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CNET

I've Tried CarPlay Ultra. It Doesn't Just Feel Modern, It Feels Inevitable

There's something oddly humbling about stepping out of a $200,000 SUV and realizing the most memorable part of the drive wasn't the 697-horsepower engine or the bespoke leather interior -- but the software. That was me, spending some time with Apple's CarPlay Ultra inside the Aston Martin DBX. It's a car CNET reviewer Steven Ewing gave 7.8/10 in his 2021 review. This isn't just a coat of branding slapped over Apple's user interface. The integration is deeper than that. It's an Apple-led coup d'état of the entire cockpit, and frankly, it's glorious. Apple's interface takes the wheel Aston Martin Slide into the DBX and press the ignition, and you're greeted with an unmistakably Apple 'Hello' screen -- after you first set it up, that is. It's the same playful typography from the best iPhones and the best Macs, only now it's stretching across more than 20 inches of dashboard real estate. It's surreal and makes you feel right at home. There's a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 10.25-inch center screen, both of which are fully engulfed by Apple's interface. But here's where it gets interesting: Apple's tech hasn't erased Aston Martin's identity. By default, the instrument cluster features a central digital dial wrapped in Aston Martin Green, complete with a detailed top-down rendering of the DBX. You can see your specific vehicle's doors open and close in real time, indicators flashing, tyre pressures live-updated, and even the drive mode changing with animations. And you can customize it as much as you want (more on this later). Aston Martin Not everything has been absorbed into Apple's empire. Certain features -- like ambient lighting or advanced vehicle settings -- still live in Aston's domain. But when you try to access one, CarPlay Ultra doesn't just give you a dead end. It transitions you straight to the correct Aston Martin menu. The font changes ever so slightly, the UI loses a bit of Apple's rounded edges, and then boom -- you're right back in CarPlay once the adjustment is done. That's one of the best parts, as you don't need to reopen CarPlay, the back button just takes you right there. This 'punch through' method is elegant and functional. It's the first time I've seen a car's native OS and a third-party system cooperate without butting heads. Let's be honest: Radio usually gets ignored in these flashy interfaces. But not here. Apple has made sure even the DBX's FM, digital radio and satellite radio are baked into CarPlay Ultra with a dedicated app. You can scroll through stations, favorite them, then even get album art and metadata -- all with the same polish as Apple Music. Plenty of customization to get your hands on At first glance, the system feels familiar -- especially if you've used an iPhone, iPad or even an Apple Watch. You've got rounded icons, snappy animations and an overall interface that's clean and minimal. But poke around and you'll find options to personalize it. There's a selection of background themes -- ranging from dark minimalist to a more stylized Aston-esque palette -- plus different layouts for the driver's display. Aston Martin You can go full map across the driver's display, or split it into thirds: Speed and range on the left, media in the center and trip data or calendar events on the right. Want to swap the center for Apple Music or Podcasts? Easy. Widgets are drag-and-drop. Your dashboard becomes less of a status panel and more of a curated information hub. Widgets that actually matter Unlike the gimmicky widgets on some older systems, CarPlay Ultras are genuinely useful. While in the car, I had Apple Maps front and center, flanked by a widget showing live tyre pressure (green if all's well, amber if not), and another showing my next calendar appointment. The music widget displays not just the track but album art and a neat waveform animation. Everything updates in real time and feels… well, alive. Aston Martin And then there's the climate widget. Pinned in the top left and right corners of the center screen, these let you adjust temperature and fan speed with one tap. No diving into submenus. No hunting. You touch, and it just works. How you interact with CarPlay Ultra The touchscreen is fluid, but you don't have to use it. Steering wheel capacitive pads let you swipe through the display like you're controlling a tiny iPad with your thumbs. Flick left to view performance dials (torque, boost, G-forces), swipe right for Apple Maps, swipe down to get to media. Aston Martin It all happens in real-time, with no lag -- exactly how a modern in-car system should behave. It's responsive, natural and actually safer than jabbing at the center screen while driving. What happens if your iPhone goes flat? So what happens if your iPhone dies, or you forget it at home? Surprisingly little. Critical information like speed, fuel and range is mirrored locally by the car. That stays on the screen no matter what. You'll lose access to Apple-specific features -- navigation, media and apps -- but you're not stranded with a blank dashboard. Reconnect your phone, and everything -- layout, widgets, preferences -- returns instantly, like your car never missed a beat. Just like it should. CarPlay Ultra is more than just looks CarPlay Ultra isn't just a pretty face. It redefines usability. You can adjust suspension settings, toggle traction modes and fine-tune your drive profile from within the Apple ecosystem. A dedicated vehicle app sits right next to your messages and Spotify -- because why shouldn't adaptive dampers be a tap away from your group chat? Aston Martin The biggest shift is psychological. CarPlay Ultra doesn't feel like an app running on your car's system -- it is the system. The Aston bits are now support acts in an Apple-led show. And honestly, it works. Because Apple gets UX. Because Apple sweats the details. Because no one needs to press six buttons just to defog the windshield. Aston Martin may be an unlikely launch partner for something so tech-heavy, but that's what makes this debut all the more exciting. CarPlay Ultra doesn't just make the DBX feel modern -- it makes it feel inevitable. Like this is how in-car software was always supposed to be. Availability CarPlay Ultra is available now in the US in the 2025 Aston Martin DBX and DB12. Customers can expect rollout from August 2025. If you already own a compatible model, a dealer-installed software update will unlock the full system. An iPhone 12 or newer running iOS 18.5 or later is required.