GM apparently has its head in the clouds, instead of staying grounded with what most consumers utilize. Time will tell whether they recant this move later.
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General Motors Hires Former Apple Executive to Lead Software After Announcing Plans to Nix CarPlay
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It says right there in the article:
Just like Apple is not fond of alternatives to their App Store in iOS, GM will not offer alternatives to their new infotainment system that could jeopardize their revenue.
No CarPlay, no GM. It’s as easy as that.
It really does make sense that many folks want CarPlay.
After all, unless GM is going to start making their own phones and people are going to adopt GM phones, folks are using either Android or iPhone which both goes with them INSIDE a car AND OUTSIDE a car. I think few people want to migrate their entertainment device to the car when they enter a car. Seems like a whole lot of pain.
I love using CarPlay in my car, but basically I need it for Waze, FlitsMeister, Apple Music and occasionally to call someone.
If a car-maker has these built in and does it well, I am okay with it.
So an internal "live maps app" (including traffic and speed-traps) with Apple Music (or Spotify) and a bluetooth connection with iPhone, is okay for me.
If a car-maker has these built in and does it well, I am okay with it.
So an internal "live maps app" (including traffic and speed-traps) with Apple Music (or Spotify) and a bluetooth connection with iPhone, is okay for me.
GM really shot themselves in the foot with this! Rather than admit it, they'll likely spend millions and then fall flat on their faces and relent to the masses. No GM's for me!!
I would have thought it would be easier to customise the Apple CarPlay experience for GM than create a completely different infotainment system. How frustrating it will be to get into a car where you have to learn how to work the system. In large cities like in here in Berlin, a lot of people use car-sharing apps. The cars I've used all have Apple CarPlay: VW IDs and Audis, Mercedes etc. I doubt people here in Europe would wish to learn the infotainment system of each car company and I'm sure car-sharing companies here wouldn't wish to pay a subscription to GM.
I have a Ford Fiesta and never bought whatever subscription model that came with whatever software was part of the dashboard. But get this....
The Fiesta also has a number of free built-in services that includes sending data to a server and the data is interpreted and can be viewed/collected/stored then back on your phone. It's roughly something like that. The data, as I recall, has to do with checking to make sure the vehicle is operating normally (I think they called it a Vehicle Health Report). ANYWAYS...maybe some 3 or 4 years after we bought our Fiesta, Ford phased out the server(s) and protocols for this system so now whenever you hit the button for the car to check the vehicle and generate a Vehicle Health Report, you'll hear the car dial a phone number, connecting, then a verbal feedback that it is no longer in service and maybe even something about try again.
This. Is. So. STUPID! It totally cheapens the entire experience. When that service went kaput, the car wasn't more than like 5 years old so still quite new!!!!
It's like car manufacturers don't realize that digital experiences require frequent and constant upgrade for maintenance. It's not like hardware where you build it and you're done (ok some physical repairs, but that's different). Is GM ready to make sure they continue to maintain the software features? If they don't, they should realize that the hardware (the car) will outlast the software if that software also requires server-side input.
I really don't care for the Vehicle Health Report feature, but Ford was advertising about all these connected/digital experiences which after a number of years turns out to be a total flop that they didn't even support. Cheap. Stupid.
EDIT: It just occurred to me that it looks like many companies are willing to cheapen themselves just to earn a few more bucks. Unrelated/related: look at the airline situation where more and more things are being monetized and therefore the entire company and the experience they provide as standard looks more and more cheap. To me, it's not really the case of, "if you want more value, then pay more for it". Instead, it has the opposite effect where the company is indicating they are willing to lower their standards with the effect of making them look cheap rather than actually maintain standards or even increase standards without needing to look like they are try to earn cheap bucks here and there.
I think this is in part why that little red rug that they lay out for the first class passenger line looks so ridiculous AND cheap. It's precisely because they have cheapened the standard and to pretend those paying more are actually getting some value, they lay out a dirty ragged old red rug as a symbol of "this is where first-class passenger stand" but yeah...it still looks cheap.
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It's understandable that car companies don't want to giver space in their own product to companies like Apple or Google but, oh boy, do they face an uphill battle at the current state of affairs.
If only they wouldn't see their cars UI as a way to get another rent they would have some chance.
If only they wouldn't see their cars UI as a way to get another rent they would have some chance.
For what it's worth. I didn't choose my phone because of what I drive. I didn't purchase my new truck because of the phone I use. These purchase are based on product loyalty. Integration via CarPlay is a convenience and nothing more.
The part that irks me about GM's decision is that it integrates Google and there won't be a way to disable it.
So true. It's like with each generation, the bar is lowered so that people accept more and more the new conditions because they haven't experienced what it used to be like or couldn't imagine how else it could have been.
It's like the subscription model for software. I'm kinda betting that in another 10 years, it'll be so common place that "we" all no longer remember really how it was possible that software used to be a one-time license purchase and just imagine that subscription is the only way to do. What that means is companies win. Individuals lose.
Enjoy the free money for a few years, Mike. They'll eventually realize this is a stupid idea and go back to Apple and can you though.
Anybody that buys a GM gets what they deserve anyway. Junk.
My guess is that GM anticipates that they can make the software (we'll call it GMAutorama) a subscription, with embedded ads they can sell to third parties. As you near a sponsored restaurant, for instance, a 15-20 second ad will pop up to remind you of that fact. And of course there will be a mostly ad free version for which they can charge you significantly more, along the lines of "This Autorama session brought to you by Cadillac, blah blah".
Heads they win, tails you lose.
What you will see is another boom in the aftermarket radio sector. As hard core GM people will still want their accessibility and ease of CarPlay.
Why à manufacturer like GM wants to stop CarPlay is beyond me…here in Europe GM is not very famous but in U.S it is huge I think , and since a large part of Americans own an iPhone this is against all logic
Alpine, Pioneer and the rest of the aftermarket sector will see a nice boom from all these manufacturers trying to get rid of iPhone accessibility.
Hey GM…good luck keeping up with all the software and hardware updates that you’re in-house solution won’t be privy to. 😂
They are like most car companies all about control and bilking as much annual money out of you for maintenance services and now tech services on your car. They make far more money there than they do the car they sell you. And if you think about it companies going more to services and subscriptions in tech world are doing the same including Apple with FCP and LP on the iPad.
Yes, it’s the same as how Wal-Mart and other stores still refuse to use Apple Pay thinking their solution is better.
Of course... the subscriptionification of everything continues and now extends into your cars. A monthly subscription to drive 200+ miles or more. Upgrade to Premium Plus to get heated seating and aircon too. Platinum level subscription gets you Sat Nav and parking assistance.
I wouldn't even be surprised to see this level of greed. Not only would this put me off ever getting a GM vehicle (if I even ever considered them in the first place), but I would certainly be ripping out the OEM Infotainment system and putting an aftermarket one in.
Reading the three reasons given in the last sentence of the article, it seems clear that they *think* they know what they’re doing. It’s just that what they want is consumer hostile. They don’t care what drivers of their cars want, they just want to milk them for recurring revenue.
This, by the way, is exactly the same shift in perspective I am afraid Apple is headed towards. The TV app redesign makes it clear that they definitely have that mentality as well.
The answer is in collecting data about drivers and how they drive. Clearly Apple don't allow this or even facilitate it through CarPlay and GM wants a way around it. So their new Infotainment System is gonna be a cloaked tracking box, basically.
Yeah, I think that's what most of the comments are suggesting, that they won't buy a GM. And while GM will still sell vehicles and some/many won't care, I do think enough of the new car-buying market will care. It's a real bummer to me because I really was interested in their new EV SUVs coming out, as my wife already has a Chevy with CarPlay. But no CarPlay support is likely a deal breaker for me, not only considering the number of podcasts I listen to but also thinking about what the hardware/app support is going to look like on these vehicles in a decade. I think GM is going to try to ignore this in the short term and hope it blows over, but I suspect they'll have to reverse course on this decision to some degree eventually. I could totally be wrong, but I think more people enjoy using software cast from their iPhones than they do the software from their cars.