Photo: Instapaper
The CarPlay app ecosystem is growing fast, once again proving that carmakers, General Motors included, leave behind a very successful platform.
Instapaper, an application that allows Apple users to save articles and read them later, is making its way to CarPlay thanks to a major update. While for some people reading articles behind the wheel sounds like a big no-no, Instapaper comes to CarPlay with a very clever approach.
The application will use text-to-speed to read the saved articles for you.
App version 8.3 allows users to access their accounts from the CarPlay UI. The integration allows users to view saved articles in Home, Likes, Archived, and Folders. They can listen to any of the saved articles with a simple tap on one of the items.
The playback interface looks very similar to the one you've seen in the likes of Spotify. You can play and pause the article reading, adjust the speed, like, and archive the article. Additionally, if you play an article from a playlist, you can skip to the next one in the queue.
Instapaper comes to CarPlay with additional capabilities for Premium subscribers as well. For example, paying subscribers can listen to all their articles one after the other, whereas free users can only listen to one story at a time. Premium subscribers are also getting options to create custom playlists directly in the CarPlay app.
Needless to say, the text-to-speech integration can be configured from the iPhone, as the CarPlay interface does not support such options. You can choose from multiple voices from the app's settings menu on the smartphone, and once you choose one, it's also automatically enabled on CarPlay.
Instapaper’s debut in the car follows the CarPlay launch of other popular apps, including Domino’s. Thanks to this release, users can order a pizza right from the CarPlay interface while in the car.
All these app launches show that the CarPlay's popularity is going through the roof these days. Despite the obvious trend, some carmakers, including Tesla and Rivian, still ignore CarPlay, with no plans to bring mobile phone projection to their models whatsoever.
Furthermore, General Motors has recently announced that starting in 2024, its EVs would no longer come with CarPlay. The company is switching to Android Automotive, and while CarPlay could still be offered alongside Google's operating system, General Motors wants to go all-in on the new platform. The carmaker's announcement was received with much criticism by potential customers, especially as General Motors is trying to pave the way for a subscription-based model in its vehicles.
The company says Android Automotive would be offered free of charge in the first eight years after the vehicle purchase. Vehicles with internal combustion engines would still offer Android Auto and CarPlay, but General Motors plans to switch to zero-emission motors entirely by 2035.
The application will use text-to-speed to read the saved articles for you.
App version 8.3 allows users to access their accounts from the CarPlay UI. The integration allows users to view saved articles in Home, Likes, Archived, and Folders. They can listen to any of the saved articles with a simple tap on one of the items.
The playback interface looks very similar to the one you've seen in the likes of Spotify. You can play and pause the article reading, adjust the speed, like, and archive the article. Additionally, if you play an article from a playlist, you can skip to the next one in the queue.
Instapaper comes to CarPlay with additional capabilities for Premium subscribers as well. For example, paying subscribers can listen to all their articles one after the other, whereas free users can only listen to one story at a time. Premium subscribers are also getting options to create custom playlists directly in the CarPlay app.
Needless to say, the text-to-speech integration can be configured from the iPhone, as the CarPlay interface does not support such options. You can choose from multiple voices from the app's settings menu on the smartphone, and once you choose one, it's also automatically enabled on CarPlay.
Instapaper’s debut in the car follows the CarPlay launch of other popular apps, including Domino’s. Thanks to this release, users can order a pizza right from the CarPlay interface while in the car.
All these app launches show that the CarPlay's popularity is going through the roof these days. Despite the obvious trend, some carmakers, including Tesla and Rivian, still ignore CarPlay, with no plans to bring mobile phone projection to their models whatsoever.
Furthermore, General Motors has recently announced that starting in 2024, its EVs would no longer come with CarPlay. The company is switching to Android Automotive, and while CarPlay could still be offered alongside Google's operating system, General Motors wants to go all-in on the new platform. The carmaker's announcement was received with much criticism by potential customers, especially as General Motors is trying to pave the way for a subscription-based model in its vehicles.
The company says Android Automotive would be offered free of charge in the first eight years after the vehicle purchase. Vehicles with internal combustion engines would still offer Android Auto and CarPlay, but General Motors plans to switch to zero-emission motors entirely by 2035.
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