DCAWD.com

Apple's "iOS in the Car" feature hasn't been mentioned much since it was demoed onstage at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last year, but it looks like the feature is nearly ready for public consumption. Now dubbed CarPlay, Apple's in-car integration will be shown off in cars from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo at the Geneva International Motor Show this week, and cars compatible with the feature should begin shipping this year.

The revamped CarPlay interface shown off in Apple's official screenshots looks similar to the images leaked by an iOS developer back in January. Though it looks different from the WWDC demo, the feature still works the same way: once you've connected your iPhone to a CarPlay-capable vehicle, iOS takes over the car's display, enabling the use of features like Maps and Siri. You'll be able to check voicemails, make calls, and dictate responses to e-mails or text. "Selected third-party audio apps" will also be able to use the dashboard display, including Spotify and iHeartRadio. We don't yet know whether third-party developers are using a CarPlay-specific API or working directly with Apple to support the feature.

Previous reports had suggested that CarPlay would communicate with displays wirelessly using some version of Apple's AirPlay protocol, but according to today's release, the feature will only work with Lightning-equipped iPhones. The iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S will all work, but iPhones with the 30-pin connector, iPads, and iPod touches are apparently incompatible. Apple's full list of CarPlay partners includes BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota.