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Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsolete'
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I always thought I needed Carplay. Matter of fact is when I ordered my private car I made SURE it had it.
Then my company provided me a Tesla Model Y free of charge for work use. And I've come to the conclusion that I don't need Carplay IF the software is capable.
No carplay in my Tesla? No Problem. No carplay in my Toyota? No buy.
Then my company provided me a Tesla Model Y free of charge for work use. And I've come to the conclusion that I don't need Carplay IF the software is capable.
No carplay in my Tesla? No Problem. No carplay in my Toyota? No buy.
wanha
macrumors 68030
Paul1964
macrumors 6502
Some companies love to “die on these rocks” for no reason. This insistence on one core thing always ends badly.
The reality is I don’t care how good your system is I am used to my phone. Everything’s on my phone. My phone is the OS I use for my life. Things I use should integrate with it because it’s less friction for me. It’s that simple.
These companies think their profits are more important than my convenience. Well we all vote with our wallets. We will see how that works out!
The reality is I don’t care how good your system is I am used to my phone. Everything’s on my phone. My phone is the OS I use for my life. Things I use should integrate with it because it’s less friction for me. It’s that simple.
These companies think their profits are more important than my convenience. Well we all vote with our wallets. We will see how that works out!
carswell
macrumors regular
Much like it's virtually impossible to completely boycott Chinese goods, it's hard for Canadians to stop buying all US products -- and that's true for a range of products including things like produce and other foodstuffs. So, instead, we avoid them whenever possible. As someone heavily invested in the Appleverse long before January 20, 2026, it's impractical and unaffordable for me to leave it, and, if I did, I'd still be stuck dealing with a US firm (Google). SUVs are a different story however.
jakebrosy
macrumors regular
What that really means is that 5 years ago 70% of people coming into the buying process were interested in CarPlay. Now, 45% of those people no longer begin the buying process with Rivian because they know—based on statements like this—that Rivian will not support their preferred in-car entertainment/mapping/communication interface so they go somewhere else.
We held off on our last Volvo purchase in 2019 until they actually integrated CarPlay—not just the vague ‘we’re working on it BS.’
mac-imperator
macrumors member
On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian's software chief Wassym Bensaid explained why the EV maker still refuses to offer Apple CarPlay.
In short, Bensaid said Rivian does not want CarPlay to fully take over the software experience.
"The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car," he said.
Instead, Rivian prefers to offer its own interface with "end-to-end integration."
Bensaid added that "deep AI integration into the car" will eventually make the debate over offering CarPlay in vehicles "completely obsolete." He believes that Rivian owners will be able to access the core functionality of many apps through an AI agent, rather than needing to rely on CarPlay or Android Auto.
"I really believe that the way you interact with apps which are mono-threaded, single buttons, single icons, a lot of that will be now completely reshaped into a world where it will become an agentic integration that presents itself into a wholesome user experience to the user," Bensaid explained. However, he admitted that an AI agent becoming an "alternative solution" to CarPlay apps will take time to materialize.
Already, Rivian owners are increasingly less interested in CarPlay, according to Bensaid. He said that Rivian's internal statistics showed that more than 70% of customers wanted CarPlay when their vehicles first launched around five years ago, but he said a recent survey showed that figure is apparently less than 25% now.
"With the level of features that we have shipped to customers, with the level of end-to-end integration, with the level of convenience that we are bringing, CarPlay is, or Android Auto to that extent, is no longer the topic of discussion," he said.
Article Link: Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsole
On your iPhone you just create your route and send it to your Tesla just as you would share anything else. Super simple and easy and intuitive.
I completely agree. For Apple being very aesthetically pleasing for the most part how they came up with the circus look of CarPlay is beyond me.
The numbers change for CarPlay and people who want it because most people just don't care. People here obviously care about tech and nerd out about it which is why we all joined a Mac forum. The vast majority could care less, they just want things to work simple and easy when they get in their car. Now I will say most cars I have been in have had horrible UI. Tesla (can't speak for Rivian) is miles away from that and miles better than CarPlay save for messages. Not sure what people complain about the native Apple Music app. The native Home Screen of Apple Music is basically the same as it is on iTunes in MacOS.
BJMRamage
macrumors 68030
When we have rented vehicles on vacation it is a breeze to add our phones to the CarPlay option and just drive without thinking too hard on route. We can use Maps, Music, Messages (among other non-M Apps). we instinctively know where buttons are and how to interact either by touch or voice.
Make your OEM Software as awesome as you want, give it nuances and details CarPlay and Android Auto cannot. But let me have the OPTION to add my Mobile connectivity that I want. You can even make a dual-screen setup (or split screen) with your UX and the MobileUX side-by-side.
Make your OEM Software as awesome as you want, give it nuances and details CarPlay and Android Auto cannot. But let me have the OPTION to add my Mobile connectivity that I want. You can even make a dual-screen setup (or split screen) with your UX and the MobileUX side-by-side.
ProbablyDylan
macrumors 68040
What do you need hundreds or thousands of apps for while you're driving? Genuine question.
Yeah, there is not a lot that I really see as being something you can use while driving. Music/Audio Books and Maps. Everything else is in distracted driver territory. Now with self driving and when we get to the place where we don't even have to keep our eyes on the road then things like a browser, video apps, games, they elevate the cars infotainment much higher. If that were out with Tesla now CarPlay would seem like a beginners Car UI for children. Tesla has a Netflix app (others I believe but never use), Browser, Games on top of the native music apps.
I call BS.
Car dealerships will tell you: vehicles without CarPlay tend to sit on the lot. Or people install an aftermarket version shortly after purchase.
Car dealerships will tell you: vehicles without CarPlay tend to sit on the lot. Or people install an aftermarket version shortly after purchase.
Ahhh dealerships....the paragon of excellence in truthfulness.
Given how many people buy Rivian and Tesla, the majority of which are happy without carplay - doesn't seem like nonsense.