Volkswagen wanted to present at CES 2016 a system that allows connecting iDevices via Wi-Fi to Carplay, but those from Apple forbade them to do so, the head of the electrical equipment development division within Volkswagen confirming the information for an American publication.
At the moment, the CarPlay system requires an iPhone to be connected via USB to the car in order to have access to the interface created by the Apple company, the possibility of using a Wi-Fi connection existing, only that Apple prevents its presentation.
A clear explanation for this ban was not given by Apple, nor by Volkswagen, and since they could not demonstrate wireless CarPlay at CES 2016, the Germans presented something better, a system based on MirrorLink that allows streaming audio directly to the car without restrictions.
Considering that Apple is obsessed with controlling everything about the presentation of a new feature for its products, there is a possibility that everything was done with the idea that the new feature would be demonstrated at an Apple conference before the launch, or maybe it it is not yet 100% complete.
"We wanted to demonstrate wireless CarPlay and the owner of CarPlay technology didn't allow us to," Volkmar Tannerberger, head of electrical and electronic development at Volkswagen, told Car and Driver.
The CarPlay system exists in some cars launched on the market starting from 2015, but for old cars there is no possibility to run the technology from Cupertino.
