This makes no sense.
Apple has proven time and time again to be a hardware master, basically unmatched in the industries they choose to compete. Car hardware is a commodity, it’s got nothing intrinsic that Apple can’t do or improve.
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Volkswagen CEO Skeptical About Apple Car, Believes in CarPlay-Only Approach
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Apple has proven time and time again to be a hardware master, basically unmatched in the industries they choose to compete. Car hardware is a commodity, it’s got nothing intrinsic that Apple can’t do or improve.
I'll all for a unified, intuitive CarPlay (or similar) experience on all cars. Pretty much all car infotainment GUIs are just disgusting and somebody needs to clean it up because the auto makers simply don't have it in them. I do see, however, others jumping on-board once Apple paves the way - just as they did with the desktop GUI back when computers were character/text based. We'll end up with the equivalent of the Mac vs PC wars inside the car, but at least the auto maker software teams will take a well-deserved and well-earned big flush down the toilet.
Project Titan may never have been intended to result in a consumer product in the first place. All the work on self driving cars could have been a development platform and testbed for AI features. The image recognition that a self driving car needs is clearly relevant to image recognition on a smartphone, and the LiDAR Apple used on Project Titan is clearly being used as part of Apple’s VR/AR ambitions. There are probably several other features we have today that came from Project Titan.
Also, self driving cars are hard. Full stop. It’s not so bad on freeways, which are a lot more predictable, but surface roads are an issue. Pedestrians, cyclists, and cars enter the roadway far more erratically. Changes are far more frequent, as well. (To signage, to usage patterns, to intersections, etc.) The idea of a 100% self driving car is no closer to fruition today than it was in 2000. Even in aviation, autopilot still isn’t super smart (and, in some ways, flying is a lot easier than driving), there are quite a few times when it defers back to the human pilots. And unmanned drones tend to have an earthbound operator controlling them remotely.
I understand that, but it kinda defeats the purpose of "wireless" Carplay. That was my point.
Apple will never build a car, the potential profit margins in the car market won’t interest Apple. Local governments have also passed many laws protect car dealers. They may sell the dashboard software to car makers.
Gotta downplay the competitor enough publicly to get the people skeptical and unwilling to put money into it, whatever it takes to save your slice of the market right VW. Trouble is there is enough experience with the good and bad of Apple for the general public to still be willing to give an Apple car a try. That and there are enough desperate youtubers looking to monetize anything they can get their hands on to avoid regular jobs.
Not bringing up iPhone as what the possible Apple car may be, we are using it as an example of when incumbents have taken Apple lightly in the past, only to get steamrolled in the market. Most likely won't happen to the likes of VW, but its still not a wise position to take Apple lightly in anything. Sure they have made mistakes (Ping anyone?) but I would still look at Apple as a potential threat and try to stay ahead of the curve in terms of design, functionality,etc. if I were in the auto manufacturing business.
I don’t think there will be a car.
Maybe it exists in testing but no plans for to release one.
The problem is auto companies are notoriously corrupt.
They become monsters and attract the worst executives in the world. Nazi executives, crack head executives, bad accounting, fake data scandals.
If Apple was going to make a car it would have to create a separate company with a name of a different Apple.
If the car was made under Apple Corp then within 10-15 years the executive culture would become corrupted and destroy all their products and reputation.
Maybe it exists in testing but no plans for to release one.
The problem is auto companies are notoriously corrupt.
They become monsters and attract the worst executives in the world. Nazi executives, crack head executives, bad accounting, fake data scandals.
If Apple was going to make a car it would have to create a separate company with a name of a different Apple.
If the car was made under Apple Corp then within 10-15 years the executive culture would become corrupted and destroy all their products and reputation.
This is a major issue for Apple. Apple likes gross profit margins around 35-40% with net around 20%. Car manufacturers typically have net profit margins in the mid single digits. Enough services with high margins can offset lower car margins but it would be a challenge.
Then again, companies like Dell have net margins in the mid single digits so Apple could make it work with higher margins and be successful.
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I'm a VW driver. I happen to LIKE the way VW interfaces look and feel. I really don't want Apple taking that over. I really like having CarPlay, but I don't want them to take anything more than that.
When I saw them talking about taking over the whole interface, I just felt that was a little too much. If they want to do that, they should make their own car.
When I saw them talking about taking over the whole interface, I just felt that was a little too much. If they want to do that, they should make their own car.
I think Apple is still developing tech for a self driving electric car. I think they’re now seeing CarPlay as a way to gain leverage with automakers. Maybe the automakers will give up and integrate Apple software. If that fails, then they’ll just bring out the big guns, project Titan. With this data link between iPhone and the car, I think we’ll definitely get a USB-C iPhone before the end of 2023.
There is. But there’s more in hardware as well.
Apple has always been a hardware company (with integrated software).
But will it be able to run Android Auto?
I don't know that many people, well anyone really, who continues to pay for the car manufacturer's inbuilt satnav or liver services software after the introductory period when they start asking for more money because Carplay and Android Auto does such a good job. I would have severe reservations if Apple locked their car ecosystem (if they are indeed developing that) and force users to pay a monthly subscription or loose access to feature and lock them out from using their free phone equivalents.
I don't know that many people, well anyone really, who continues to pay for the car manufacturer's inbuilt satnav or liver services software after the introductory period when they start asking for more money because Carplay and Android Auto does such a good job. I would have severe reservations if Apple locked their car ecosystem (if they are indeed developing that) and force users to pay a monthly subscription or loose access to feature and lock them out from using their free phone equivalents.
Actually China are knocking out electric cars at a volume never seen before. We've never seen so many EV startup companies appearing, outside of China. Mobility is changing and its a really interesting industry. Mobility as a Service is coming where you can subscribe to your vehicle etc.
2007 mobile phones where a big thing, Nokia, Siemens, Sony Ericsson. Apple took the entire market, what Apple did with iPhone was quite extraordinary and no other company has yet been able to take over an industry like how Apple did with iPhone.
Have you driven a Tesla? They drive absolutely rubbish compared to a Mercedes, BMW and Audi EV but Tesla is worth more than either of those companies. Its all relative.
You can even white label an electric car these days, building an electric car is marginal costs if you was going to build a full petrol car.
Wireless charging pads is the car industry solution to that, when they can get the parts to build them into cars in the current climate
This is pretty much the norm in cars that support wireless CarPlay, isn't it? That's certainly how it works in mine. You can leave your phone in your pocket if you don't care about charging, or you set it on the car's built-in charging pad otherwise. Either is far easier and more intuitive than having to physically connect your phone to something.
Succinct and accurate.
And you already said it in your post, Apple isn’t just a hardware company, they’re a technology company. And I also just love it when Apple proves everybody else wrong.
I'm curious as to what revenue generation you're talking about? How much, if anything, does Apple charge car manufacturers for CarPlay? I was under the impression it wasn't meant as a revenue generator but as a way to extend the iPhone ecosystem/usefulness to the car.
In general, I agree. I've always thought that there's no way Apple would build a physical car - just not enough *profit* (vs. revenue) in it. Mass production car makers like VW make somewhere between 10-20% profit on each car. That's 50% less margin than Apple is used to (around 38%). I don't see Apple going into a business where they can't make 40% profit. If they tried that with high-priced items like cars, they wouldn't find many buyers - paying $200 more for an iPhone over an Android is one thing - paying $20k more for an iCar over another (that has CarPlay in it) is quite another, IMO.
Guess I’ll never buy a Volkswagen. Not that I ever would have to begin with.