When Apple unveiled its car-entertainment system several weeks ago, we were provided with a glimpse into the company’s future. It wasn’t dazzling. I argued that CarPlay is the right product for Apple, and potentially a big deal, but it also falls short of what some Apple enthusiasts had hoped for.
Like the rumored Apple television and the iWatch we’ve been hearing about since 2011, the product formerly known as “iOS In the Car” was seen as an opportunity for Apple to innovate and disrupt. It was Apple’s chance to blow everyone’s mind and repeat the world-eating success of the iPhone.
Instead, CarPlay turned out to be a conservative offering that plays well to Apple’s strengths, while taking no unnecessary risks. It reinforces, rather than one-ups the iPhone. Media and the market both reacted to the announcement with a shrug. Apple’s share price spent March 3 meandering, and the New York Times labeled CarPlay “almost a step in the right direction.”
