What’s new: Apple Inc. is hiring automotive software engineers in China in a sign that the company may be preparing to bring its new generation of CarPlay in-car operating system to China.
The maker of iPhone and iPad is recruiting in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, according to a job posting on its website and recruitment platforms. The role will join Apple’s car experience team to provide integration support to automotive partners and assist developers in completing system certification with Apple.
The job is a hybrid role between technical engineering and program managing, handling certification records for Apple's various car experience projects including CarPlay, according to the job description.
Why it matters: Apple recently released a new version of CarPlay at its 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month.
Apple said it is partnering with 14 automakers including Ford, Nissan, Honda and Mercedes-Benz to roll out vehicles equipped with the new CarPlay system by 2023. No Chinese automaker was on the list of partners.
Apple’s existing CarPlay partners in China include General Motors and SAIC Motor-backed Baojun, Great Wall Motors’ Harval and Chery.
A smart car industry analyst said the new version of CarPlay is likely to land in China with models produced by joint venture manufactures.
By the end of 2021, Apple set up partnerships with 70 carmakers globally to introduce CarPlay in 720 models, according to Hairong Securities.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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