General Motors Hires Former Apple Executive to Lead Software After Announcing Plans to Nix CarPlay

[gleepskip]

Pretty funny. The small percentage of apple enthusiasts on mac rumors are all up in arms about GM’s decision. Don’t buy a GM then. The other 50+ million GM drivers won’t even notice. GM will not cease to exist and it will still sell a boatload of vehicles.

See this survey from 2017. Six years later, I can't imagine those "must have" numbers have remained static. It's not just MR geeks who want CarPlay.

Consumer interest in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - U.S. survey 2017 | Statista

This graph illustrates the results of a 2017 survey conducted among 1,503 vehicle owners regarding their interest in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

www.statista.com

 

[topdrawer]

just give me an AUX jack. lol

 

[alexandr]

Will they call this Orange CarWork or smth?

 

[mrr]

The number one thing that Tesla owners hate about their car? No Apple CarPlay.

 

[jz0309]

Abbott's role at GM will encompass several key functions, including information and digital technology, software-defined vehicle and operating systems, and the company's digital business.

it's gonna take them years to figure this out, if ever. Meanwhile, pissing customers off by not offering CarPlay will wake up these execs when they miss their bonuses ...

 

[JMStearnsX2]

Dumb move on GMs part but I'm guessing Mike Abbott threw out a ridiculous salary number and GM said yes.

TBH I want less tech in my cars and trucks and not more. Everything is becoming super annoying and expensive to fix.

I drive an early 2000's SUV, and I'll keep it until there are no longer parts to repair it. The visibility out all windows is exception compared to modern cars, and I can actually do the repairs myself...

 

[turbineseaplane]

just give me an AUX jack. lol

"Enable your Aux Jack, starting at $9.99/month"

 

[turbineseaplane]

I drive an early 2000's SUV, and I'll keep it until there are no longer parts to repair it. The visibility out all windows is exception compared to modern cars

Such an underrated point (about visibility)
I don't understand what's going on with the pillar size and lack of visibility on modern cars.

I wonder ... are they all getting heavier (since they all seem to be getting bigger) and it ends up necessitating more structure and thus the visibility keeps taking a hit?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Another former Apple executive that’s not a producer. Interesting.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Pretty funny. The small percentage of apple enthusiasts on mac rumors are all up in arms about GM’s decision. Don’t buy a GM then. The other 50+ million GM drivers won’t even notice. GM will not cease to exist and it will still sell a boatload of vehicles.

The problem for GM, if it hasn’t been mentioned, is that iPhone owners make up a disproportionate number of new car buyers. And, if Apple is correct in that most folks with iPhones prefer CarPlay, then GM are shutting themselves out of a large section of the new car buying market.

 

[Candy Apple+ Nutz]

Mike: I don’t think GMPlay is gonna work, y’all…

 

[TVreporter]

Abbott: Wait - you guys dumped Carplay? I thought I was hired to improve it in your cars!

 

[Mousse]

TBH I want less tech in my cars and trucks and not more. Everything is becoming super annoying and expensive to fix.

Too true. Electronics is always the first thing to fail on cars.☹️ My newest car is a 2013 Odyssey; everything works perfectly, except the electrical systems. The power door sometimes doesn't want to open and I have to manually open it.😩 My 1999 Tacoma--power nut'in'--has "no issues."😊 Tacomas have well earned reputation, IMO.😎 Well the crappy radio doesn't work, but then I don't use the radio so "no issues."

 

[Realityck]

I drive an early 2000's SUV, and I'll keep it until there are no longer parts to repair it. The visibility out all windows is exception compared to modern cars, and I can actually do the repairs myself...

Locally I notice a shift away from EV vehicles in Silicon Valley. Sure there are quite a few that leased Teslas, EV Mustangs, and other examples for awhile, but find the cost vs driving anywhere to be really not advantageous. So perhaps GM which ditched its economical Bolt and concentrated into EV SUV and EV Trucks will discover that the charm of the EV marketplace is not a diamond anymore to consumers. Consumers like choice.

 

[TwinkieHeist]

I hate where the auto industry is going. This will likely backfire because they aren't listening to consumers and what they want. I have always hated OEM infotainment systems in vehicles, now you are building one to more closely track me to gather data off of me and force me to pay more or for a subscription to use it. No worries, I just need Bluetooth and a phone holder.

 

[Lioness~]

I don't think he's allowed to blink even once.

Never forget the #appletoo movement.
He might have left because he wanted to blink more than Apple allowed him too 😉

Just because I love my Apple products, I don't carry illusions about Apple as a workplace.
Personally I wouldn't dream of working for Apple, or Tim Cook for that matter. Absolutely not!

 

[TwinkieHeist]

I guess I don't really understand why car manufacturers are interested in mucking around this part of the car experience rather than leaving it to more experienced companies to do it. Maybe they see this as encroaching on their domain?

The same reason tech companies think they can. Data and control.

 

[macduke]

"We'll hire the cloud infrastructure guy for a software product that is UX-first." said nobody ever except GM.

GM wants to build the iPhone of cars where you can buy into a bunch of services in the ecosystem and have the car be your central hub. That's not how our society or culture work, though. The devices we carry with us ARE the central hub and the devices we use during the day should act as extensions of that hub.

I've suddenly found myself in the market for a new vehicle and I'm not looking at anything that doesn't have CarPlay, which in 2023 really isn't anyone. My top pick right now is a Kia Telluride SX X-Line but for some reason it only has wired CarPlay? For as nice as the car is, that is strange, especially since it has wireless charging pads. Fortunately you can buy an $80 box to convert it to wireless. Whatever.

 

[timber]

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

GM is not famous in Europe because they ran away .

 

[2REPOU]

Subscription services are where the money is. Selling a car is a one time transaction with very tight margins. Warranty costs money and people don't return for maintenance post warranty. Electric cars have even less maintenance. Subscriptions are a recurring sale. Recently, the longer finance terms are slowing down the trading cycle reducing the sale opportunity. We will see more of this and the more packaging of the use of physical options (heated seats, more power, more features, better range, remote start, nav etc.) being subscription related

 

[lazyrighteye]

I guess I don't really understand why car manufacturers are interested in mucking around this part of the car experience rather than leaving it to more experienced companies to do it. Maybe they see this as encroaching on their domain?

It's all always about money. Period.
I think it is weird GM would completely drop CarPlay and Android Auto support. Sure, make your own in-house option. Have it enabled as the default. But leave CarPlay and Android Auto capability intact. If they were confident in their solution, they would go that route. But clearly there aren't - which his why they are completely dropping CarPlay and Android Auto support and forcing GM buyers into their solution. Seems lame.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I really hope the EV modification of existing cars continues to ramp up

There are so many cool things happening in that space, and I find myself as someone who wants the most basic car possible -- but with an EV "underneath" essentially

 

[tivoboy]

I wonder if his contract with GM included a carve out that said he didn’t have to SELL HIS TESLA!? I’ll be on the lookout for a Cadillac LYRIQ

 

[bayportbob]

well it matters not to me... I do not buy GM vehicles....

 

[coredev]

Pretty funny. The small percentage of apple enthusiasts on mac rumors are all up in arms about GM’s decision. Don’t buy a GM then. The other 50+ million GM drivers won’t even notice. GM will not cease to exist and it will still sell a boatload of vehicles.

They are dropping Google Car as well. So not only a few people here at MR, but basically everyone using a smart phone.