Buick, GMC vehicles to adopt Apple's CarPlay for 2016 model year

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2015
General Motors on Tuesday announced plans to bring Apple CarPlay to still more vehicles, this time to its Buick and GMC brands, which will get the technology in the 2016 model year.




The first Buick vehicles with CarPlay will be the LaCrosse and Regal, while initial GMC entries will include the Canyon, Sierra, and Yukon. Both brands will also be getting support for Android Auto, but not until later on, reflecting GM's general prioritization of CarPlay.

The automaker's first-ever CarPlay-ready vehicle, the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, began production just this week. A total of 14 Chevy vehicles will support the platform by the end of the year. Another GM brand, Cadillac, will see the "majority" of 2016 models get support.

In March Apple announced that CarPlay would be available on 40 more vehicles in 2015, a large portion of which now appear to be tied to GM. Apart from GM offerings, the only car on sale with CarPlay built in is the Ferrari FF.

Many other companies have nevertheless signed on for the platform, such as Ford, Honda, Toyota, Dodge, and Kia. Compatible aftermarket receivers are being sold by Alpine and Pioneer.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Apple will need to add better support for the 1940's music for the Buick drivers. :D

    EDIT: And a Siri warning that says' 'You are exceeding 20 m.p.h."
  • Reply 2 of 22

    Well I guess I'm sticking with my shitty Pioneer head unit, then. I'd rather use that for CarPlay than buy a GM car.

  • Reply 3 of 22
    konqerrorkonqerror Posts: 685member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Apple will need to add better support for the 1940's music for the Buick drivers. image

     

    Chinese music. Buick is big in China. They really are an ideal car for being stuck in city traffic or driving over lousy roads.

  • Reply 4 of 22
    EDIT: And a Siri warning that says' 'You are exceeding 20 m.p.h."

    That's your mother-in-laws job.
  • Reply 5 of 22
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    konqerror wrote: »
    Chinese music. Buick is big in China. They really are an ideal car for being stuck in city traffic or driving over lousy roads.

    OK, maybe that ... but more chance of being seen in one though! ;)

    I am just joshing, I'm sure they are fine but here in SW Florida during snow bird season, if you are stuck behind a car going 20 m.p.h. you can bet it's a Buick 99 times out of 100. Oh and you can rarely see a driver, just hands on the steering wheel, occasionally some blue hair.
  • Reply 6 of 22
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    That's your mother-in-laws job.

    She'd be a Buick drive most likely! ;)
  • Reply 7 of 22
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member

    When I was 26, I bought a brand new Buick that I kept for 7 years. I loved that car and my friends thought it was cool. Previously, I bought a new car every year or two. This was years ago before I realized how much more reliable Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus were and how much better they hold their resale value compared to "domestic" brands. I used to be a huge GM fan, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to buy another one knowing what I know now. With that said, kudos to GM for implementing AirPlay. Hopefully, this will encourage other manufacturers to quickly follow.

  • Reply 8 of 22
    Whew, these car makers move fast! 2 years to adjust their models for an entertainment system. I can see why engine technology takes decades to change...
  • Reply 9 of 22
    waterrocketswaterrockets Posts: 1,231member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Apple will need to add better support for the 1940's music for the Buick drivers. image



    EDIT: And a Siri warning that says' 'You are exceeding 20 m.p.h."

     

    "Your left turn signal is still on."

    "Whaaaa?"

    "Your left turn signal is still on."

    "Whaaaa?"

    "Your left turn signal is still on."

  • Reply 10 of 22
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by waterrockets View Post

     

     

    "Your left turn signal is still on."

    "Whaaaa?"

    "Your left turn signal is still on."

    "Whaaaa?"

    "Your left turn signal is still on."


    Haha! This is one reason why GM added a turn signal reminder chime back in the mid-90s. If you keep driving about 3/4 mile with your signal on, a chime starts sounding. I haven't owned a GM vehicle in years, but I assume they still do that.

  • Reply 11 of 22
    Can someone explain why existing infotainment systems can't be updated to support CarPlay? Honda's new systems can be updated via CD if you take it into a dealer. Any chance they would be able to update the system to work with CarPlay or is it really a hardware change?
  • Reply 12 of 22
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johnfrombeyond View Post



    Whew, these car makers move fast! 2 years to adjust their models for an entertainment system. 



    You do realize that Apple is most likely already hard at work on iPhone 7 which won't be released for two years?

  • Reply 13 of 22
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     



    You do realize that Apple is most likely already hard at work on iPhone 7 which won't be released for two years?




    Maybe I don't fully understand the complexity, but doesn't the phone you attach contain all the "smarts" and do the heavy lifting? Seems like you just need to provide a screen for it, a connection, and make use of existing hands-free controls on the steering wheel etc. that already exist for bluetooth systems. Or not, just rely on the touch screen for all control and it would be like installing any other third party stereo unit (many of which have their own touch screens these days). They just require a power connection and speakers, right?

     

    I'm sure Apple has provided reference designs. And I'd guess that the car makers could and should just contract with electronic makers to do all the work. This is just a good example of how slowly things happen in the automotive industry...

  • Reply 14 of 22
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by photodenk View Post



    Can someone explain why existing infotainment systems can't be updated to support CarPlay? Honda's new systems can be updated via CD if you take it into a dealer. Any chance they would be able to update the system to work with CarPlay or is it really a hardware change?

    Can you provide a source for which Honda models currently in production can currently be upgraded to support CarPlay? I didn't think so. Last year, Honda said that some 2015 models would be able to be upgraded to support CarPlay. That didn't happen. Now, they're saying it's coming for some 2016 models. Well, the 2016 models are already appearing (HR-V and Pilot) and there is still no CarPlay support.

  • Reply 15 of 22
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johnfrombeyond View Post

     



    Maybe I don't fully understand the complexity, but doesn't the phone you attach contain all the "smarts" and do the heavy lifting? Seems like you just need to provide a screen for it, a connection, and make use of existing hands-free controls on the steering wheel etc. that already exist for bluetooth systems. 


    It might be that simple but the design and engineering gets locked a couple years out. They don't usually change the specs after they finalize the design unless something is broken. They sign contracts with suppliers pretty far in advance as well. They also have to test everything very carefully or open themselves up to potential product recalls. Those infotainment units are quite complex as they integrate all the various sensors and computers onboard. Plus it is not just CarPlay they also have to make it work with QNX and Android.

  • Reply 16 of 22
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    It might be that simple but the design and engineering gets locked a couple years out. They don't usually change the specs after they finalize the design unless something is broken. They sign contracts with suppliers pretty far in advance as well. They also have to test everything very carefully or open themselves up to potential product recalls. Those infotainment units are quite complex as they integrate all the various sensors and computers onboard. Plus it is not just CarPlay they also have to make it work with QNX and Android.




    Makes sense.

     

    I have also been wondering if CarPlay was delayed in order to support both CarPlay and the android equivalent at the same time. It seemed that the android thingy was a half-baked copycat technology when announced, but I could be wrong there. If I'm right, it may have delayed support for CarPlay so that the carmakers could kill two birds with one stone.

  • Reply 17 of 22
    djkfisherdjkfisher Posts: 130member



    Too funny, but you are obviously way out of touch with who is driving Buicks in this day and age.  Good thing you are not in marking for Apple :)

  • Reply 18 of 22
    waterrocketswaterrockets Posts: 1,231member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by djkfisher View Post

     



    Too funny, but you are obviously way out of touch with who is driving Buicks in this day and age.


     

    57-year-olds, on average. (as of 2013, which isn't this day, but it is this age)

  • Reply 19 of 22
    konqerrorkonqerror Posts: 685member

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by photodenk View Post



    Can someone explain why existing infotainment systems can't be updated to support CarPlay? Honda's new systems can be updated via CD if you take it into a dealer. Any chance they would be able to update the system to work with CarPlay or is it really a hardware change?




     

    My understanding is that Carplay works just like Airplay or the VGA/HDMI dongles. It streams H.264 compressed video. That means the unit needs to have H.264 decoders. Beyond the licensing issue, the stereo systems use things like 400 MHz ARM processors, so they need to have a hardware core.

     

    Also, if MFi licensing is required, Apple requires the use of a hardware authentication chip.

  • Reply 20 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    Makes sense.

    I have also been wondering if CarPlay was delayed in order to support both CarPlay and the android equivalent at the same time. It seemed that the android thingy was a half-baked copycat technology when announced, but I could be wrong there. If I'm right, it may have delayed support for CarPlay so that the carmakers could kill two birds with one stone.
    http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/28/organizational-strife-said-to-bedevil-apples-ios-in-the-car-intiative
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