPlay to connect their iPhones so they can check messages and use other features.
Which carmakers support Apple CarPlay Ultra?
While BMW has made it clear it won’t be introducing CarPlay Ultra to its vehicles, several marques have signed up to get the tech in their vehicles.
Alongside Aston Martin, Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have all confirmed they would be adopting CarPlay Ultra.
Ford has also recently announced it will be joining up in the future.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
