General Motors Announces Plans to Start Offering iPhone Car Keys

[BGPL]

Yes but companies don't make decisions like that without significant research. People online are good at making a fuss about Carplay but I do have a hard time believing the average consumer is that concerned. All most people care about is maps support and streaming music from their phone.

You're clearly representing the older demographic. People want phone/messaging/maps/podcasts/music and their other fav apps in the native UI. The entire idea of CarPlay is to get most of the use of your phone in the native UI while being handsfree from the handset.

 

[steve333]

You'd have to have very large pockets to fit an iPhone in there.
Not a fan of keyless entry and ignition.
I don't need a radiating fob near my boys.

 

[finalcut]

better idea, GM should produce their own phone with key..

thanks but no GM thanks

 

[budselectjr]

Apple should combine this into CarPlay framework so it’s all or nothing.

 

[mrr]

Too bad they are dumping Apple CarPlay.
No CarPlay. No car.

 

[iSalameee]

Hey guys, were removing some features, the ones you want... but dont worry, well give you digital keys, minor improvement to holding your car keys in your pocket but well start to inconvenience you to start by paying us every month to use our own maps bc we no longer want to keep apple car play in our cars. Or you can buy a mount and use your phone that way as it drops on big bumps, blocks your field of view, maybe damage the car in a way..
im just salty about this

 

[Jetscreamer]

What about Mazda? I don’t want to pay the Mazda app when my trial period ends.

 

[Jetscreamer]

You mean some of the retired GM workers lost their pensions which was the one of the main driver of the GM's bankruptcy? It's prime example of how unions bankrupts its own company.
Also, most GM workers didn't even lose their pensions. Obama made one non-negotiable condition for GM's bailout and that was keeping the pension. So, they removed most of other debts and the new GM kept the pension.
Ironically, massive bailout and pension obligation caused pension insurance premium to shoot up, causing other companies unable to afford to offer pension anymore. GM union workers are the reason we don't get pension anymore. They screwed nuts and bolts and wanted 6 figure salary with pension. Of course GM couldn't compete and bankrupt.

Ain’t socialism great when is used to bailout corporations?

 

[tCdemon]

Offers iPhone Keys but not CarPlay...you go girl!

 

[tCdemon]

GM...get rid of Buick, Consolidate Cadillac, keep Escalade, XT5, and CT5. Merge Chevy and GMC...Impala (bring it back), Malibu (only for fleet), Cruze, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban (only for fleet), Blazer (channel the original), and Trailblazer.

You are welcome!

 

[Powerbooky]

What happens when the iphone battery is empty? Locked out of the car?
Is a key transferable via the iCloud backup to a new phone?

 

[qs933]

It's been a long time since I ever considered purchasing a GM vehicle.

It's more impactful for car rentals. Since most of these vehicles do not have factory navigation (or have an activated cloud account for cloud-based navigation), support for Apple CarPlay is key.

I'll need to remember to avoid GM rentals once they stop supporting CarPlay in their non-EVs.

 

[svish]

Surprised that GM is adding more Apple features to their vehicles. Good! Will be good if in the future they will support CarPlay.

 

[k1121j]

Maybe because I’m too old, but can anybody tell me why this is needed?

I don’t buy the arguments of saving time (it takes to me 2-3 seconds to unlock my car with regular remote) nor carrying less things (if you lose your phone you are really screwed - no car and no phone to call service-). I’m not very fit but I still can carry the remote of my car.

And for free you get the risks related to software: hacking, bugs, tracking…

You get the same hacking with a key fob. And yes one Les thing to carry in your pocket.

 

[surferfb]

What happens when the iphone battery is empty? Locked out of the car?

Nope, it uses Power Reserve mode so the key still works even if you’re out of battery.

Is a key transferable via the iCloud backup to a new phone?

Not via iCloud, but it transfers during the setup process. Old phone needs to be near the new phone.

 

[clg82]

Who cares at this point? By not offering CarPlay (way bigger of a deal than digital car keys), most in the core demographic of 18-35 will never buy a GM since 80% of them are on iOS. What an idiot move.

CarPlay still works in my 2024 Chevrolet Colorado.

 

[bozzykid]

So, you don't have a source. I do.

https://www.autoblog.com/news/study-over-half-of-drivers-say-losing-carplay-is-a-deal-breaker

View attachment 2588247

That source is American Trucks which provides no details on their survey methodology. I think most people who use car infotainment systems would prefer Carplay or Android Auto over the built-in system. But whether it is affecting purchases has not been shown any in quantifiable way as far as I can see.

 

[bozzykid]

Surprised that GM is adding more Apple features to their vehicles. Good! Will be good if in the future they will support CarPlay.

Most of the new vehicles are using hardware that supports Apple's car keys and Google car keys. Car manufacturers are enabling support because there are no ongoing costs and they haven't figured out a way to monetize it themselves.

 

[hybrid_x]

I'm surprised GM hasn't decided it can make a better mobile device, so they can own the whole customer experience. /s

 

[bhirt37]

If that were actually the case, they would start offering CarPlay immediately. They certainly have done the numbers on the loss of sales by not offering CarPlay. Until they see any significant losses, they aren't going to budge.

While I agree that companies “run the numbers”, I don't agree that the numbers are always an accurate reflection of reality. Sometimes the numbers are massaged to support egos of upper management. Sometimes the numbers are ignored and explained away, because we really want to do the thing we are trying to justify. And often, the numbers are missing important data and nuances. And sometime there are no numbers, just a mandate.

If being profitable and successful was as simple as running the numbers…

I am just a simple guy posting on an apple forum, but what you say rings hollow. I think it is far more likely some vp or the CEO just decided this was going to happen and used whatever tools they had to justify it. Motivated by greed, not a better product. “We need to turn GM around and be a tech company, profit off of data collection, sell subscriptions, join the 21st century. Look at telsa’s market cap! Look at the executive compensation packages!”

 

[bhirt37]

You're clearly representing the older demographic. People want phone/messaging/maps/podcasts/music and their other fav apps in the native UI. The entire idea of CarPlay is to get most of the use of your phone in the native UI while being handsfree from the handset.

I think some of the older demographic even wants it. My dad, who is in his 80s, and is not very tech savvy wants it. When his new volvo came and they switched to android auto, CarPlay was not an option. He was furious. He called the dealer and told them he would have never bought it, would stop buying Volvo's. The dealer said they have been getting swamped with complaints and had been telling corporate, and said other dealers had been having the same experience. CarPlay was added to volvo andoird auto in a later system update. I dont know if it was always planned and missed the initial rollout, or if volvo changed course.

He has been on volvos for decades, trades in often and just orders the new model year when it becomes available. He has had CarPlay for as long as volvo started supporting it.