The Mac-watchers supreme are predicting a road-going Apple car that’s packed with features – but not the ones you might be expecting.
Though it might get beaten to market by a car from its supplier, Foxconn, Apple has been steadily forging ahead with its “iCar” for years, and a new report predicts a debut in 2026, along with a bespoke, Apple “M” silicon chip, and a price tag south of $100,000.
Bloomberg is reporting that the latest on “Project Titan,” Apple’s code name for its car project, involves a heavy reliance on the brand’s “CarPlay” vehicle operating system, as well as a scaling back of the effort that will skip “fully” autonomous driving at the car’s launch in a bid to prioritize getting the vehicle to market on schedule.
Apple CarPlay Vehicle OS
Earlier reports had suggested Apple may have been going for something different – like Waymo’s Geely-built, fully autonomous design, which made its debut back in January without a steering wheel or pedals.
“In a significant shift for the project, the company is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.”
However, reports indicate that Apple may yet attempt to offer some entertainment features when possible. “Apple currently plans to develop a vehicle that lets drivers conduct other tasks — say, watch a movie or play a game — on a freeway and be alerted with ample time to switch over to manual control if they reach city streets or encounter inclement weather. The company has discussed launching the feature in North America initially and then improving and expanding it over time.”
A source that’s reportedly close to the project says the launch has been re-set 2026, and the aim is to price the vehicle under $100,000.
SOURCES: 9TO5MAC, BLOOMBERG; FEATURED IMAGE VIA YANKO DESIGN.
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