Lexus has announced that its first vehicle with CarPlay will be available in September 2018 at dealerships across the United States.
2019 Lexus ES
That vehicle will be the new 2019 Lexus ES, equipped with an eight-inch display controllable via a knob in the center console. The sedan also features Siri Eyes Free and Amazon Alexa voice control, but lacks Android Auto support. An optional navigation system with a 12.3-inch widescreen display will be available.
CarPlay will also be a standard feature in the all-new 2019 Lexus UX crossover, but that vehicle doesn't go on sale until December 2018.
Lexus has previously said its CarPlay implementation is wired, so an iPhone must be connected via USB. BMW remains the only automaker to offer wireless CarPlay in new vehicles, despite the functionality being introduced in 2015. Alpine Electronics sells an aftermarket wireless CarPlay system for other vehicles.
Lexus and its parent company Toyota first announced plans to offer CarPlay in January, after years of holding out on the platform. Toyota's rollout will begin with the 2019 Avalon, available in May at dealerships in the United States, to be followed by the 2019 RAV4 and 2019 Corolla Hatchback later this year.
Toyota and Lexus plan to expand CarPlay to several other 2019 model year vehicles with Entune 3.0 and Enform 2.0 systems respectively. The rollout will likely include the yet-to-be-announced 2019 Camry and 2019 Sienna, given the 2018 models of those vehicles are already equipped with Entune 3.0 systems.
A spokesperson for Toyota and Lexus previously told MacRumors that they do not currently plan to offer CarPlay in pre-2019 vehicles.
Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging."
Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface.
The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas.
Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial
The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...
Damn... now I am required to identify as a grandma when driving my ES 300h. Does that mean I also can identify as a senior citizen while driving it?
/s
Yes, in fact you do. You do have to identify as a grandma. An ancillary benefit of your new classification is a 10% discount at any buffet on Sundays... as long as it's before 4 p.m.:)
What the heck is happening to wireless CarPlay? I hardly ever plug in my phone in the car, even though it doesnt have CarPlay, I don't think I would plug it in especially on shorter drives.
Wireless CarPlay has been announced with iOS 9, I believe. Yet all these cars that come out are still wired.
It's 10:09 on the analog clock, but 9:09 on the digital CarPlay display?
Didn't know that Lexus had copied Infiniti and started adding analog clocks to their cars?
Why can't car system clocks simply auto-update to phone time when connected? I really hate having to pull out the owners manual twice a year in the spring and fall to figure out how to change my car clock.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
