Even if Google (the technology partner on this suicide mission) could actually come up with something “better than CarPlay” — hint, they weren’t able to, see also Android Auto — they got this gig because they promised GM free access to all the data mining Google will be doing (and selling).
Not just what sort of music you listen to, but everything you do with the car: how fast you go, where you go, how long you spend on the road, your weight (from the seat sensors), and so much more. I guarantee that GM plans to introduce ads into the system as well as subscriptions, and that “subscription” is likely to cost at least $100 a year, if not a lot more.
Stock up on popcorn, kids, this bonfire oughta be a good one.
I had been highly considering a GM EV recently - decent price, decent performance for what I would need it for. Then this news broke and I went “nope”.
And then a week later they announced they were discontinuing the model I had been considering so it made the choice to not buy even easier.
I could have written this exact comment, word for word.
GM making its own infotainment system... what could go wrong? Maybe they need to go back and look at Ford Sync or Toyota prior to CarPlay for an example.
According to the linked article they are also ditching Android Auto so GM is running the risk of pissing off most of their consumer base. I'm sure there are a few octogenarians who won't mind that their Buick doesn't have CarPlay but the rest of their consumer base likely not be happy.
I own a Tesla Model Y. In general Tesla's infotainment interface is fairly good but I still miss CarPlay and it remains one of my main complaints with the car. More importantly for GM, when I tell others the response is usually a combination of surprise and disappointment. The sources quoted here have it exactly right - GM shouldn't mess with what's working. If (when) they mess this up I'm sure not a small number of buyers will look to the competition.
Your last comment is very insightful. It tells me that some, but not necessarily all, GM EV buyers will still purchase GM’s vehicles if the vehicles themselves and their homegrown infotainment systems are good enough to “forgive” the lack of CarPlay.
GM is already running a huge risk that their new vehicles may not generate customer demand. Removing an important accessory that would only help support their cause seems incrementally counterproductive. Granted, the inclusion of Apple CarPlay would not overcome the otherwise inadequacies of the vehicle itself, but why would they not try to stack the deck in their own favor by including a popular accessory that some buyers obviously relate to and see as a value add.
GM is once again putting a lot of their eggs in one basket and hoping that everything plays out in their favor. Whether it’s a bold move backed by overwhelming confidence in what they have in their design studio, or a classically dumb move, is yet to be determined. GM’s success in this new line of products will live or die based on the customer appeal of the vehicles themselves. The lack of CarPlay support definitely sounds at this point like a self-inflicted wound because nobody really knows what their alternative solution is capable of. Once we see GM’s solution we’ll better understand the severity of their self-inflicted wound.
GM making its own infotainment system... what could go wrong? Maybe they need to go back and look at Ford Sync or Toyota prior to CarPlay for an example.
According to the linked article they are also ditching Android Auto so GM is running the risk of pissing off most of their consumer base. I'm sure there are a few octogenarians who won't mind that their Buick doesn't have CarPlay but the rest of their consumer base likely not be happy.
I own a Tesla Model Y. In general Tesla's infotainment interface is fairly good but I still miss CarPlay and it remains one of my main complaints with the car. More importantly for GM, when I tell others the response is usually a combination of surprise and disappointment. The sources quoted here have it exactly right - GM shouldn't mess with what's working. If (when) they mess this up I'm sure not a small number of buyers will look to the competition.
Your last comment is very insightful. It tells me that some, but not necessarily all, GM EV buyers will still purchase GM’s vehicles if the vehicles themselves and their homegrown infotainment systems are good enough to “forgive” the lack of CarPlay.
GM is already running a huge risk that their new vehicles may not generate customer demand. Removing an important accessory that would only help support their cause seems incrementally counterproductive. Granted, the inclusion of Apple CarPlay would not overcome the otherwise inadequacies of the vehicle itself, but why would they not try to stack the deck in their own favor by including a popular accessory that some buyers obviously relate to and see as a value add.
GM is once again putting a lot of their eggs in one basket and hoping that everything plays out in their favor. Whether it’s a bold move backed by overwhelming confidence in what they have in their design studio, or a classically dumb move, is yet to be determined. GM’s success in this new line of products will live or die based on the customer appeal of the vehicles themselves. The lack of CarPlay support definitely sounds at this point like a self-inflicted wound because nobody really knows what their alternative solution is capable of. Once we see GM’s solution we’ll better understand the severity of their self-inflicted wound.
Yes - the people on Apple Insiders are obviously more Apple-devoted and not necessarily representative of the population as a whole, so the overwhelmingly negative response here is expected. You’re right that for many people it won’t be a total deal killer; if the positive aspects of the car are enough they may overlook it. Many people may not even notice it until they get the car home - they’ll just assume it has CarPlay like their last car did and a smart salesperson would just keep quiet about it. Similarly, a smart salesperson for the competition will bring it up and If a buyer’s trying to decide between a few cars it could easily skew the decision, though and a drop in sales is enough to matter.
When I tell people my Tesla doesn’t have CarPlay many of them say “I didn’t know there were any new cars without it!” That ignorance may help GM but it could also hurt them long term.
’Bold’ vs ‘Classically dumb’ move will be determined by history. Either way you’re right - it’s an unnecessary self inflicted wound.
GM making its own infotainment system... what could go wrong? Maybe they need to go back and look at Ford Sync or Toyota prior to CarPlay for an example.
According to the linked article they are also ditching Android Auto so GM is running the risk of pissing off most of their consumer base. I'm sure there are a few octogenarians who won't mind that their Buick doesn't have CarPlay but the rest of their consumer base likely not be happy.
I own a Tesla Model Y. In general Tesla's infotainment interface is fairly good but I still miss CarPlay and it remains one of my main complaints with the car. More importantly for GM, when I tell others the response is usually a combination of surprise and disappointment. The sources quoted here have it exactly right - GM shouldn't mess with what's working. If (when) they mess this up I'm sure not a small number of buyers will look to the competition.
Your last comment is very insightful. It tells me that some, but not necessarily all, GM EV buyers will still purchase GM’s vehicles if the vehicles themselves and their homegrown infotainment systems are good enough to “forgive” the lack of CarPlay.
GM is already running a huge risk that their new vehicles may not generate customer demand. Removing an important accessory that would only help support their cause seems incrementally counterproductive. Granted, the inclusion of Apple CarPlay would not overcome the otherwise inadequacies of the vehicle itself, but why would they not try to stack the deck in their own favor by including a popular accessory that some buyers obviously relate to and see as a value add.
GM is once again putting a lot of their eggs in one basket and hoping that everything plays out in their favor. Whether it’s a bold move backed by overwhelming confidence in what they have in their design studio, or a classically dumb move, is yet to be determined. GM’s success in this new line of products will live or die based on the customer appeal of the vehicles themselves. The lack of CarPlay support definitely sounds at this point like a self-inflicted wound because nobody really knows what their alternative solution is capable of. Once we see GM’s solution we’ll better understand the severity of their self-inflicted wound.
Yes - the people on Apple Insiders are obviously more Apple-devoted and not necessarily representative of the population as a whole, so the overwhelmingly negative response here is expected. You’re right that for many people it won’t be a total deal killer; if the positive aspects of the car are enough they may overlook it. Many people may not even notice it until they get the car home - they’ll just assume it has CarPlay like their last car did and a smart salesperson would just keep quiet about it. Similarly, a smart salesperson for the competition will bring it up and If a buyer’s trying to decide between a few cars it could easily skew the decision, though and a drop in sales is enough to matter.
When I tell people my Tesla doesn’t have CarPlay many of them say “I didn’t know there were any new cars without it!” That ignorance may help GM but it could also hurt them long term.
’Bold’ vs ‘Classically dumb’ move will be determined by history. Either way you’re right - it’s an unnecessary self inflicted wound.
Companies like Tesla, Rivian are "Tech" companies first and then "auto manufacturers".
GM, Toyota, Nissan, Ford etc. are "auto manufacturers" not "Tech" companies.
So far the auto industry has underwhelmed everyone with their user interfaces. I think what GM is trying here is to create a new revenu stream through subscriptions to services. If the interface they come up with is "exquisite", then they may convince customers to let go of their smartphone based systems and even pay something like $25 a month for their system.
Anything less than "exquisite" and they're in the hole.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM has now also says that its unnamed system will do everything CarPlay can, except allow users to dial your iPhone contacts. Users will have to add a separate contact list to their car's system, and thereby return us to pre-iCloud days and the confusion over which device has the right contact details.
Really? Right now I can ask Siri the hours of a local business and when I get into the car CarPlay starts up and offers to give me directions to that business. That’s very handy when we are out of town, I use it all the time. So, per GM, that same thing will work?
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
GM making its own infotainment system... what could go wrong? Maybe they need to go back and look at Ford Sync or Toyota prior to CarPlay for an example.
According to the linked article they are also ditching Android Auto so GM is running the risk of pissing off most of their consumer base. I'm sure there are a few octogenarians who won't mind that their Buick doesn't have CarPlay but the rest of their consumer base likely not be happy.
I own a Tesla Model Y. In general Tesla's infotainment interface is fairly good but I still miss CarPlay and it remains one of my main complaints with the car. More importantly for GM, when I tell others the response is usually a combination of surprise and disappointment. The sources quoted here have it exactly right - GM shouldn't mess with what's working. If (when) they mess this up I'm sure not a small number of buyers will look to the competition.
Your last comment is very insightful. It tells me that some, but not necessarily all, GM EV buyers will still purchase GM’s vehicles if the vehicles themselves and their homegrown infotainment systems are good enough to “forgive” the lack of CarPlay.
GM is already running a huge risk that their new vehicles may not generate customer demand. Removing an important accessory that would only help support their cause seems incrementally counterproductive. Granted, the inclusion of Apple CarPlay would not overcome the otherwise inadequacies of the vehicle itself, but why would they not try to stack the deck in their own favor by including a popular accessory that some buyers obviously relate to and see as a value add.
GM is once again putting a lot of their eggs in one basket and hoping that everything plays out in their favor. Whether it’s a bold move backed by overwhelming confidence in what they have in their design studio, or a classically dumb move, is yet to be determined. GM’s success in this new line of products will live or die based on the customer appeal of the vehicles themselves. The lack of CarPlay support definitely sounds at this point like a self-inflicted wound because nobody really knows what their alternative solution is capable of. Once we see GM’s solution we’ll better understand the severity of their self-inflicted wound.
Yes - the people on Apple Insiders are obviously more Apple-devoted and not necessarily representative of the population as a whole, so the overwhelmingly negative response here is expected. You’re right that for many people it won’t be a total deal killer; if the positive aspects of the car are enough they may overlook it. Many people may not even notice it until they get the car home - they’ll just assume it has CarPlay like their last car did and a smart salesperson would just keep quiet about it. Similarly, a smart salesperson for the competition will bring it up and If a buyer’s trying to decide between a few cars it could easily skew the decision, though and a drop in sales is enough to matter.
When I tell people my Tesla doesn’t have CarPlay many of them say “I didn’t know there were any new cars without it!” That ignorance may help GM but it could also hurt them long term.
’Bold’ vs ‘Classically dumb’ move will be determined by history. Either way you’re right - it’s an unnecessary self inflicted wound.
I am on a GM EV forum and I am seeing similar responses there too. With the exception of saying "CP/AA" instead of "CarPlay", any one of these comments would be right at home there. Everyone (Except Mary and her fans) believes this is huge mistake that is gong to cost GM dearly.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM has now also says that its unnamed system will do everything CarPlay can, except allow users to dial your iPhone contacts. Users will have to add a separate contact list to their car's system, and thereby return us to pre-iCloud days and the confusion over which device has the right contact details.
Really? Right now I can ask Siri the hours of a local business and when I get into the car CarPlay starts up and offers to give me directions to that business. That’s very handy when we are out of town, I use it all the time. So, per GM, that same thing will work?
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
Don't forget that it isn't an Apple device.
No one should expect Apple services on non-Apple devices. Expecting a GM car to seamlessly integrate with Apple services is a mistake.
In the use cases you are suggesting, it wouldn't be a stretch for GM to just fire back with 'you're using it wrong' or 'buy an Apple car'.
The overall experience might be far better than anything Carplay can offer. There are existing systems that have been on the market for years that already do do more, and better, than CarPlay.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM has now also says that its unnamed system will do everything CarPlay can, except allow users to dial your iPhone contacts. Users will have to add a separate contact list to their car's system, and thereby return us to pre-iCloud days and the confusion over which device has the right contact details.
Really? Right now I can ask Siri the hours of a local business and when I get into the car CarPlay starts up and offers to give me directions to that business. That’s very handy when we are out of town, I use it all the time. So, per GM, that same thing will work?
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
Don't forget that it isn't an Apple device.
No one should expect Apple services on non-Apple devices. Expecting a GM car to seamlessly integrate with Apple services is a mistake.
In the use cases you are suggesting, it wouldn't be a stretch for GM to just fire back with 'you're using it wrong' or 'buy an Apple car'.
The overall experience might be far better than anything Carplay can offer. There are existing systems that have been on the market for years that already do do more, and better, than CarPlay.
GM's system could be far worse too. We'll have to wait and see.
Worldwide, Apple makes up less than 20% of smartphones. Those users shouldn't be expecting support on any car except for the Apple Car.
They should appreciate what they get, even if it means simply piping phone content over BT to the car.
This is GM's call and it's important not to forget that. They will have done their own impact assessments. It might backfire or it might not.
The quote says that GM claims their system will do everything CarPlay can. That isn’t me expecting them to support my system, that’s GM’s claim. I’m pointing out that I think their claim will be untrue.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM has now also says that its unnamed system will do everything CarPlay can, except allow users to dial your iPhone contacts. Users will have to add a separate contact list to their car's system, and thereby return us to pre-iCloud days and the confusion over which device has the right contact details.
Really? Right now I can ask Siri the hours of a local business and when I get into the car CarPlay starts up and offers to give me directions to that business. That’s very handy when we are out of town, I use it all the time. So, per GM, that same thing will work?
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
Don't forget that it isn't an Apple device.
No one should expect Apple services on non-Apple devices. Expecting a GM car to seamlessly integrate with Apple services is a mistake.
In the use cases you are suggesting, it wouldn't be a stretch for GM to just fire back with 'you're using it wrong' or 'buy an Apple car'.
The overall experience might be far better than anything Carplay can offer. There are existing systems that have been on the market for years that already do do more, and better, than CarPlay.
GM's system could be far worse too. We'll have to wait and see.
Worldwide, Apple makes up less than 20% of smartphones. Those users shouldn't be expecting support on any car except for the Apple Car.
They should appreciate what they get, even if it means simply piping phone content over BT to the car.
This is GM's call and it's important not to forget that. They will have done their own impact assessments. It might backfire or it might not.
The quote says that GM claims their system will do everything CarPlay can. That isn’t me expecting them to support my system, that’s GM’s claim. I’m pointing out that I think their claim will be untrue.
Would you accept it if it did everything you suggest but using Google Services as a back-end instead of Apple?
It would still be doing everything CarPlay does yet without any CarPlay or Apple back-end intervention.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM has now also says that its unnamed system will do everything CarPlay can, except allow users to dial your iPhone contacts. Users will have to add a separate contact list to their car's system, and thereby return us to pre-iCloud days and the confusion over which device has the right contact details.
Really? Right now I can ask Siri the hours of a local business and when I get into the car CarPlay starts up and offers to give me directions to that business. That’s very handy when we are out of town, I use it all the time. So, per GM, that same thing will work?
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
Don't forget that it isn't an Apple device.
No one should expect Apple services on non-Apple devices. Expecting a GM car to seamlessly integrate with Apple services is a mistake.
In the use cases you are suggesting, it wouldn't be a stretch for GM to just fire back with 'you're using it wrong' or 'buy an Apple car'.
The overall experience might be far better than anything Carplay can offer. There are existing systems that have been on the market for years that already do do more, and better, than CarPlay.
GM's system could be far worse too. We'll have to wait and see.
Worldwide, Apple makes up less than 20% of smartphones. Those users shouldn't be expecting support on any car except for the Apple Car.
They should appreciate what they get, even if it means simply piping phone content over BT to the car.
This is GM's call and it's important not to forget that. They will have done their own impact assessments. It might backfire or it might not.
The quote says that GM claims their system will do everything CarPlay can. That isn’t me expecting them to support my system, that’s GM’s claim. I’m pointing out that I think their claim will be untrue.
Would you accept it if it did everything you suggest but using Google Services as a back-end instead of Apple?
It would still be doing everything CarPlay does yet without any CarPlay or Apple back-end intervention.
Unlikely. I already asked how this would be done without giving my data to GM (and Google). If GM proves their new system can do everything CarPlay does without GM or any third parties collecting my data then I’ll be surprised and may consider it a viable option.
Comments
GM is already running a huge risk that their new vehicles may not generate customer demand. Removing an important accessory that would only help support their cause seems incrementally counterproductive. Granted, the inclusion of Apple CarPlay would not overcome the otherwise inadequacies of the vehicle itself, but why would they not try to stack the deck in their own favor by including a popular accessory that some buyers obviously relate to and see as a value add.
GM is once again putting a lot of their eggs in one basket and hoping that everything plays out in their favor. Whether it’s a bold move backed by overwhelming confidence in what they have in their design studio, or a classically dumb move, is yet to be determined. GM’s success in this new line of products will live or die based on the customer appeal of the vehicles themselves. The lack of CarPlay support definitely sounds at this point like a self-inflicted wound because nobody really knows what their alternative solution is capable of. Once we see GM’s solution we’ll better understand the severity of their self-inflicted wound.
When I tell people my Tesla doesn’t have CarPlay many of them say “I didn’t know there were any new cars without it!” That ignorance may help GM but it could also hurt them long term.
’Bold’ vs ‘Classically dumb’ move will be determined by history. Either way you’re right - it’s an unnecessary self inflicted wound.
Take it a step further, I can ask Siri on my HomePod the same thing and I will still be presented with the option of directions when I get in my car. My guess is that won’t work, but GM says their system will do everything CarPlay can, right?
Similarly, I add appointments to my calendar with their location. Again, CarPlay will offer up directions to my next appointment. How will this work WITHOUT my giving GM (and Google) access to my calendar?
I don’t believe GM when they say it will do everything CarPlay can.
No one should expect Apple services on non-Apple devices. Expecting a GM car to seamlessly integrate with Apple services is a mistake.
In the use cases you are suggesting, it wouldn't be a stretch for GM to just fire back with 'you're using it wrong' or 'buy an Apple car'.
The overall experience might be far better than anything Carplay can offer. There are existing systems that have been on the market for years that already do do more, and better, than CarPlay.
https://www.gsmarena.com/aito_m5_harmonyos_system_quick_review-news-54285.php
GM's system could be far worse too. We'll have to wait and see.
Worldwide, Apple makes up less than 20% of smartphones. Those users shouldn't be expecting support on any car except for the Apple Car.
They should appreciate what they get, even if it means simply piping phone content over BT to the car.
This is GM's call and it's important not to forget that. They will have done their own impact assessments. It might backfire or it might not.
It would still be doing everything CarPlay does yet without any CarPlay or Apple back-end intervention.