BMW rules out CarPlay Ultra but buttons could return

BMW has ruled out Apple’s next-generation CarPlay Ultra technology over privacy concerns, confirming it has rejected the expanded smartphone mirroring system that extends CarPlay from the central infotainment screen to multiple displays throughout the vehicle.

However, the luxury car-maker says its minimalist Neue Klasse cabin design, which does away with almost all physical buttons, will continue to evolve in response to customer feedback – potentially paving the way for the return of tactile controls if buyers demand them.

The developments were outlined to carsales by Claudia Maier, BMW manager of digital technology for its Neue Klasse models, at the international launch of the new 3 Series and i3 twins.

BMW was an early adopter of Apple's CarPlay smartphone mirroring system, introducing it to the 5 Series in 2016 with market-first wireless capability.

In 2022, Apple unveiled plans to significantly expand CarPlay through its new CarPlay Ultra platform, promising to bring its interface to climate controls, instrument displays and other vehicle functions through a unified system.

That differs from the traditional CarPlay experience, where the central infotainment screen typically displays iPhone-style menus while the instrument cluster continues to run the car-maker's own software.

After repeated delays, CarPlay Ultra launched with Aston Martin in May 2025. It has struggled to gain traction since, although Porsche, Kia, Hyundai and Genesis have pledged future support.

When CarPlay Ultra was announced in 2022, BMW remained non-committal.

The German brand's opposition became explicit in mid-2025 when BMW user experience chief Stephan Durach described Apple's system as “not so exciting” compared with the company's new BMW Operating System X.

Speaking with carsales, Maier has now provided a more detailed explanation for BMW's decision to reject CarPlay Ultra, highlighting the brand's desire to safeguard the data flowing through its vehicles.

“It's part of philosophy. We want to keep the data [in-house], because we want to have it very secure,” she said.

Maier would not be drawn on whether BMW had tested CarPlay Ultra in any of its models.

Apple maintains that CarPlay Ultra incorporates strong privacy protections, while launch partner Aston Martin has said implementing the system does not involve additional sharing of vehicle data with Apple.

BMW is not, however, withdrawing conventional Apple CarPlay or Android Auto from its vehicles. Both smartphone mirroring systems will remain available wirelessly through the main infotainment screen.

Maier said there had been no discussion about removing the standard version of CarPlay in future.

“We don't want to say like you have to stick to our system,” Maier said, explaining BMW's position on retaining customer choice.

Also up for discussion is the potential reintegration of some physical controls in the screen-heavy Neue Klasse cabin, as seen in the new iX3 and i3.

BMW believes it is on the right track with its combination of touchscreen and voice controls, but Maier acknowledged the company would consider restoring physical buttons if customers requested them.

That could include climate controls and steering wheel buttons.

“We have our ‘right information at the right time and right way’ [concept, and] we are very confident on that,” she said.

“But of course, I think you always have to take care of customer feedback. If there is a high demand on specific things, we always care about that.”

Maier also stressed that some physical controls remain in the Neue Klasse cabin, including indicator and wiper stalks, volume controls and demister shortcuts.

There is no confirmed plan for physical climate controls to return, with BMW confident buyers will become familiar with its Panoramic iDrive layout and make use of voice commands.

However, that position could change if customers make their preferences clear.

While BMW appears unlikely to embrace CarPlay Ultra, new Euro NCAP safety criteria introduced this year reward vehicles that retain readily accessible physical controls for critical driving functions.

BMW has nevertheless managed to score full marks for essential driving controls with the new iX3, indicating its minimalist cabin design is not currently facing a regulatory hurdle.

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