Now, I’ve heard some ridiculous claims in my life. And they must be ridiculous because I can’t think of one right now. Maybe one day, I’ll file away the latest nonsense from GM, too.
A few months ago, GM made a really bold decision about the future of their infotainment systems. They announced that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will not be included in their new electric vehicles. They are working with Google on something else instead.
Obviously, this hasn’t been good news for iPhone users who may want a GM EV. Now, we may have some understanding as to why GM is making what I believe is a foolish decision.
Tim Babbitt, GM’s head of product for infotainment, spoke to MotorTrend about the situation. He states that GM has driver safety in mind. He goes on to say that CarPlay and Android Auto can have bad connections, slow response times, and compatibility issues. This leads to distracted drivers with smartphone troubleshooting.
Now, while I can agree with him on some of those points, to fully remove the system just seems asinine. I have some cable issues with my iPhone, mostly when I pick it up from where it was resting. Android Auto, to me, seems to have a lower framerate than Car Play so it seems kind of slow. It can be distracting. But, if I have issues, I either have my wife or someone else fix it for me. But when I’m alone, I’ll wait until I can safely do it myself.
Deep breath…
Babbitt continues by saying that users would be less likely to pick up a phone if it was integrated. Their Google-powered system will come with built in Maps and Assistant.
But what about my music? What about my preferred mapping app? Podcast support? Does it sync with my Google account? This just seems like I’d pick up my phone more and would skip your system.
But then Babbitt tells on himself. He cites a J.D. Power study that CarPlay and Android Auto are common complaints amongst owners. The issue for GM, though, is that owners blame the manufacturers and not Apple and Google.
So, it looks as if your dealers aren’t taking the time to show customers how the new technology works. I’d guess because they’d rather get that fat commission check before actually helping someone. Or it could be because they aren’t trained, so they’ll skip over that part.
MotorTrend did point out something interesting, however. With this new built-in system, GM can lock things behind paywalls. They could force you to subscribe for certain services they couldn’t before. Would you l like Spotify and Pocket Casts? Subscribe to GM Audio Apps!
Another thing they pointed out is that GM would have more control over your data. Why send it to Apple and Google (I mean, why do that?) when you can send it to GM? For what it’s worth, I’d trust Google with my data more than an auto manufacturer. Have you seen the report from Mozilla, by the way?
Maybe they’ll keep CarPlay in the Corvette.
Source: MacRumors
