Engadget
Both of them bring iPhone apps to your car, but CarPlay Ultra takes it a step further.
Apple's CarPlay brings the iOS experience you're familiar with, along with your apps and media, to your car's dashboard.
What you might not know is that there are two versions of CarPlay: the standard one you're likely familiar with, and CarPlay Ultra.
The well-known core version of CarPlay was introduced in 2014 with iOS 7.1. CarPlay makes it much easier to access the apps on your device without distractions.
With just a few taps or Siri requests, you can stream your Apple Music playlists or start a route in Maps.
Because it isn't integrated with your car's system, you might have to exit CarPlay to change some of the car's native features that also use the screen.
Back in 2022, Apple teased an expansion for CarPlay: instead of being limited to a single screen, CarPlay would now be across all the screens in your car.
Vehicle controls such as the air conditioning and radio are also integrated with CarPlay Ultra, so you never have to leave the interface.
While CarPlay is available in more than 800 vehicle models, CarPlay Ultra is a different story. Porsche also teased support for CarPlay Ultra, but that day never came.
Apple has mentioned that CarPlay Ultra will eventually be available in more cars.