They should put CarPlay in Airplanes

CarPlay
CarPlay (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • A post on Reddit about CarPlay in airplanes has caught our attention.
  • Reddit user bigced97 suggested that you should be able to pair your own iPhone with in-flight entertainment screens.
  • Just like in a car, you'd get access to all your Apple entertainment content and even Apple Maps!

A Reddit users suggestion that CarPlay should be available in airplanes has got us really excited.

User bidced97 said in a post:

Imagine if you could have the option to pair your smartphone with the in flight screen so that you can access your own content at a nice big eye level screen. The built in entertainment system doesn't always have the best options or user experience so what if Apple partnered with select airlines to bring a version of car play, the maps can show you time to destination, altitude, speed, bearing to the nearest VOR, little in flight statistics that people like to see. And then all the typical entertainment apps. What do you guys think of this idea? I for sure would enjoy not straining my neck to look down at my phone or tiring out my arms to hold it up. Thoughts?

Of course, this will almost certainly remain a pipe dream. Not every plane even has an in-flight entertainment system, in particular for airlines that fly mostly domestic routes. But just imagine, you sit down for a transatlantic flight or any other long haul jaunt. When you arrive at your seat, you simply connect your iPhone to the screen in the back of the seat in front and voila! You have access to all of your own Apple content, that's iTunes movies and TV shows as well as Apple Music and Podcasts. Also, note the cool suggestion about using Apple's own Maps app to track your flight, speed, altitude etc. It would obviously be a slightly different embodiment of CarPlay, which doesn't currently allow video playback, but still, is this not a fantastic idea?

Yes, you could just use your iPhone or iPad, but connecting to the in-flight entertainment system might mean you could save space on carrying an extra device for entertainment, and you'd save precious space by not having to use your tray table for a tablet!

The only downside is the name "AirPlay" has been used for something way less cool. Still, we can dream.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9