I am a member of a family that has been GM customers for three generations. I have spent almost all of my 60 + years in a GM car. But without CarPlay in the future EV’s I won’t be buying one again. I spent a day last week in a Ford rental car driving all over Atlanta and I could have never done it without the CarPlay. It’s a safety hazard to drive in a city like this without CarPlay.
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Apple Says CarPlay Now Available in Over 800 Vehicle Models as GM Plans to Phase Out Support in EVs
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I have been wondering the same thing since last year's announcement,
I'll never buy a car without it, or that I can't replace the OEM head unit with an aftermarket that supports it.
Auto maker UX sucks beans. I mean, like terrible. Even Tesla's UI is clunky and awkward, but they can get away with it because they're Tesla.
But most of all, I trust Apple's privacy policies a heck of a lot more than I trust any auto company. I'm still trying to find the antenna connection in my Toyota so I can finally, completely, and truly disable the telematics. And I *absolutely* will never buy a vehicle that uses google tech for the UX.
I do plan to rip out the OEM unit and replace it though, because it only supports wired carplay and the Entune interface is truly awful when I try to listen to the radio. I really want a 'carplay only' unit that integrates radio functions directly into the apple interface.
Auto maker UX sucks beans. I mean, like terrible. Even Tesla's UI is clunky and awkward, but they can get away with it because they're Tesla.
But most of all, I trust Apple's privacy policies a heck of a lot more than I trust any auto company. I'm still trying to find the antenna connection in my Toyota so I can finally, completely, and truly disable the telematics. And I *absolutely* will never buy a vehicle that uses google tech for the UX.
I do plan to rip out the OEM unit and replace it though, because it only supports wired carplay and the Entune interface is truly awful when I try to listen to the radio. I really want a 'carplay only' unit that integrates radio functions directly into the apple interface.
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Not having CarPlay on Toyota is what pushed me over to a Chevrolet a few years ago. Which I then replaced with another Chevrolet about a year ago.
I'm under no illusion that my two Chevy purchases have been a mint to GM or a loss to Toyota. But the cost of adding CarPlay on a per-vehicle basis has to be peanuts. I can't imagine saving that licensing fee is going to be worth it to GM.
Maybe an after market option will be available for new GM car owners. I want my next car to have that latest CarPlay that expands to the car's instrument panel and I want to open and start the car with my iPhone and wireless. The car has to be normal or fun car and not some expensive luxury focused car.
GM has been using software from google for some time now. My 2018 Cadillac has google software running the infotainment system. But it’s covered up with the Cadillac Cue system. More and more they have been showing the google off. Simple reason- money. It costs less to use the google system than to write it themselves. And given that to date, software has not been their best talent, it makes for better results.
I can agree with you on Adobe for sure. They proved that high-cost subscriptions are viable. On the other end of the spectrum, Apple has proved the nickel and dime model works great too. Anyway you cut it, though, it's absurd to complain about other companies wanting to generate subscription revenue, like it's a bad thing, while giving Apple a pass.
You won't need an Android phone - the in-built system will run Android and use Google apps (Maps etc), no phone needed (like the Polestar system)
Not anymore - GM sold Opel/Vauxhall to Stellantis (PSA group) about 5 years ago and exited the European market completely
Hybrids were a good stop-gap, but they aren't the future as BEVs will undercut them in price soon. Hybrids essentially have both an ICE drivetrain/transmission and an EV drivetrain/transmission and systems for them to operate together. Also, I think you're a bit out of touch with batteries needing to be changed every 5 years. Plenty of data on 8-10 year old Tesla's now showing that the batteries are holding up pretty well.
I think it was Adobe (Creative Cloud) and Microsoft (Office 365) that drove the SaaS model. I don't think Apple really makes anyone depend on a service - Music, TV+, News, Fitness+ all seem like optional extras and iCloud+ isn't needed if you buy a large storage capacity. Sure you may have to pay extra for a charger now, but you don't need to pay the Apple tax - an Amazon Basics charger will do just as well.
Unless you run out of charge. Then it's a great big OOOOOOOPS!!!
Future Decisions: Carplay2 or Horseplay?
Who would you trust more; asking Carplay-Siri to take you home or, asking your horse to take you home?
I'm joining the Amish
;-)
Who would you trust more; asking Carplay-Siri to take you home or, asking your horse to take you home?
I'm joining the Amish
;-)
Two different markets. Adobe and Microsoft definitely drove the SaaS model for "professional" software. Apple has pushed it hard on the "consumer" software side. Apple's one consistent revenue growth bright spot has been Services for several years now. Let's not pretend that Apple isn't a major driver (if not THE major driver) of the transition to SaaS. They certainly are in the consumer software market.
As for what constitutes an "optional extra", that's personal. Adobe Creative Cloud is an optional extra for me. Same goes for Office365. I don't subscribe to either of those services. My subscription to Apple Music is not optional. So let's stop with the value judgments in an effort to give Apple a pass, ok?
Really? I don't think Apple invented nor popularized this idea. Apple’s current subscriptions are for added services. MicroSoft, Adobe and others were really out in front with those subscription models. SaaS has been a thing for a long time. Apple’s there, sure, but it’s not their doing, and no one is getting a “pass.”
I gotta say there are SO MANY more options in a car more important than CarPlay I'm surprised that everybody gets bent out of shape.
And, this is why my current car will likely be the last "new" car I ever buy. New, being relative, just hit 118,000mi.
I've been digging into the idea of EV and Hydrogen(Fuel Cell and ICE) conversions for years, and have a list of a few cars I'd love to take a crack at some day.
That way, I'll have full control over the dash design, stereo, seats, steering wheel, coms, etc.
Restromod/convert a 2004 Corvette? Restromod/convert a 1st gen Miata? Restromod/convert an old British car (Triumph/MG?), an 80s Volvo wagon, maybe even a 2005-ish BMW coupe?
I'd love to make something that would be as fun as the White Zombie EV looked on videos..
Until there's enough of us doing that, that auto makers demand that the government passes laws taking our ability to do so away.. for our own "safety", of course!
Sigh.
Good lord. Most consumer software today is subscription. The App Store is ground zero for subscriptions. Apple created and runs the App Store.
Like I said, it’s ridiculous to complain about other companies wanting a piece of the subscription pie while giving the #1 subscription clearing house on the planet a pass.
It's not the most important factor for me, either, but if there's a competing product with similar features but also Car Play, sorry, GM, guess I won't be buying that Bolt EUV.
Why? Because there are many business factors that are not made public to consumers. Companies are about making a profit... period. Sometimes that can be accomplished by providing what customers want. Sometimes that is accomplished by company-to-company contracts and agreements.
True that many of the infotainment systems have been built on Android. But that is not the same as Google built-in. The direction with built-in is that all car systems are managed (or at least displayed by) Google's dash and car management software (built-in). CarPlay over top of the Android infotainment system helped alleviate the pain of the poor UIs. CarPlay over top of built-in (if supported) will provide a consistent interface for those of us familiar with and preferring CarPlay, but still rely on all the rest of the pains Google will likely (or enable the manufacturer to) inflict on us.
For me, it's not CarPlay for the sake of CarPlay?
It's that this will both be used to collect and sell consumer data, and push consumers into endless subscriptions for what many think of as basic features after you get past a certain price point with cars.. Seat heaters? That'll be $30 a month. Intermittent wipers? $15/mo...
I think it's actually a GOOD thing that they decided to toss the baby out with the bathwater and try for both at the same time by saying "No CarPlay", because the CarPlay aspect will generate more attention to the issue outside the "Car People" circles where people are already honked off about this bull-butter.
The more consumer outrage at all of this, the better.
Methinks you give CarPlay a little too much credit here...
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With that said, can't people add aftermarket CarPlay support? Maybe not a viable option for everyone sure, but that's a way to "add value". But yes, I think GM is making a mistake here. Time will tell.