Amid rumors that Apple is working on a top-secret automotive project ranging from its own electric car to a CarPlay-related technology platform for vehicles, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG remains open to "different types" of cooperation with Apple, reports Reuters.
"Many things are conceivable," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in an interview with quarterly magazine Deutsche Unternehmerboerse published on Friday.
Silicon Valley is becoming increasingly important for automakers as vehicles become more deeply integrated with the latest technologies such as CarPlay and Android Auto, and companies such as Apple and Google could play an even bigger role as self-driving vehicles hit the streets over the next five-plus years.
"Google and Apple want to provide system software for cars and bring this entire ecosystem around Apple and Google into the vehicle," Zetsche said. "That can be interesting for both sides."
Last September, Apple hired former Mercedes-Benz R&D President and CEO Johann Jungwirth, who has over a decade of experience working on connected cars, autonomous driving, testing and regulatory affairs and more. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at Daimler between October 1997 and September 2014 and is now Director of Mac Systems Engineering at Apple.
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
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I only see this happening if Mercedes can manufacture a car so thin that an adaptor is required to hold passengers, which will also need to be redesigned.
I'll say it again, I don't see Apple putting technology in someone else's product. The last time they did that was Motorola ROKR and we all know how that turned out. Right now I see CarPlay as iTunes on the ROKR.
I owned the ROKR - two actually. But your point is important. Apple first install their software on someone else's hardware and in the process learned about phones. Later they built their own phone. The same could be true here.
CarPlay-related technology platform
This could be their first step into the car business. My sense is that apple isn't like google that likes to make big splashes with half baked ideas. They will get there slowly and methodically and end up with a significantly more polished product in the end. Apple has never been first (except for the original apple computer that was the first commercially successful personal computer), but they have consistently come in and done it better (except for some of their services, like Music, Maps, and iCloud).
Owning a Sprinter 2013, I deeply wish Apple stay clear of Mercedes... Mercedes are real unreliable POS. Check Rating on Consumer Reports and other rating source like :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32332210 REMEMBER JUST AN UNRELIABLE POS!
I can't speak of the Sprinters but my 2003 C240 is going strong at 153,000 miles with nothing but regular oil changes, brakes, and tires. My dad's ML320 had 450,000 on the clock before he got hit head on by a semi truck and survived. I say having it be made by Mercedes would make it very reliable and safe at that.
Unlike the 2002 BMW X5 we had that had nothing but electrical problems.
BMW provided platforms and engines to Wiesmann, Mercedes provides AMG engines to Pagani and will provide engines, platforms and electronics to Aston Martin (has 5% stake in it)
How about neither? Apple didn't go to Tag and say lets do a Watch together, they did their own. I don't know if BMW manufactures for others but if they do I could see Apple partnering in that way as I don't see Apple doing their own manufacturing.
None of the big automotive companies are single source manufacturers anymore. There is so much platform sharing it's hard to say what's from whom in cars today. BMW and Toyota are partnering on a platform that will become a small hybrid/EV sports coupe for both companies. Different sheet metal but the same architecture. There's no doubt if Apple produces a car it will be based off architecture from current manufacturers and contract assembled, that's if the car is intended for mass production. If the volumes are boutique like Ferrari or Lamborghini, the car could be manufactured anywhere.
Amid rumors that Apple is working on a top-secret automotive project ranging from its own electric car to a CarPlay-related technology platform for vehicles, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG remains open to "different types" of cooperation with Apple, reports Reuters.
