Hyundai reveals its new take on Android Automotive – as Apple CarPlay update update delivers 3 useful new features

• Big CarPlay updates adds a number of handy features
• Hyundai showcases its next-gen infotainment system
• Tesla probably won’t be very happy

It has been a bumper week for automotive infotainment updates, with Hyundai launching its Pleos software brand, proprietary vehicle OS and open app development program, while Apple rolled out iOS 18.4 that brought with it a number of updates to CarPlay.

Interestingly, the Hyundai Motor Group has been working alongside Google to realize its next-generation operating system, leveraging the power of Android Automotive OS to create a more “smartphone-like” experience for users.

Due to roll out in the second half of next year, Pleos Connect features Hyundai’s upcoming Gleo AI voice assistant, as well as ‘split-view’ multi-window approach.

It looks eerily like Tesla’s interface – even down to the icon of the vehicle and the ability to open doors and the trunk. Don't tell Elon.

Pleos Connect is part of a wider drive by Hyundai to move into the true Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) space, which sees the entire electrical and sensor architecture redesigned and refined so all parts of the vehicle can be updated over the air.

Chang Song, the man in charge of all things SDV at the Hyundai Motor Group, says the Pleos platform supports "all devices in motion" to move autonomously and be managed smartly. It will connect transport and infrastructure, assisting in the next generation of autonomous vehicles, both passenger cars and logistics vehicles.

Another part of Song’s master plan is to develop what he refers to as “killer apps”, which is a reference to unique software that benefits the end user to such a degree, it has customers flocking to Hyundai product in order to make the most of it.

Pleos Playground will allow the world’s hottest third-party mobile app developers to freely access automotive software endpoints, providing software development kits, analytics and support tools to create apps that can be distributed through Hyundai’s App Market.

Apple expands CarPlay offering... literally

As previously reported, Apple recently introduced a third row of apps to select CarPlay users with larger infotainment screens, but this feature has now been rolled out beyond its Beta stage.

This crams more app icons onto the display, which should reduce the amount of swiping that’s required – particularly for those that like to horde all of the apps.

On top of this, the recent iOS 18.4 update also introduces an API that allows select sports application developers to deliver live scores and match updates to a designated portion of the screen, although we are yet to see how it looks in the wild.

Naturally, this won’t include video replay highlights, but it’s a neat way of keeping on top of results as they come in.

Finally, Apple CarPlay users in Europe can finally change their default navigation app away from Apple Maps, meaning that simple Siri commands will automatically open in Google Maps, Waze or whatever you select as a favorite in the settings menu.

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