mike1

rhbellmor said:

I'm the S5 coupe owner you helped with my ordered S5 showed up with multiple dents in my Audi.  We plan to replace my wife's A4 with the new SQ9 which I have been following for at least the last couple of years.  One of our requirements is our new car had to have the new Apple CarPlay Ultra, I've read this morning that Audi has backed out of their original commitment to the enhanced CarPlay.  If that decision is true Audi will not be included in our search after owning (5) Audis we're moving on  Not a big fan of Kia but Kia has now been added to our list.  I thought you should know our feelings.  Thank you Russell.  PS, I still love my red S5 coupe which might be my last race car!  Sent to an Audi VP I know.

robin huber said:

sflagel said:

it is ludicrous for a car manufacturer to give Apple access to all its car systems, which will invariably lead to Apple becoming the gatekeeper to the entire tech stack of a car. This in addition to the branding impact. CarPlay is not the end of evolution, for example, the music app is well on CarPlay. Audi music controls are much better. 

Who said all? We’re talking about user-facing information systems. Car manufacturers have farmed out components and subsystems from day one. Brakes, batteries, transmissions, gauges, radios, generators, on and on. More to the point, putting Bose, Harmon-Kardon and many other name brand audio systems is a selling point. Why should this be any different?

williamlondon said:

sflagel said:

“But what do I know.”

Hmmm, think that should have been the lead? Perhaps stay in your own lane and let others run things the way they want without your criticism based on “but what do I know?” insights.

Hedware said:

CheeseFreeze said:

cessnapaul said:

"we love developers" as long as we get a 30% cut.

Just because Karl Benz invented the automobile doesn't mean he gets a cut of every toll road.

Saying Apple deserves a 30% cut of all digital goods because they built the platform is like saying a mall owner deserves a percentage of everything sold in every store, forever, even after the store builds its own loyal customer base and no longer relies on foot traffic.

Sure, Apple built the “mall” - the App Store - and they deserve fair rent for access and discovery. But when Apple blocks tenants from even telling customers that cheaper options exist outside the mall, or forces them to use Apple’s own checkout system, it stops being about fair business and becomes about control.

The real issue isn’t whether Apple should earn money - they already do, handsomely. It’s that they’ve positioned themselves as landlord, tax authority, and competitor all at once. Epic’s win doesn’t mean developers escape costs - it just means they can finally choose how to run their businesses. That’s not freeloading. That’s competition.

And let’s be honest: a free economy isn’t absolute. It needs guardrails. When two companies are the app economy, protecting free markets requires regulation - not just to stop abuse, but to keep the system open for the next generation of creators.

Those complaining developers would not be developers if there was no Apple App Store. They should be bowing down doing homage to Apple whenever someone buys their app.