Welcome back! 🍎
Here’s the latest with Apple.

• There’s a CarPlay Ultra roadblock

• Apple buying its way to AI greatness

• & more!

📊 Poll

Last week, we asked: Did you install iOS 26 Beta 1 yet?

Here were my favorite replies:

This week: Do you use AI apps (ChatGPT, Anthropic, Perplexity, etc) on your iPhone? Why or why not? More on this later.

🗞️ The Latest

🚗 CarPlay Ultra Roadblock

Last month, Apple officially rolled out CarPlay Ultra, its next generation of CarPlay. But it has already hit a new roadblock that could spell trouble. Here’s the latest.

• Apple is facing resistance from automakers over CarPlay Ultra, its next-gen dashboard system that aims to take over the entire vehicle interface.

• Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault have now said they no longer plan to support CarPlay Ultra, despite Apple previously naming them as future partners.

• This is a major shift from Apple’s 2022 announcement, which listed 14 partner brands including those now backing away.

• Some carmakers feel Apple is overstepping, with Renault reportedly telling Apple: “Don’t try to invade our own systems.”

• Automakers are concerned about losing control over their own in-car software and potential revenue streams. CarPlay Ultra controls the full dashboard, showing things like speed, fuel, and climate alongside iPhone apps.

• Aston Martin was the first to launch vehicles with CarPlay Ultra support but more are on the way. Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Porsche remain committed.

• Audi, BMW, and others are opting to stick with standard CarPlay, though.

My take: This sentence tells you everything you need to know: "Automakers are concerned about losing control over their own in-car software and potential revenue streams.”

So since the automakers might miss out on revenue, they’re going to offer an inherently worse interface with far less functionality. Not to mention, CarPlay Ultra is optional, not forced. When a user enters the car, they are greeted with the default infotainment until they decide to plug in their phone or connect wirelessly to enable CarPlay.

This is disappointing since surveys continue to show that drivers are more satisfied with CarPlay than the default infotainment system. So clearly the majority of users would love to at least have the option to enable CarPlay Ultra in their vehicle.

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💻 Will Apple Buy its Way to AI Success?

Apple executives are holding internal discussions about purchasing AI startup Perplexity. Here’s what that could mean.

• Buying Perplexity could help Apple build its own AI-powered search engine, which is a hedge against possibly losing its $20B/year Google search deal due to antitrust scrutiny.

• Perplexity is valued at $14B, meaning a deal would be Apple’s largest-ever acquisition if it proceeds.

• Meta tried and failed to buy Perplexity earlier this year and instead bought 49% of Scale AI. Apple and Meta are both aggressively recruiting top AI talent.

• Apple is also considering partnering with Perplexity, potentially integrating it into Safari and Siri as an alternative to Google.

• A deal may be complicated by Samsung’s upcoming partnership with Perplexity, as Samsung is a direct Apple competitor in AI features.

• Internally, Apple is working on “Project Knowledge,” led by ex-Siri chief Robby Walker, to rival ChatGPT with open web-based answers.

• The talks are early-stage and led by Adrian Perica and Eddy Cue, though no formal bid has been made yet.

My take: Perplexity is basically what Google should be: fast, smart, and actually gives you answers with citations. If Apple wants to level up Siri and get more serious about AI search, this would be a solid move.

And it wouldn’t just be a solid move because of the tech, but also because of the talent that would come along with the acquisition.

Would I rather Apple purchase Anthropic? Of course, but that’s likely far out of budget for them. And it’s clear that Apple intends to purchase its way into AI greatness.

📰 Quick Bites

• Apple Considers Theatrical Arm Amid $250M Bet on 'F1: The Movie'

• Foldable iPhone Leak Reveals New Camera Details

• Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

• M5 iPad Pro OLED Displays Enter Mass Production for October Launch

• iPhone 17 Pro's Alleged Vapor Chamber Cooling System Partly Revealed

• Apple sued by shareholders who allege it overstated AI progress

• Samsung's Headset to Offer Better Displays Than Apple Vision Pro

• Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Won't Be Wearable, Court Filings Reveal

• Introducing Oakley Meta Glasses

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