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

[kerr]

My next car not only needs to support Apple CarPlay, it needs to support Apple Car Keys. Would not touch GM. Stupid decision from them.

 

[uptownjimmy]

General Motors (GM) has hired Mike Abbott, a former Apple executive responsible for the company's cloud services division, to lead a new software unit, just over a month after the automaker announced the controversial move to phase out Apple CarPlay on new vehicles (via CNBC).

After working at tech companies such as Twitter, Microsoft, and Palm, Apple hired Abbott in February 2018. He oversaw Apple's cloud infrastructure for services like iCloud, iMessage, and FaceTime before leaving the company in March.

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.

He will report directly to GM CEO Mary Barra. In a statement, Barra said "Mike's experience as a founder and entrepreneur coupled with his proven track record creating and delivering some of the market's most compelling software-defined solutions for consumers and companies make him an excellent fit at GM."

In March, GM announced plans to phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google. The move is expected to help the automaker gather more data about how consumers drive, incentivize vehicle-related digital subscription services, and create recurring revenue opportunities. Abbott is said to play a key role in implementing this strategy.

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

Time to short GM stocks. There's money to be made here.

 

[cmcbhi]

Last GM car I owned was a 1975Chevvy.
Sounds like I'll keep it that way.

 

[loungefly2022]

I'm looking to buy an EV sometime in the next year since I'm moving in the fall and will have a 150 mile round trip commute 3X a week for work. I really, really like the Blazer EV coming out this year and was set to get one since the price is relatively reasonable, but this is a deal breaker. I'll wait for something else.

 

[diamond.g]

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.

* don't want my car to feed the manufacturer detailed telemetry forever (the part he was probably actually hired for in mind)

These cars already have telematics that enables them to figure out where you are going regardless of what CarPlay "hides". Heck they could also figure out what you are listening to if they want (all these vehicles have to have microphones for handsfree to work). Realistically when CarPlay is even more integrated with the vehicle the manufacturer should be able to still see vehicle settings since the phone has to talk to the cars gateway to set settings the manufacturer will clearly be able to scrape that data.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Yes it is about money and yes it is lame. Google makes $billions scraping our personal data and GM will share in collecting and selling everything about drivers and their vehicles. Huge opportunity for corrupt theft of personal data.

None of the devices in my household have Google anything installed. There is no way I am ever buying a GM that comes bundled with Google-powered anything. I know the vast majority have no issue with Google. That's fine. I do. Seems a weird move to cut out so many potential customers. Anyway...

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Anybody that buys a GM gets what they deserve anyway. Junk

You might want to see how well GM managed itself out of the world car market and is now applying those same skills to its domestic market.

GM makes trucks and large size SUVs. Something the world market doesn’t have a big of a market for, the US HUGE market. In fact close to 50 states SUVs are the most popular vehicle. Maybe understand the demographic?

 

[cocky jeremy]

GM makes trucks and large size SUVs. Something the world market doesn’t have a big of a market for, the US HUGE market. In fact close to 50 states SUVs are the most popular vehicle. Maybe understand the demographic?

They're still junk. lol.

 

[jjwwqq]

Looks like I won’t be getting that GMC truck after all.

 

[slyronit]

So worked in apple for 1 month? It says joined in February 2018 and left in march.

 

[beermode]

Sadly, I have seen people go down the road of just buying into new subscription services and micro-payments for things that used to be free. Younger people are used to it and it gets worse and worse. I'm old and I will resist it. I hope others do too.

The motivation behind what GM is doing is money. Time will tell, but I doubt they will add anything better to the user exerience.

"You will own nothing and be happy." -WEF

 

[H2SO4]

So you're willing to pay for something you already pay for? This is double dipping. You have a cellphone you pay for your subscriptions you have a cell plan. You should not be paying again for the right to use what you have. You also should not have your person information sold for something you are spending 20K plus on.

Car compaines aren't software companies. Say it again. Not Software companies. You already pay the software company Apple/Streaming Provider/Cell Providers. The car is a car. That's the market they chose. My car will interface with my phone in a convient fashion. If you don't want to offer that someone else will.

I use Amazon Music via CarPlay daily for my long commute. I make phone calls via Carplay/Siri. I do not pay extra to do these things. These things are Hands Free. You sit there and talk about safety but you want people fumbling around with bluetooth and a mount to put the phone near the steering wheel that's likely going to fall while driving. All to do something that can be built into the car.

The problem was already solved. People aren't going to pay for things they already pay for unless they are stupid. People will continue to use what they already have on their phone. This is just going to reduce safety and move backwards. All so GM/Telsa/Whoever else can harvest data to make them undeserved money and double dip charge for things people already pay for once again undeserved profit.

Any of these companies could have their own infotainment system and tether to your phone to use the Cell Plan you already pay for. Tesla could let you log into the subscriptions you already have. They are doing this for one reason money. There is no logical reason to do this. There is no customer benefit. It's pure greed. They are looking at what people are willing to pay for and making you pay again. They are getting kickbacks not including every streaming service and not letting you use subscriptions you already have.

Do not support this behavior.

I have BT kit in my vehicle. Phone connects up as soon as I open the door and then I can voice dial if needed.
There is no fumbling whatsoever.
I have the option of the headlights that auto dim on my car, it helps me and it also helps YOU.
I have a heated windscreen. Eaaily a pick over Carplay, (for me if I had to choose).
I have a 360 degree camera. Eaaily a pick over Carplay, (for me if I had to choose).
I don't want to bore you ad nauseeum with the list of things that I find more useful, but I will say that when I get into a car I do it first and foremost to drive to a destination. I try and tailor options to make the driving experience, not the entertainment while driving as paramount.
For me. Being safe on the road is FAR more important than being entertained.

 

[H2SO4]

Nonsense. The creeps at GM that will be sharing users' personal data with Google for $$ might claim that, but it would be pure BS.

There aren't things in a vehicle that are HUGELY more important than CarPlay?
Before you answer please go to the websitre for your brand and peruse the options list.

 

[gleepskip]

There aren't things in a vehicle that are HUGELY more important than CarPlay?
Before you answer please go to the websitre for your brand and peruse the options list.

Prioritizing CarPlay doesn't limit a buyer to a tiny handful of auto manufacturer or models. I don't get your point at all. It's ubiquitous, unless you are shopping at GM for an EV or buying used.

 

[ric22]

All those screen in modern cars are horrible. Physical buttons were so much more comfortable. You used to have physical buttons to turn on the A/C, but today you have to either click through a menu or talk to your car. I hope that in a decade or so from now not having any screens in a car is a feature.

I like having a screen for sat nav, but jeeeeeze, I drove a rental car recently that buried volume control and climate control deep within sub menus... that stuff simply has to be available with physical buttons, or these idiotic car companies are going to cause accidents on the roads.

 

[Stromos]

They do. I use Apple Music in my Tesla every day.

And you pay 10 bucks a month to do it. Also great what about Amazon Music or any other not blessed service?

You are paying to use something you pay for.

 

[diamond.g]

And you pay 10 bucks a month to do it. Also great what about Amazon Music or any other not blessed service?

You are paying to use something you pay for.

You don’t have to pay for data access, you can tether your phone and get Apple Music.

 

[deebinem]

And you pay 10 bucks a month to do it. Also great what about Amazon Music or any other not blessed service?

Which is why I hold true to my penchant for keeping a “hard copy” of everything I listen to locally so I don’t have to pay for any of these services.

I mean if I was into flushing money down the drain every month, I’d have a pretty bad cocaine habit…

 

[deebinem]

For me. Being safe on the road is FAR more important than being entertained.

I wish more people out there were like you.

 

[7149041]

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?

They want to make money on subscriptions. Similar to how nowadays big chunk of Apple's revenue is digital services. Selling hardware can only take you so far, nowadays there are billions to be made in services/software.

That, plus they want to data mine the software usage and sell the data or otherwise profit from it.

 

[msackey]

They want to make money on subscriptions. Similar to how nowadays big chunk of Apple's revenue is digital services. Selling hardware can only take you so far, nowadays there are billions to be made in services/software.

That, plus they want to data mine the software usage and sell the data or otherwise profit from it.

You're probably right and it's a sad world we live in where every little thing is being monetized.

We are becoming modern day slaves in service of capitalism, rather than the other way around. Of course, there are a few in which capitalism serves them. Those are the top 1%.

 

[Henry S]

Who outside of GM thinks this is a good idea?

 

[Victor Mortimer]

All those screen in modern cars are horrible. Physical buttons were so much more comfortable. You used to have physical buttons to turn on the A/C, but today you have to either click through a menu or talk to your car. I hope that in a decade or so from now not having any screens in a car is a feature.

I WILL NOT own a car without screens. Before cars came with screens, MY car had screens. Back in the day it was a "carputer" that had to go in the trunk with cables to the dash. It was AMAZING when we got controls for AC and everything else hacked into the screen.

And now it's really nice not having to rip apart the dash to replace the idiotic analog speedometer with a screen because it already comes that way. It's great not having to pull the car apart to get it to do what I want.

I WILL NOT GO BACK. Take you physical buttons and shove them up your....

 

[seek3r]

I don't think that people are understanding since there's not enough information in these articles to get the idea around, but GM's abandoning Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto in favor of Google's Android Automotive, which is very much like Android Auto, but built natively into the device; IE, you don't need the phone anymore.

If people are against that, I'm not sure I understand why. Many cars already do that, like some of the more recent Volvo's, and reviewers have only praised them for having excellent infotainment systems. I can't help but think that this isn't a case of people actually disliking the move, but not realizing what's going on. Either that, or I'M not realizing what's going on, which is also very possible.

For one thing I dont want to feed detailed telemetry to GM? I want all my apps to be the same and all work the same? I want better phone call integration than a glorified bluetooth speaker? I want hardware upgrades to the infotainment system more often than I replace a car? I dont want to be obligates to pay for a subscription after a few years?

Also android automotive *can* support android auto and carplay, it’s literally built in, you can have both - GM is just not enabling it.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

They're still junk. lol.

Say what you will about them. They still will sell several million vehicles this year.