GM to Remove Apple CarPlay, Android Auto From Future Vehicles
Key Points
- GM plans to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone projection from its future vehicles.
- According to Cars.com data, nearly 9 in 10 shoppers value smartphone integration, with 46% saying it’s a must-have feature.
- Removing smartphone integration from its vehicles opens the door for GM to grow its in-vehicle subscription revenue.
On a recent episode of The Verge’s Decoder podcast, GM CEO Mary Barra confirmed that the automaker plans to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone projection from its future gas-powered vehicle lineup. (You can see the segment on smartphone projection at the 37:30 mark.) The news follows in the footsteps of GM removing CarPlay and Android Auto from most of its electric vehicle lineup.
Related: Hands-On With Apple CarPlay Ultra: The New Killer App?
Why Is GM Doing This?
Barra said the feedback GM has received from customers is that switching between a car’s native infotainment system and smartphone projection is a clunky, distracting experience and that the automaker is focused on offering customers a great in-vehicle infotainment system with services that assist them and make their life better. GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson was also part of the podcast, and while he noted that smartphone projection had advantages over native infotainment systems in the past, in-vehicle systems now offer a more immersive experience. He also said that even though it may be uncomfortable for many people to make a change like this, it’s time to embrace it.
What Consumers Want
Despite CarPlay and Android Auto’s relatively limited integration with in-vehicle systems (though that’s poised to change in vehicles that support CarPlay Ultra), shoppers remain very interested in these features. According to Cars.com shopper survey data, 46% consider smartphone integration a must-have feature and 43% say it’s a nice-to-have feature, meaning nearly 9 in 10 shoppers think it’s valuable. Among Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, a key demographic for automakers, smartphone integration ranks as the No. 3 and No. 2 most desired feature, respectively.
The importance of smartphone integration to consumers also comes through in Cars.com’s shopping data. Over the last 30 days, Apple CarPlay was the No. 3 most specified feature among shoppers searching for a car.
What’s This Really About?
It’s no secret GM wants to develop streams of recurring revenue through in-vehicle subscriptions, and the elimination of smartphone projection in its future vehicles means customers will have to sign up for data subscriptions after initial trial periods end to keep using apps that are part of the infotainment system. It goes beyond just infotainment features, though; GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous hands-free driving system also requires a subscription after an initial trial period.
Forcing customers to log in to the Google Built-In infotainment system and sign up for subscriptions will also give GM better data on its customers and what they’re doing in their vehicle, allowing the company to target them with other offers and services they might be interested in paying for and possibly increasing subscription revenue.
Will It Work?
It seems premature to make plans to remove features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that are still highly valued by many shoppers. While GM’s current Google-based infotainment technology works well and incorporates familiar apps like Google Maps, it’s not hard to see a scenario where a shopper weighing two similar vehicles — one with CarPlay and a GM one without — chooses the non-GM vehicle based on this feature alone. It’s still that important for a lot of folks.
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