GM is ditching CarPlay in all future EVs and teaming up with Google instead

[scoopman]

Yep, it's pretty easy and it doesn't matter what OS the infotainment system is using, Honda has had CarPlay on their Android OS since 2017, when it launched in the Honda Odyssey.

It is non-trivial to get the support to be great, but implementation isn't probably the real reason here.

It's all about ecosystems and big data control over the next generation of advanced analytics, and I bet GM and Google have negotiated a complex data sharing and development relationship that cemented this announcement. Don't forget that GM is also a very large advertiser with Google as well, as part of the viewpoint on the companies' whole relationship.

By contrast, I bet Apple is talking with all of the same ecosystem carmakers to secure support for their next-gen interface, which seems to subjugate the automaker's interface to their own across most surfaces of the car.

Certaintly seems like GM wasn't happy with that arrangement, despite the knowledge of how important CarPlay is in consumers' car purchasing decisions.

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[ThatGuyLando]

Whens the last time you didn't see an Android system cheap out? I swear everyone that makes something is sitting there with a SOC box going "what's the absolute lowest, cheapest processor we can use? Buy the one under that and sell this thing in mass. They'll all upgrade again next year when we release a 'new model' with this years bare min processor and the new even heavier UI is released."

Doesn't have to be an Android specific system, Ford did the same thing with their Snapdragon 820a on the Mach-e. Except they haven't upgraded anything in 3 years...

 

[azerik]

Pretty much any system on chip gets undersized. I'm not sure if it's by design or over promised and under delivered from the chip side of things. But after looking at the 820a being from 2016, I can see the issue, it's under the cobwebs. That sucks. Some day a car manuf. might take note that people upgrade phones almost yearly for a reason. Using a $25 chip in a car to be the reason is a pile of crap.

 

[Logal727]

and I bet GM and Google have negotiated a complex data sharing and development relationship

per the article, that's exactly why this happened

 

[Logal727]

Doesn't have to be an Android specific system, Ford did the same thing with their Snapdragon 820a on the Mach-e. Except they haven't upgraded anything in 3 years...

Good sir, this chip runs Parking Lot at 60 FPS!

 

[azerik]

I don't think the screen runs 60fps lol.

 

[Logal727]

Pretty much any system on chip gets undersized. I'm not sure if it's by design or over promised and under delivered from the chip side of things. But after looking at the 820a being from 2016, I can see the issue, it's under the cobwebs. That sucks. Some day a car manuf. might take note that people upgrade phones almost yearly for a reason. Using a $25 chip in a car to be the reason is a pile of crap.

This is also the reason Ford suffered greatly during the chip supply issues. Not many fabs are making that size chip because it's a bigger size and then everyone is ordering the smaller size in way bigger quantities so Ford is at the back of the line.

 

[Logal727]

I don't think the screen runs 60fps lol.

not with that attitude

 

[cvk71]

When I bought the Mach E it was between it and a M3P ,and Carplay was definitely part of the reason I have the Mach. Carplay is just too easy to use, that once you have it, going back is a no go.

 

[azerik]

They need to make it upgradable. I don't care is the dealer has to do it and it's $250. Pretty much ANYONE would pay $250 3 years down the line to get a snappier UI and Parking Lot2!
I mean come on. $600 for BC and it does little. Or Ford could actually make money with hardware upgrades.

 

[ThatGuyLando]

This made it easy to cancel my (for entertainment purposes only) pre-reservation for both a Blazer EV and Lyriq AWD.

Not to go into too much detail, but Toyota, BMW, and Porsche all had levels of adversion to supporting CarPlay, Android Auto, or both for years. It was customer feedback and market dynamics that caused all to realize how foolish their approach was, and all eventually came around.

GM is banking on going it alone by delivering an experience they claim will be so good for customers that they will select a GM EV in spite of the lack of CarPlay support and choice. As some have pointed out here, they aren't Tesla or Rivian, and the market will correct their miscalculation in several years.

The good thing is that offering the current level of CarPlay support in vehicles is a pretty straight-forward process, and automakers and their suppliers can implement CarPlay's protocol in an APK via software, as Polestar finally did (as an example) in the Polestar 2.

It'll be interesting if Google's deal with GM will allow them to do this sometime in the future when it's clear lack of CarPlay support hampers their sales.

One of the things to keep in mind with Apple is that you're FORCED to follow their rules. A lot of people (me included) hate that.

Take for instance their web browsers on IPhones. It doesn't really matter what browser you download you're essentially using a re-skinned Safari because they force everyone to use Webkit (developed by Apple), this has been an ongoing thing for years.

While yes, I get it, a lot of things in the Apple ecosystem work well BECAUSE of these strict rules, the second you try to do any kind of customization or go against them because of their decisions, you are deemed unworthy of their "holier-than-though" status.

I can see A LOT of developers (again, full disclosure, me included) who truly want their end users to feel like they own what they just purchased, (be it a $100 phone or a $60k+ car) go against these kind of practices. Same goes for companies like John Deere (but that's a whole can of worms I can go on discussing for hours) with their anti right to repair practices because they just deem themselves "holier-than-though".

 

[ThatGuyLando]

They need to make it upgradable. I don't care is the dealer has to do it and it's $250. Pretty much ANYONE would pay $250 3 years down the line to get a snappier UI and Parking Lot2!
I mean come on. $600 for BC and it does little. Or Ford could actually make money with hardware upgrades.

The frustrating thing is that they ARE upgradable, in China (or like former a former president would say CHAAAINNAA) https://cnevpost.com/2022/08/31/ford-mustang-mach-e-free-qualcomm-8155-upgrades-china/.

I would happily tell Winnie The Pooh I'm going to get a sandwhich at Jimmy Johns in exchange for a faster processor.

 

[Rabidsquirrel22]

I don't think the screen runs 60fps lol.

It definitely runs at something above 30 fps. If you play a video on the YouTube app and change the quality setting to one that plays at 60 fps, the video gets noticeably smoother.

 

[Blue highway]

I think Tesla and Rivian users have been holding out hope for some features to come, like Apple Music, which it did. But GM outright declaring they will no longer support it, I think that will hurt them in the long run.

Thinking about the other side of the coin, I think what is hurting Apple is their push to take over more of the instrument cluster... I can't imagine any auto company being comfortable with that from a business or engineering perspective.

 

[Logal727]

It definitely runs at something above 30 fps. If you play a video on the YouTube app and change the quality setting to one that plays at 60 fps, the video gets noticeably smoother.

Yeah, it's not 30fps, CarPlay is smooth, definitely 60hz screen refresh.

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