As I reported yesterday, SEAT has released the first OEM CarPlay app on Apple CarPlay. So here is a short overview of what the first OEM app does, or I assume will do, as I can’t test it myself.
The app, titled SEAT DriveApp, is currently only available from the Spanish iOS App Store, and is likely going through a soft launch testing phase with its Spanish users.
The features listed in their app description are:
• Car Status: Check car status.
• Dealers: Discover the nearest SEAT dealer to you.
• Offers: Consult the best offers for your car.
On closer inspection of the app screenshots (above), we are able to see that the mileage and speed displayed on the app’s home screen, when launched. Over in the Vehicle Status are you have status displays for wipers, battery, engine, steering wheel, windscreen, lights, wheels and fuel tank.
In an interesting turn of events, the Offers section of the app lists large copy of text on the screen, which is something I would have thought Apple’s review team would frown upon, for driver’s safety. The offers page appears to act like a ‘hub’ for SEAT to advertise special offers and deals for its services.
This approach is no different to say, a news app for example. So we may see the barrier of app restrictions lower on CarPlay soon. Probably unlikely, but there is always hope. Either way, this new app from SEAT certainly paves the way for more OEM CarPlay apps, from other manufactures, to appear on the App Store, and that is great news!
If you have a CarPlay compatible SEAT and a willing to give this a go, you can create a free Spanish iTunes account by following a few guides online. The app is free, so you will not require to enter any Spanish-addressed credit card details when setting up your account.
