There’s a lot of alarmed talk right now because General Motors announced it’ll be phasing out support for the wildly popular phone-to-car infotainment systems Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all future GM electric vehicles. In keeping with GM’s long and storied history of baffling, self-defeating product-planning decisions, what we have here is a move that absolutely nobody who buys cars wants GM to do. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are incredibly popular, with a vast number of car buyers demanding the systems as a prerequisite to even consider a new car. This seems, to me, like a stellar act of not just stepping, but actually stomping, with golf shoes, on one’s own metaphorical dong that I feel confident in predicting that even GM will, at some point in the near future, walk this back. I mean, I hope they do. Or that they prove me wrong about this being a bad idea and I have to eat my own socks.
The decision to abandon CarPlay and Android Auto on all upcoming EVs (gas cars will keep the features) starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV was outlined in this Media Fact Sheet:
In there you can see where GM comes out and says:
“As a result of this strategic approach, we will be moving beyond phone projection systems, namely Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.”
Here’s page two of the Fact Sheet, which mentions the four 2024 electric GM vehicles that will offer Android Auto and Apple Car Play:
Now, it’s not like there aren’t entirely valid reasons for wanting tighter integration between a car’s infotainment system and its other systems; there are plenty of solid engineering reasons for that, including the ability to easily pass important data about things like state of charge or speed or other internal sensor data from the car to applications in the infotainment system. Also, I bet GM will save a bit of cash by not having to pay for Car Play or Android Auto. But, importantly, nobody gives a shit. People want the user experience they use nearly nonstop throughout the day on their cars as well, with full access to all of their relevant data and preferences, because of course they do.
Just look at some of the comments on the Verge’s article about this:
And this is not specific to commenters on The Verge — this has been the general response of, pretty much, the whole internet.
Way to read the room, GM.
This is such a baffling bit of news on every single level that I’m really a bit awestruck. To me, it seems almost like GM conducted extensive and comprehensive consumer research and then decided that it’d be a real hoot to just do the exact opposite of whatever it learned. Because people sure like CarPlay and Android Auto, and absolutely nobody has ever demanded that GM partner with Google to make some new, different car OS that isn’t like the system everyone is already used to and just wants to keep using on their cars, already.
GM’s stated reason for dropping phone mirroring systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has to do with what the company claims is the need to more tightly integrate the in-car UX with other features like Level 2 semi-automated driving system, Super Cruise, which I suppose is more important than offering in-car infotainment systems that customers, you know, actually want.
Mike Hichme, executive director of digital cockpit experience for GM, explained this in an interview with Reuters, saying,
“We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation. We don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on person having a cellphone.”
I’m excited to meet this new owner of a GM EV who doesn’t have a cellphone! I’m especially excited to feed the unicorn this non-cellphone-owning GM EV buyer would have to have ridden in on a magic carrot, too, because that’s what imaginary things like unicorns and EV buyers who don’t have cellphones like, you see. Of course, I don’t for one moment believe that GM’s digital cockpit experience executive director thinks there’s any significant number of non-Amish smartphone-free potential EV buyers, but this was one of the statements directly quoted, so we can’t just ignore that.
I suspect the actual motivations for what seems like a comically risky plan are closer to what Edward Kummer, GM’s chief digital officer, told Automotive News:
“We do believe there are subscription revenue opportunities for us.”
That seems about right.
The context of the quote about subscription revenue in the Reuters article seems important:
Buyers of GM EVs with the new systems will get access to Google Maps and Google Assistant, a voice command system, at no extra cost for eight years, GM said. GM said the future infotainment systems will offer applications such as Spotify’s (SPOT.N) music service, Audible and other services that many drivers now access via smartphones.
That sounds like GM wants to get some revenue from subscriptions to applications people already use on their phones or other devices, but perhaps there’s more to it than that. In fact, I think this other bit of speculation from the same article could give more explanation:
GM’s decision to stop offering those systems in future electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, could help the automaker capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.
Gathering data is, of course, very important for so many companies, so the idea that GM would want to be in a position to gather as much as possible directly could be a factor in this otherwise strange decision.
Sure, there are other carmakers who have decided to not support these popular phone mirroring systems, most notably Tesla, but a quick glance at Tesla forums and websites reveals a widespread and powerful desire to use these systems, to the point of finding workarounds or even hacking Tesla’s in-car operating system. But GM isn’t Tesla, which has a large pool of bordline cultlike fans who will forgive almost any shortcomings Tesla may have, and Tesla enjoys a status in the greater culture far beyond what GM has, at least currently.
Of course, it is possible that GM will come up with a system that is so much better, so much more intuitive and easier and enjoyable than what Apple or Google are capable of releasing – well, Google is working with GM here to develop this but, it seems, outside of the context of the Android OS – that this will all make sense and it will be better for everyone involved. It’s possible. But is it likely that GM is going to, say, beat Apple at UX design? GM, the company that has recently made you open a glovebox by navigating on-screen menus? That GM? I might not choose to hold my breath.
If GM wants this to work, it can’t just be as good it has to be better — much better — in order to get people to not just switch over, but even be aware of it at all. Because as it stands, a vast number of consumers will just see that the Car Play or Android Auto checkboxes are empty and move on. I’m confused why GM decided they needed to completely eliminate the two largest, most desired options while they’re developing their own system; wouldn’t it make more sense to develop their own system in parallel, and, you know, hedge their bets? Then if they actually do manage to pull off making something better and more desirable, they can still get people to buy in, without losing potential customers in the first place before their system has had a chance to prove itself.
[Editor’s Note: Apple Car Play and Android Auto are just such big names right now that to even talk about phasing them out seems like bad PR. If GM can somehow develop something that’s competitive with these two — a tall order — that’d be amazing, though it’d take some time to get consumers used to it. You’d almost want to offer it in parallel with Car Play/Android Auto, at least until people warmed up to it. These two are just too important to consumers right now. GM is doing this with lower-volume cars (EVs) to start, but these aren’t that low volume, so it does seem risky from my vantage point. -DT].
I reached out to GM for comment, and I’ll update if I hear back anything interesting. In any case, I don’t believe GM is going to actually do this, as it is just seems too high risk. The company has some exciting-looking new EVs coming, and I’m pretty sure at some point it’s going to realize that it can’t just ignore what consumers actually want, because wanting something is why people buy one car over another in the first place.
Or, this may be yet another Vega or EV1 or Hy-Wire or whatever. I’m just hoping it won’t be.
The latest in a long history of examples of GMs shortsightedness. This is why they are no longer the largest automaker in the world…
Consider me a former CP devotee. I was hesitant to buy a Model 3 several years ago because of it, but now I understand. The native system is far faster and much more sophisticated. This comes to the fore when you see the nav system linking supercharger stops together to make an 11hr drive work, with both the number of cars at each charger and the time required at each stop displayed in real time. CP is a great tech but with the complexities of ev charging, i don’t think it could handle that heavy of a workload. I recently test drove a Volvo XC60 which had its similar to Tesla’s version of Google and it was equally fast and able to manage the digital dash in ways that the iterations of CP (at least the ones I’ve used) could not. Once you compare on same same terms, CP feels like looking through a small porthole with the other systems feeling like a big panoramic widow. My Tesla is not my favorite nor the best car I’ve owned, but the Google based dash/everything system is a highlight. If GMs is of similar caliber or better than the ones currently on the market (after all, Model 3 came out 5 years ago with a processing power similar to a PS4 vs what’s in my tiny iPhone) people won’t look back, even as their data gets Hoovered up to make the General money in the process.
So this site has autoplay video ads after all.Not good.
REALLY not good.
Yes i know i can pay to remove ads.
I’m just surprised this particular insanity has happened given that it’s been stated (several times) that it wouldn’t. I dont mind ads in general! It’s just the fucking horrific autoplay video variety that tip me over the edge.
*edit. Actually i’m curious how it all works.Since ads started appearing i’ve noticed they don’t follow any particular theme.Maybe there were more car related ads at first,i cant quite remember.But now for sure they’re all over the place.
Is it the case the website cant choose what’s shown? Once space is sold,maybe someone else sells it to the highest bidder? That would explain the wildly different ads i’m seeing. It’s very interesting
I don’t see adds but I use brave and turn on the blockers. Sad if true!
I remember trying Brave in the past but have forgotten the details.
I think they enforce a kind of middle ground where the worst ads are blocked,but there are always ads, is that right?
I’ll check them out again if needed.I dont want to block any autopian ads unless absolutely necessary.
No need to change browsers – uBlock Origin also works (though Chrome may eventually kill that).
I’ve got Autopian allowlisted for the adblocker, and no autoplay video here so far. Just the usual squares interspersed through the article.
Auto play ads are supposed to be not allowed. Can you send a screenshot to matt@theautopian so I can figure out what is sneaking through?
And yes, it’s programmatic advertising so we have no idea who the advertisers are. We have disallowed certain categories (pop up and autoplay videos), but I guess some stuff still can get through?
Thanks for replying Matt,and sorry for my slow response.
I cant see any video this visit.I’ll be sure to grab a screenshot if it happens again.
Well, it is April 1st. Although if this is their idea of a prank it’s pretty much an “out of touch grandpa” level one
April Fools?
I can put events in my calendar on my phone. I get in my car, and Apple Maps has it ready to navigate to.
I listen to a podcast at home, and it picks up on my next drive into work.
I can get on a teams call and get into my car and continue the conversation on my phone.
I can’t even imagine an OEM infotainment system offering me any of that seamlessly, and the icing on the cake is when I get into another car, I bring the whole experience with me.
This is New Coke level of stupidity on GM’s part.
I don’t care if it is free for 8 years. I don’t care if it is as good as CarPlay or AA (It won’t be).
I use WAZE, I use MS teams for work teleconferences, I use Amazon streaming music (in HD!) I use Podcasts. I rely on WAZE for traffic hazard reports and dynamic re-routing even on routine trips. I WILL have my phone on and connected to my vehicle.
I want the same interface, favorites, features and functions to follow me as I go from vehicle to vehicle. I sure as hell don’t want to be subjected to non-stop GM commercials on Mother F&3949&@#ng spotify,
We love our ’23 Bolt UEV. When I travel and get in a rental car (frequently) – first thing I do is make sure I can connect to CarPlay before I even start the car.
I sure as hell won’t purchase a car without CP or AA. It’s a dick move by GM to force customers into (eventual) streaming revenue.
Hell, they should pay US for the data they’ll be collecting and selling. I guess I’ll just be patient a little while longer and see what Mazda finally comes up with when they go mainstream with their EVs (I hope with a spinning dorito range extender!).
Bye Bye GM. Thanks for the Bolt. I’ll be shopping elsewhere for our next car.
One thing that I wish more auto reviews would look at is the upgradeability of the telematics system. Relatively recent vehicles such as my 2016 have bricked telematics because it used 3G network that is no longer a thing. The manufacturer didn’t provide any way to upgrade the system to 4G or 5G networks. In the future as more and more vehicle functions are linked, it’s going to be critically important for manufacturers to make their modems updatable to new cellular standards. When 4G networks shut down in another decade (give or take), there will be millions of used vehicles whose telematics will cease to function. We consumers need to start demanding NOW that manufacturers give us a path to upgrade the connectivity on future vehicles. These screen mirroring functions might help a bit, but there are still a lot of convenience features that require the car to connect to cellular so we need to get the manufactures to tell us their plans to make their modems upgradable.
The way around it is to connect the system to your home wifi or your mobile phone hotspot… assuming they didn’t disable WIFI capability.
I have never known of a vehicle whose telematics system can access services via WiFi. I doubt manufacturers would want to do this because of security concerns, but I’d be happy to be wrong. Do you know of specific examples of vehicles that work as you’re describing?
FYI – car makers do not have to pay a single penny (in licensing fees to Apple or Google) to add Car Play or Android Auto to vehicles.
Can’t speak for Carplay but I recently went to Android auto and I’m not a huge fan. It doesn’t recognize any media apps that aren’t officially supported so I can’t use my steering wheel controls. Google maps is not as good as the phone version so if I want to change a destination I have to unplug my phone and enter it, then plug it back in. The logic it uses to switch to night mode makes no sense. Maybe this is my specific application but it won’t switch unless the headlights are turned on while the radio is on. This means that if my headlights are on auto (which they always are) I have to turn them off and back to auto or on to not be blinded by the screen.
To me AA is one of those things that could so easily be great but it’s just plagued by enough minor annoyances that I only use it if I want my maps to be on my dash rather than my phone.
I don’t think I have any of those problems with CarPlay on a VW. Mostly listen to Amazon Music and the buttons work. Can get directions on 3 apps with voice by touching the button on the screen (and turning my music volume down so they can hear me!). I have never noticed a light/dark problem. The only thing I can’t do is get to Amazon Music voice serch from the screen, have to toggle the phone, but CarPlay is for IOS, so they wouldn’t want to make Amazon too easy.
I assume Carplay is better. For me specifically I use a doctored version of YouTube music and frequently navigate to places without names, which I find very difficult to work with on AA maps.
Also, it’s an aftermarket head unit but my issues all feel native to Android auto (and searching them seems to confirm this)
I’ve upgraded two cars to Android Auto head units and then moved one of those head units to a third car when it got totalled. For two of them the steering wheel controls worked just fine, but they wouldn’t work on the third one because an adapter was not available. So your milage may vary on that, but it’s not the fault of Android Auto. I agree that the default night/day mode switch on maps is weird, but there’s a setting in there to leave it on night mode. I never had a problem since changing that setting.
Steering wheel controls work, just not with unsupported apps. This is unreasonable because Android is very aware music is playing and it works just fine on my phone. For some reason the always on night mode doesn’t work for me ????♂️. It always needs to be triggered by either manually switching it in the app or manually turning the lights off and back on. Every. Time.
I don’t have an ID4 but here’s someone talking about their factory car with the same issue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VWiD4Owners/comments/v81o3z/android_auto_google_maps_stuck_in_day_mode/
EDIT BUTTON
I have one car with Android Auto. It’s a 2018 Honda, and I simply don’t think it’s reasonable to expect media apps that aren’t officially supported by AA to work.
I don’t have any of the other problems you mention. Check your settings again.
The night mode thing seems to be a common issue when I Google it, even on cars with factory Android auto.
I absolutely agree that the apps shouldn’t be expected to work GRAPHICALLY. However with Android Auto the apps are run on the phone so it doesn’t make any sense at all for my media controls to not work with an unsupported app. Heck, I can even “OK google, skip this song” and it works.
The head unit’s standalone android-based OS does a better job of handling media playback!
And losing the ability to set routes in maps before hitting “start” is just silly imo.
The point is, I don’t think it’s better than just having decent Bluetooth and a good spot to put/charge your phone. Plus the phone will be upgraded more frequently than any head unit. If my new car is forcing me to have a data connection because it needs updates and crap I’d rather it just run actual Android and maybe block video playback
android sucks you did this to yourself. get an iphone and your problems will be solved
I just purchased a brand new car last week. Literally the FIRST thing I did on every test drive was plug my phone in and test out Android Auto and the sound system. 100% a prerequisite for a new car.
On the plus side, maybe if drivers stopped acting as if their cars were entertainment venues or phone booths, they’d stop running over pedestrians and cyclists.
CarPlay takes a lot less work to just have my music or podcast play, since it’s on my phone and I frequently have it set up before I even get into my car.
#NotMyBlazer, while we’re at it.
Even as someone who defers to the in-car nav when I’m in a car that has it, those in-car systems don’t tell me where the speedtraps are. Waze does. I live in Texas, man—sometimes you end up with Roscoe P. Coltrane’s nightmare cousin who has a big beef against out-of-towners who don’t catch the sudden drop from 75 mph to 45 mph. No automaker is going to add speedtrap info into an in-car nav. Apps on my phone, though—that’s where CarPlay comes in handy.
This is stupid. That poor, poor metaphorical dong. I don’t think they’re just golf-shoe-stomping it—they’ve broken out the meat tenderizer for this decision.
This is VW taking buttons out and then VERY quickly putting them back in after almost every review said “The Mk8 Golf R is fantastic and you should not buy it.” (“Oops, ha ha, they’re going right back in, folks, not to worry WE’RE LISTENING!”)
you have a link showing they are putting them back in, i havent seen that. I guess I can google
link: https://www.thedrive.com/news/vw-brings-back-steering-wheel-buttons-after-many-customers-complain
“ I live in Texas, man—sometimes you end up with Roscoe P. Coltrane’s nightmare cousin who has a big beef against out-of-towners”
You mean Sheriff Edward Thomas “Big Ed” Little of Chickasaw County…
First reaction for me is oh, how dumb! I am one of those buyers who literally won’t consider a car without Carplay/AA. But then I think about it a bit more….
Both are mildly glitchy middleware designed to direct you towards their respective makers ecosystems. It is really annoying that Google Maps functionality on Apple Carplay lacks a number of the features that my AA has. Similarly, it is annoying that AA doesn’t play nice with voice requests on Amazon music. Why do we have to have middleware to connect our phone? Why not just have the apps we want on the car? I don’t sync to my phone to check Facebook on my computer. Why do I have to do it to get a map on my car?
Dropping them sounds foolish now, but I bet we look back and laugh at the days when our car had to piggyback on our phone to get the apps and features we wanted. If Chevy is willing to invest to cut out the middleware, great. Just don’t f*** it up.
No. Definitely not.
I don’t want six different versions of every app I have, each installed separately on different hardware, each supported and updated separately by separate teams of developers. That’s not only a software developer’s nightmare, it’s an end user’s nightmare. And as a result, it will also become a security nightmare.
Android Auto and Carplay are the solution to a lot of problems we’re just now starting to realize we have. Simple, consistent and universal are key to keeping software up to date and functioning properly. A single framework for all automotive uses is the best solution by far.
Further, having the systems on our phones guarantees that when the software is updated over the course of years, we’re always able to have modern hardware to run it on. Being able to update the system processor and RAM will allow huge improvements in functionality that simply won’t be available in these GM vehicles.
We should be reducing, not increasing, our vulnerability surface. Software has vulnerabilities. Many well-heeled manufacturers still take a while to fix them, even those for whom software is their bread and butter.
For GM, user-facing, network-enabled software is a relatively new skill set. There is no way they will be able to keep up with security and keep the in-car software safe from hacking and 0-days.
I don’t want to worry about yet another mobile device with all my data on it.
I’m admittedly a bit of a luddite who rejects the need and implementation of a lot of newer technology, but Carplay is something I have wholly embraced and if I was in the market for a new car would be an absolute requirement. It’d be a tough sell for me to want to use a different UI instead unless it was VERY superior. Totally agree with everything Torch said here.
When I test drove a Sierra with Google Auto, I can tell you the UI blows Android Auto out of the water. Can’t wait for my truck to show I May.
Owner without a cellphone?
Even Gibbs has a cellphone.
But to be honest i have never owned or ridden in a car with either of these features. But then again don’t ask me i am not buying another new car til i hit the lotto.
I use Android Auto in my 23 Ridgeline, but I don’t need it and if it disappeared I wouldn’t care. I have a flagship samsung phone and it’s all that I need. My 14 lexus gs450h has an unsupported system on its screen. I don’t want to be tethered to any carmaker “solution”.
I won’t pay for any subscriptions to operate my automobile.
I’m unique among iPhone users, in that i don’t use my phone for music. For those that do… the phone is just about their whole media/infotainment world.
I do use it for podcasts and maps. And while i’m sure GM’s nav system will be super-duper kick-ass, i don’t like that i would have to accept using one nav system in the car and then a completely different one when on foot.
I agree with Torch: the only conceivable reason they would do this is in the quote:
They think they can strong-arm us into paying them for what we already have on our personal devices.
So how does this work? We pay GM for a music subscription? Or they continue giving us a few months of Sirius/XM for free so that we’ll pay to subscribe after, and maybe GM gets a cut? We start to pay GM for access to our freakin’ podcasts?
It also seems telling that they’re making this change in EVs, but not gas-burners. Like, “Lookit them EV lemmings! They’ll buy whatever they’re told to buy!”
I genuinely try to not be cynical. But i can’t find a non-cynical way to interact with this info.
EV people will sadly enough, and they will claim it a benefit. Cruise the EV forums on Reddit and look at all the excuses they make and crap they put up with to “be first and cleaner than the ice plebs”.
This gives me “Ford Sync v1 Powered By Microsoft” flashbacks, and they are not pleasant.
I mean this is obviously all about corporate greed and trying to milk those sweet sweet subscription dollars out of consumers…on top of the already diabolical prices these companies are getting away with in the first place. GM is more or less following the BMW model of “let’s see how much we can openly insult our own customers for extra clicks until they stop buying our cars”. BMW hasn’t even come close to hitting critical mass on that front despite the fact that their entire brand operation is based on trolling at this point.
Anyway, there isn’t a manufacturer out there that’s better at shooting themselves in the dick than GM. They’re so terrible at this stuff that it’s laughable but they’re too big to fail and as is always the case with the mega rich and corporations Uncle Sam will always step in to foot the bill if needed. The last 25 or so years of the company’s existence have been a comedy of errors and meme worthy pants shitting after meme worthy pants shitting.
…what else is new? Leave it to GM to actually put some compelling cars together then pull the rug out from under them with an incredibly nonsensical decision or two. What’s next? Are they going to make one of the best driver’s cars on the road but prevent you from being able to see out of it? Or design the perfect sports sedans 10 years after that market has dried up? Maybe try to dress up a lower tier luxury brand to compete with Bentley and Rolls? All that would be wild.
….oh wait
Well that’s brutal and very accurate. I like the way that GM cars look but I have a minivan fetish (no kink shaming!) and GM minivans have stupid doors that swing out instead of slide.
…are you aware of which site you’re on my friend? If anything you’d be at risk of being shamed for not liking vans enough 😉
I believe this entire fiasco to be about nothing more than the sick desire to get subscription dollars. I despise subscriptions. I wouldn’t pay for OnStar and I’m not going to fork over money for any variation thereof.
I already pay for monthly cell service. If GM wants that money, let them merge with T-Mobile.
(Rob, are you sleeping late again?)
Apparently, going forward, GM has lost interest in market share.
Can you imagine any scenario where this approach works out well for them?
Doubtful.
I recently purchased a 2023 European luxury marque vehicle equipped with the breathlessly heralded ‘new’ Google Android operating system/infortainment. Android phone syncing is wireless of course. Apple CarPlay is not. Had I been aware of that fact I would not have purchased the vehicle. After four months of not being able to get it to handshake CarPlay properly I gave up and sent it down the road. A very costly and embarrassing blunder for me.
I will never understand why automakers don’t move to open architecture software solutions. Vehicles are ungodly expensive today. Like private aircraft that upgrade avionics over the 50-year plus life of the airframe, autos should be no different. It is a huge wasted opportunity for manufactures and dealers. Owners should be able to install plug and play software dashboard display solutions based on common architecture and software standards from a variety of sources including OEMs, dealers, and third party providers. This would allow owners to install the precise dash display and infotainment ‘look and feel’ they desire at any given time during their ownership experience.
For example, Apple has developed a complete dashboard and driver display solution which they rolled out last June. However no OEM’s have adopted it probably out of competitive jealousy. (JT discussed the Apple advantage in a June 22, 2002 Autopian blog.) While I despise subscriptions as a matter of principal I would gladly pay a $2500 one time upcharge for a complete Apple dash/infotainment solution in my new vehicle.
I see the 2024 Honda Accord will also feature the Google Android operating system in higher trim levels. I feel sorry for their large loyal customer base. They are going to be sorely disappointed as was I.
I would picture this ending up the way it did with Audi having Google integrated into Audi MMI which eventually ended up getting phased out then you’re left with something non-updatable, non-functional, or severely handicapped. The screen in my Audi still has a little grayscale Google logo in the bottom corner but I get no actual Google maps anymore just standard navigation maps and my car is also pre Android Auto so I don’t even get that. About the only thing I do still get is real-time traffic updates since that comes through an SiriusXM subscription.
As a non-Carplay/Android Auto user I’m nonetheless reminded of how when online shopping first went big, a lot of legacy mall retailers got Big Data envy and started clogging up their checkout experience with mandatory upsells for signing up for a “savings” card, asking for customers’ phone numbers, all that crap that drove their staff crazy and drove their customers away.