Lexus today announced that CarPlay will be a standard feature in the all-new 2019 UX crossover in the United States, marking its first confirmed vehicle with support for Apple's in-car software platform.
CarPlay and Amazon Alexa, but not Android Auto, will be available through the vehicle's Enform 2.0 system. Lexus said the CarPlay implementation will be wired, so the iPhone must be connected via USB cable, but it hasn't specified how large the touchscreen will be or provided other details about the system.
Lexus and its parent company Toyota are among the last of the major automakers to support CarPlay, after having initially chosen the open source platform SmartDeviceLink in partnership with Ford and Livio.
Toyota reversed course in January, starting with the 2019 Avalon, and CarPlay will be a standard feature in the 2019 Corolla Hatchback as well. The forthcoming 2019 Camry and 2019 Sienna will also likely feature CarPlay given the 2018 models of those vehicles are already equipped with Toyota's Entune 3.0 system.
Toyota and Lexus plan to expand CarPlay availability to several other 2019 model year vehicles. A spokesperson for Toyota told MacRumors that it doesn't have plans to support the platform in pre-2019 vehicles at this time.
Lexus is debuting the 2019 UX at the New York International Auto Show later this week. The vehicle is expected to go on sale at dealerships across the United States in December. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app.
Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action.
Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website.
Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50.
We have outlined some examples below:
Device
New Value
Old Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Up to $630
U ...
Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features.
Notification Summary Changes
Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines.
For...
Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr.
The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models:
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhon...
Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory.
A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June.
The original AirTag was announced...
Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by Juli Clover
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon.
Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
I love what Toyota has done with the hybrid drivetrain technology and engineering in other areas, but good god their latest cars are fugly beyond belief.
I love what Toyota has done with the hybrid drivetrain technology and engineering in other areas, but good god their latest cars are fugly beyond belief.
Yup; these toyotas really got hit with an ugly stick.
I love what Toyota has done with the hybrid drivetrain technology and engineering in other areas, but good god their latest cars are fugly beyond belief.
Yup; these toyotas really got hit with an ugly stick.
Absolutely the ugliest car I've ever seen.
Yup, I agree with all of you, Lexus was actually really nice before, that grille, can't believe they actually released such a fugly car.
The upcoming Supra, on the other hand, looks stunning.
Indeed, it does. I want one.
Seems like I have a different taste. I'll take an European 'supercar' design any day over this.
Interesting that is excludes Android Auto, but includes Alexa and Car Play. Also, I do not like the ‘plastic look’ around the wheel wells either in the above model. Cheapens the appeal to Lexus.
