GM ditching CarPlay could go bad, complain car dealers
GM ditching CarPlay could go bad, complain car dealers
GM's replacement for CarPlay is due at the end of 2023, but its dealers are in the dark about when that will be and what it will do to sales when buyers figure it out.
GM's replacement for CarPlay is due at the end of 2023, but its dealers are in the dark about when that will be and what it will do to sales when buyers figure it out.
Hmm. I really am struggling trying to predict the outcome here.
On the one hand, we have a ubiquitous FREE interface that is mature and works via your phone (that 99% of people already have and are familiar with with their own custom music playlists) and is updated constantly.
On the other hand, we have a PAID interface that sucks donkey dick in usability with little to no customization or upgrade ability and will need to be managed completely separately from your phone.
The entire executive team should be escorted out of GM headquarters after receiving swirlies.
When I was at a Holden dealer, CarPlay (and Android Auto) would sell cars.
Customers would wander in, drooling over a cars performance, styling, economy, luxury etc. they’re oils then ask about CarPlay (or Android Auto): if the car did not have it, they would go cold straight away and just walk straight out the door, without even thanking the salesman for their time.
GM has previously said that people who buy a new GM electric vehicle will get access to features such as Google Maps for free — for eight years. After that, GM expects people to subscribe for what they used to get free with CarPlay, and ultimately sees it giving GM a potential $25 billion revenue stream.
My ten year old Chevy Volt just lost connectivity a few months ago because of the 3g phase out, leading me to unsubscribe from Onstar. How many years of subscriptions are GM planning to have before the next network phase out?
And anyone who used GM's in-dash maps knows they can't be trusted to keep their products updated lol
I've worked in this space in the past, and unless car manufacturers have significantly improved their UX chops this will go terribly. Further, this just seems like an opportunity for GM to further DLC'ify the car. Generally Android Auto and Car Play would be standard on even the lowest models, but now you might have to pay a monthly subscription to access this
It will go bad. For my own part, I will not buy a car without AA/Carplay. The whole benefit of AA/Carplay is that I can take my infotainment with me and share a car or two without having to mess around with more logins/security etc. Especially with an inferior interface...
Total deal breaker for me. I got to play around with Android Auto for a few minutes and it blew me away. There's no way GM can do better.
That said, I did have one person tell me that they preferred Ford's maps over CarPlay's and another was annoyed that they had to plug in their phone to activate CarPlay.
Ditching features that consumers desire could lead to lower sales. More at 11.
My first GM vehicle was a C7 Chevrolet Corvette. I wanted it since it was announced in 2014 but held out until 2016 when it finally got CarPlay. I’ve since traded it in for the 2020 C8 Corvette that also has CarPlay. I bought a dongle that enables wireless CarPlay so I don’t even need to plug it in.
I absolutely love my Corvette and would be interested in buying the next generation. However, I will not consider it or any other GM vehicle if CarPlay is dropped. It is a mandatory feature for me.
I recently got a Kia with Android Auto and my Tesla-driving brother is jealous that I can use Google Maps on a big screen, with no extra car mount.
Please do the world a favor and die already, GM.
Oh look, another reason for me to not buy GM cars. Not that I was going to buy one either way.
I have 4 vehicles you know what all of them have in common regardless of the year? Apple Carplay/Android Auto and backup cameras.
If any manufacturer believes their shit maps and apps are better than Android or Apple they can fuck right off. I will hack or replace every system in my cars.
CarPlay best play.
I own a GM car and the head unit is buggy as hell. There’s no way they are going to be able to pull this off.
My Miata shipped without CarPlay. When Mazda added support it later they had to replace one USB port ($12 part) and an hour of labor.
They charged $350. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I haven’t met an OEM interface that didn’t make me want to stab myself in the eye.
I have a Chevrolet. I won't buy another vehicle that I can't use my Android phone in.
Can someone explain what exactly carplay/Android auto do? I've seen a lot about them recently but have yet to fully understand what they are, besides that they are for interfacing with a car.
My experience with connecting phones to my (parent's) cars is just using Bluetooth to connect and play music from the car speakers and receive calls and texts over it but that's about it. The cars are both Toyota RAV4s, one fully ICE one hybrid.
Thanks for further solidifying the fact that I'll never buy a GM car or truck. Good job, ya idiots.
Of course it will go bad. This is the most obvious stupid move I've seen in a while.
Test
TIL there’s an upside to GM ditching CarPlay. Fuck car dealers!
It's fascinating reading all of the responses here. I've never driven a car with Android Auto or CarPlay, and only use my phone for music and maps infrequently while in the car (with an aftermarket Bluetooth adapter). So I guess I don't really know what I'm missing. I have absolutely no doubt that GM's software wouldn't be as good as connecting up to your phone, but I just have a hard time imagining that being the deciding factor on buying a car or not.