Polestar 2 Software Update Brings Wave of New Apple CarPlay Features

Swedish automaker Polestar today announced that it is releasing a software update to all existing Polestar 2 vehicles to add new Apple CarPlay features, including full-screen Apple Maps in the driver display.

polestar 2 carplay
Polestar and its parent brand Volvo, which announced this update a couple of weeks ago, appear to be the second automaker to support display of ‌Apple Maps‌ and navigation information projected from ‌CarPlay‌ in the driver display. BMW was the first automaker to include the extended CarPlay feature in its Polestar 2 rival, the BMW i4, in 2021.

Some vehicles with Apple ‌CarPlay‌ already feature limited turn-by-turn directional information fed from ‌Apple Maps‌ on the driver display, but full integration of ‌Apple Maps‌ into the instrument cluster is still very uncommon.

The P2.9 over-the-air update also brings additional phone and media information from Apple ‌CarPlay‌ to to the Polestar 2's home screen tile, support for managing phone calls in Apple ‌CarPlay‌ using the steering wheel buttons, and projection of calls in the driver display.

In addition, the update includes improvements to Polestar's Range Assistant app and the introduction of an integrated YouTube app. The new ‌CarPlay‌ experience and the YouTube app will be installed by default on all newly produced cars.

Apple ‌CarPlay‌ in the Polestar 2 remains wired only, with no support for wireless ‌CarPlay‌. The Polestar 2 also does not support Apple's EV routing and state of charge integration features, as offered on the Ford Mustang Mach E and Porsche Taycan.

Update: Updated to note that Volvo also announced these features with the same software version.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Popular Stories

Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
iPhone Satellite Feature

Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone

Sunday November 9, 2025 6:07 am PST by
Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include: Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...

Top Rated Comments

NotAdvisable Avatar
32 months ago
I'm going to say it...

... I wish Tesla did this.

I've loved using Tesla's built-in navigation system - I truly think it's industry leading - but Apple's CarPlay truly ties in everything from an iPhone into a car. Have also had some slight issues with Spotify on Tesla, and it would be great to at least have more than one option available.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
32 months ago
This is such great news for the half-dozen or so people who have one. :cool:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApplePhy Avatar
32 months ago
I've had my long range dual motor Polestar 2 for 1.5 years now, and I absolutely love it.

Minimalist, Scandinavian design inside and out.
Driving dynamics are so fun, the thing handles so well.

Didn't have to deal with dealerships, as you purchase your car on the website (no dealer markups, no BS), direct to consumer.

It's also a hatch, so love the functionality of it as well. Ground clearance is pretty good at 5.9inches (actually more than a Mach E).

And for those that love OPD (one pedal drive), it has the strongest one in the business, and brake calibration/integration is also the best in the business.

I was so waiting for CarPlay to arrive a few OTA updates ago, but honestly i rarely use it. the car's integration with AAOS is so good that i prefer the system's native OS. 'Hey Google' works so much better than SIRI, and is so well integrated into the car's system. Not to mention google maps gives an excellent range estimate on destinations, and % left on return.

I might give it a go after OTA 2.9, now that the maps display is in the driver information display behind the steering wheel, but really happy with AAOS.



Attachment Image

Attachment Image

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
32 months ago
Man, my next car might be a Polestar instead of a Tesla at this rate.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6787872 Avatar
32 months ago
better than junky, buggy tesla software.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nathan_reilly Avatar
32 months ago

Volvo announced this before Polestar, making Volvo the second maker to include this and Polestar the third.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/volvo-releases-software-version-29-with-huge-carplay-news-215094.html
this is all well and good, and Polestar may argue the point, but Volvo = Polestar. Its just rebranding!

Edit: just for more fun facts, in 2009 there was a "Volvo C30 Polestar Concept"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)