Video of Unfinished iOS in the Car Feature Leaks

Apple last June announced its upcoming “iOS in the Car” initiative as part of iOS 7. Along with its rival Google, Apple hopes to offer a unified and feature-rich in-car experience for iOS users, an experience that will supplant the wildly diverse range of in-car information and entertainment systems in place today.

While still in development, an early look at what iOS in the Car may offer users was revealed Tuesday by developer Steven Troughton-Smith. Mr. Troughton-Smith uncovered in-car functionality hidden in the current public version of iOS 7, version 7.0.4, and shared a brief demo via Xcode’s iOS Simulator.

In its current form, vehicles compatible with iOS in the Car will allow a user’s iOS device to take over the main navigation and information display, providing access to navigation, messaging, entertainment, and phone functions. Unlike Google’s Android in the Car plans, which aims to see Android installed directly on future vehicles’ “infotainment” hardware, with iOS in the Car, all processing is done on the iOS device itself, enabling a consistent user experience from car to car.

As seen in the demo video, users can search for navigation destinations, make selections, and change apps from either the vehicle’s touch screen or the iOS device display. A limitation in its current form, however, is that it doesn’t support multitasking, meaning that the vehicle display will only show what’s on the iOS device, precluding another passenger in the car from using the device while it is synced to the in-dash system. That limitation is subject to change before release, of course.

iOS in the Car will require support from both a compatible iOS device and a compatible vehicle, so don’t expect the chance to enjoy this feature unless you’re also planning on a new car purchase. To date, nearly 20 auto manufacturers have signed on to support the feature, but it will take several years before it is common on new models. Those hoping to get into the game as soon as possible can find it only on select models of the 2014 Honda Accord, Acura RDX and ILX, although even these models won’t have the full iOS in the Car feature set until later in 2014.