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Siri sometimes serves as my voice assistant once I’m driving and my iPhone is related through Apple CarPlay. And that is wonderful for interactive duties equivalent to enjoying music, getting driving instructions, setting a reminder, and calling or texting somebody. However Siri often stumbles with extra complicated or difficult questions, the kind that you simply’d normally ask an AI.
With Apple’s new CarPlay assist for third-party voice assistants, you are capable of speak immediately and hands-free with well-liked AI apps. To date, you possibly can chat by voice within the automotive with ChatGPT and Perplexity AI simply as you’ll at residence or elsewhere. Which means you possibly can ask them questions, make requests, and have interaction in back-and-forth conversations.
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There’s one barrier right here. The ChatGPT voice assistant works with CarPlayirrespective of your account sort — free, Go, Plus, or Professional. Perplexity, although, is one other story. For this, you want the Professional model, which usually prices $20 a month. However there are a couple of methods for scoring a free yr of Perplexity Professional, as described in this article by my fellow ZDNET author Artie Beaty.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s guardian firm, filed an April 2025 lawsuit in opposition to OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in coaching and working its AI methods.)
Earlier than we get began, listed below are some preliminaries.
What it is advisable get began
First, you naturally want an iPhone and a car that helps CarPlay. My 2025 Toyota Camry got here with CarPlay, so I am good to go. In any other case, the underside of Apple’s CarPlay page reveals the vehicles and iPhone fashions that assist CarPlay.
Second, you will need to have the newest variations of the ChatGPT app and the Perplexity app in your iPhone. In the event you already use the apps, faucet your profile icon within the App Retailer app, select App Updates, swipe down on the display screen to refresh it, then obtain the newest variations of each if crucial.
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Third, your iPhone have to be operating iOS 26.4 or later. This model added CarPlay assist for third-party AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Geminiand Claude. The businesses behind every AI have to reap the benefits of this new assist, with OpenAI and Perplexity main the way in which.
Assuming you meet all the standards, begin up your automotive and ensure your iPhone is related, both wirelessly or by way of Bluetooth. My Camry comes with wi-fi charging and synchronization, so I haven’t got to plug it right into a USB port as I did with my earlier car.
After your telephone is related, you must see icons for ChatGPT and Perplexity on the CarPlay dashboard display screen. If not, go to Settings in your iPhone, choose Basic, and faucet CarPlay. Choose your automotive after which faucet Apps. You may see a listing of all of the apps suitable with CarPlay. Amongst these needs to be ChatGPT and Perplexity.
From there, you possibly can transfer the 2 apps greater or decrease within the checklist by dragging them by the three-lined hamburger icon. I moved each apps greater within the checklist in order that they’d be accessible from my principal display screen.
To make use of ChatGPT, faucet the icon on the CarPlay display screen, then select “New voice chat.” Look ahead to the connection to kick in, because the textual content on the show adjustments from Connecting to Listening. You’ll be able to then kick off your dialog, and ChatGPT will reply because it usually would.
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For Perplexity AI, faucet the icon on the display screen, then faucet Join. When the display screen invitations you to “ask something,” you possibly can then begin chatting.
With all the pieces arrange on my finish, I lately tried each ChatGPT and Perplexity to see how every carried out. I gave each related questions and requests to see if I might declare a winner. Listed below are the duties I threw at them and the way they dealt with each.
Normally I ask Siri for driving instructions, however I needed to see if both ChatGPT or Perplexity might additionally present them. ChatGPT cannot serve up instructions because it’s unable to see my location. Perplexity, although, can sort out this process. On this case, I requested it for driving instructions to Faneuil Corridor in Boston. After requesting entry to my location, Perplexity took me to Apple Maps with a map and the mandatory turn-by-turn steps.
Winner: Perplexity
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Subsequent, I requested each to suggest an area Mexican restaurant. Once more, ChatGPT could not assist with this as a result of it may well’t view my location. Perplexity named a number of close by eating places and requested me which one I most popular. After I picked the one I needed, the AI displayed the instructions through Apple Maps.
Winner: Perplexity
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Requesting music is one other job I reserve for Siri. And that is nonetheless the best choice. ChatGPT cannot play music from any service because it does not have entry to my iPhone. Perplexity is meant to have the opportunity play tunes from Apple Music and Spotify. Exterior of the automotive and CarPlay, I used the Perplexity app to play particular songs from Spotify, which labored nicely. Nonetheless, the AI failed once I requested it to play a track from Spotify within the automotive through CarPlay. The track appeared within the Spotify app on my iPhone, however I needed to manually begin it, defeating the entire function of a hands-free method.
Winner: Neither
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With each ChatGPT and Perplexity, I attempted inserting a telephone name, sending a textual content message, and sending an e-mail. Neither might accomplish these duties attributable to restrictions in accessing the non-public information on my telephone. So I will keep on with Siri for these requests.
Winner: Neither
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Right here, the outcomes had been totally different. As I anticipated, ChatGPT could not entry my calendar to view or make appointments. Nonetheless, Perplexity was capable of learn off my appointments and add new ones.
Winner: Perplexity
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The outcomes right here had been the identical. ChatGPT could not add a reminder to my iPhone, however Perplexity was capable of arrange one.
Winner: Perplexity
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Right here, I requested each AIs to inform me how the American Civil Warfare began. Each supplied legitimate and succinct explanations that answered my query.
Winner: Tie
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I requested each providers to suggest some nice science-fiction novels from the Nineteen Sixties. Each gave me round 4 titles to start out. Perplexity even steered a couple of further books. However ChatGPT added extra aptitude and persona to its response by describing the books in colourful language. Perplexity merely listed the titles and authors with none additional particulars.
Winner: ChatGPT
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I requested each AIs to inform me a narrative about my cat Mr. Giggles touchdown on the moon. ChatGPT spun a enjoyable and inventive yarn about Mr. Giggles’ journey from Earth to the moon. Perplexity was extra literal, first telling me {that a} cat could not actually journey to the moon. The story it recited additionally lacked the creativeness and aptitude that ChatGPT offered.
Winner: ChatGPT
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Within the temper to play an interactive sport, I requested ChatGPT and Perplexity to problem me with a trivia quiz. Each served up a number of nice questions on common and particular matters.
Winner: Tie
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With a visit deliberate for Italy subsequent yr, I requested the 2 AIs to assist me be taught Italian. Each requested me what varieties of phrases I might wish to be taught. After telling them I needed to follow common phrases, they every began off with frequent phrases and phrases, saying them in Italian and explaining what they meant in English. Each corrected me if I mispronounced a phrase however congratulated me once I obtained them proper.
Winner: Tie
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Lastly, I advised each providers that I used to be becoming bored and drained with driving and that I needed to talk with them to go the time. They requested me what I needed to debate, and I steered one thing offbeat. ChatGPT inspired a real back-and-forth dialog to maintain me engaged and . Perplexity principally recited info and did not interact me as a lot.
Winner: ChatGPT
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OK, so who was the last word winner? That relies upon partially on the way you’d use the AI. Perplexity scored main factors as a result of it was capable of present driving instructions and entry my calendar and reminders. However I can at all times use Siri for these varieties of duties.
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The true worth of a third-party AI utilizing CarPlay is tackling issues you possibly can’t do with Siri — answering questions, telling tales, and interesting in dialog. And right here, ChatGPT edged out the competitors.
In fact, you do not have to decide on one over the opposite. You’ll be able to strive them each. However the subsequent time I am driving alone and want somebody (or one thing) to go the time, I will be extra prone to flip to ChatGPT for an attention-grabbing chat.
