Call me old fashioned (or just old) but your job as a driver is to DRIVE. Being distracted by entertainment is simply irresponsible.
Geez, Larry. It has been a minute since the horse and buggy days, which must be the "good ole days" you're yearning for. A telephone was first installed in a car in 1910. Radios have been cars in the early 1920s. CB radios went into trucks in the 1940s. FM radios arrived in the 1950s. The first 8-track tape decks in 1965. The first GPS in 1990. So, unless you're the world's oldest human who drove a horse back in the day, entertainment has been a part of driving cars almost from the very beginning.
A telephone was first installed in a car in 1910? - maybe with a long cable.
I believe the first car telephone (commercial) was 1946 - Motorola with limited service in Chicago provided by the Bell System.
I can understand not allowing next gen CarPlay to take over the full dash like some other brands are, but dropping CarPlay entirely as an option seems like a bad choice.
This is letting the ad company that love eating customer data take over the full dash instead. The ideal mode would be to let customers decide which they prefer. I believe Apple’s solutions does that. This does not.
Enshittification at work at GM, fearing more carmakers will follow this marketing model. The market will have them learn if this is a good decision. Or is it some back firing april fools joke?
To be honest, I would never buy a device which needs an iPhone for its functioning (like apple watch). But I hate subscription models even more. This is really a no go for me.
Fully understand GM. Never wanted a device dependent on another device. That’s why I never liked the Apple watch. However, I also don’t want a subscription based car entertainment system. I think I stick to my 2002 Lexus LX470 for the foreseeable future…:)
You don’t like devices that are dependent on other devices, but you are okay with devices that are wholly dependent on other services … such as your phone’s relationship to cellular & wi-fi, your home’s dependence on electricity and water, or your Lexus model’s addiction to gasoline and mechanics …
But even putting that aside … car manufacturers have for decades now had their own infotainment systems in cars, and some of them had subscriptions before, like Sirius or OnStar. The difference was that if you plugged in an iPhone or Android phone, you could CHOOSE to override the generally-poor built-in system with a vastly superior system from Apple or Google. Both are fine, one collects and sells a lot of data on you and the other doesn’t, but they are both designed with users in mind and are highly functional.
That’s not what is happening here: GM is planning to remove the option for your phone’s apps and services to override the built-in infotainment system, and they don’t give a flying crap if you like it or not. Not only will data be collected and sold by both GM and Google, but you’ll pay extra for the privilege, and even more later if you hold onto the car for more than eight years.
If that sounds good to you … you must be a GM executive who’s going to get a big bonus for thinking up such a consumer-hostile idea.
The more I think about this, the more I think it’s a fear based political move. Apple has been working on their own car for a while now. It has to be getting close. So GM and the others removing customer choice thinking they’re “sticking it to Apple” as a competitor.
All they’re really doing is failing to read the room.
This is strictly my personal opinion, but I doubt very very much that Apple is working on becoming a car maker. I don’t think there will be Apple dealerships where you buy an Apple Car, or take it to an Apple Store (now with a garage and mechanics) to get an oil change. Car manufacturing requires factories, and they’d have to have started on the permitting of those about 15 years ago to have any hope of having a factory ready to open during this decade.
I think what we saw teased at last year’s WWDC is not the whole picture, but the general plan Apple has — to enhance and further improve the driving experience of other companies’ cars, the way CarPlay and CarKey does right now. They’ve signed up a tonne of car manufacturers for next-gen CarPlay already, but they’re going to directly compete against those same partners the years ahead by making their own car?? No. Simply, no.
Another possible option is that Apple will partner with one or a few manufacturers exclusively — let’s say Mercedes for example, since upscale car makers are more likely than low-end car makers — to fully redesign the driving experience. Luxury car makers can read surveys, so they know that the vast majority of car buyers love CarPlay, and they know that compatibility with CarPlay or Android Auto is a must-have for most new car buyers (and by most I mean around 80 percent). I can’t account for why GM doesn’t get this, except for greed mixed with stupidity.
Apple might well make a prototype car to show interested partners the technology and maybe show off their concepts to the public, but no I don’t think I’ll be buying an Apple Car in my lifetime.*
I have driven a Buick since 2007 - one new, then a used one. I would love to have CarPlay in my vehicle. I absolutely abhor the subscription model. I dropped both OnStar and Serius XM radio because they used subscriptions. I will never subscribe to Apple Music because of the monthly payment. I know, you probably think I am an old curmudgeon. I am older but I do have the dollars to buy a new vehicle and GM just lost all chance of me buying a new Buick. I won't even comment on the gathering of personal data other that to say I will never permit it when I have a choice. Incredibly bad move GM!
Oh god, you don't subscribe to Apple Music so you have no need for Car Play yet you will never buy another GM car because of this. And the article clearly states that this only applies to their EVs, NOT combustion powered vehicles which they don't plan on stopping production of until 2035. If anything this move will INCREASE the sales of GM combustion powered vehicles and IMPEDE the sales of their EVs. Twelve years is a long time to reconsider you know.
I've heard some batshit crazy logic before but yours tastes the cake.
You do realize CarPlay is more than just an outlet for your Apple Music subscription, right? Navigation, non-subscription music, podcasts, news. Put down the rental koolaide
Fully understand GM. Never wanted a device dependent on another device. That’s why I never liked the Apple watch. However, I also don’t want a subscription based car entertainment system. I think I stick to my 2002 Lexus LX470 for the foreseeable future…:)
...car manufacturers have for decades now had their own infotainment systems in cars, and some of them had subscriptions before...
That’s not what is happening here: GM is planning to remove the option for your phone’s apps and services to override the built-in infotainment system, and they don’t give a flying crap if you like it or not. Not only will data be collected and sold by both GM and Google, but you’ll pay extra for the privilege,
After all these years I still never tire of your fairytales.
I agree $11 a month for Apple Music is steep but this really is a boneheaded move. I had two GM vehicles. A 1989 Oldsmobile and 2005 Impala. Olds lasted me 26 years but Chevy only last 10. I hear the newer ones are even worse!
I and my family have owned Toyota vehicles for decades (still drive a 2011 Prius and 2002 Tacoma PU), but I'll never purchase another one because of their long standing obstinance to include Apole CarPlay (they now offer it in most models). This is a huge mistake for GM - but then again I have never purchased a GM car or truck. I have a Tesla Cybertruck slot (expect delivery in early 2024) - but if Elon doesn't get on board with CarPlay I'll probably opt out.
”…expect delivery in early 2024” LoL
Im a Tesla driver and cared less of Carplay just because Tesla don’t have it, Apple music integration is quiet abysmal too so connectivity w iphone or Android is good enough for me.
When GM says they want to generate $25B/year from subscription fees, that's probably a typo. I think GM makes about $8B/year from selling vehicles. The idea that a subscription service that works inside those vehicles can result in triple the profit of making all those cars and trucks seems ludicrous. It was probably a typo, and should have said "GM wants to generate $25 million/year from subscription fees."
Unless you replace your car with a new one every 5 years, the hardware, and thus the software it runs, will be rendered obsolete by cell phones which are on a shorter replacement cycle than cars. That's why only fools buy built in GPS with their cars.
Honda is going to be using GM's Ultium battery platform for their Prologue EV which would also be supporting next-gen CarPlay. That's one option for dodging the issue while still getting a solid EV battery tech.
Comments
I believe the first car telephone (commercial) was 1946 - Motorola with limited service in Chicago provided by the Bell System.
But even putting that aside … car manufacturers have for decades now had their own infotainment systems in cars, and some of them had subscriptions before, like Sirius or OnStar. The difference was that if you plugged in an iPhone or Android phone, you could CHOOSE to override the generally-poor built-in system with a vastly superior system from Apple or Google. Both are fine, one collects and sells a lot of data on you and the other doesn’t, but they are both designed with users in mind and are highly functional.
That’s not what is happening here: GM is planning to remove the option for your phone’s apps and services to override the built-in infotainment system, and they don’t give a flying crap if you like it or not. Not only will data be collected and sold by both GM and Google, but you’ll pay extra for the privilege, and even more later if you hold onto the car for more than eight years.
I think what we saw teased at last year’s WWDC is not the whole picture, but the general plan Apple has — to enhance and further improve the driving experience of other companies’ cars, the way CarPlay and CarKey does right now. They’ve signed up a tonne of car manufacturers for next-gen CarPlay already, but they’re going to directly compete against those same partners the years ahead by making their own car?? No. Simply, no.
Apple might well make a prototype car to show interested partners the technology and maybe show off their concepts to the public, but no I don’t think I’ll be buying an Apple Car in my lifetime.*
To GM: There is no way in hell I would buy a car from you and pay a monthly/annual subscription fee!
I’m sure I’m joined by millions when I say, go screw yourself!
https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/06/gm-aims-to-build-netflix-sized-subscription-business-by-2030/
GM will soon regret this.
https://www.electrive.com/2022/10/07/honda-reveals-prologue-design-on-ultium-platform/