By VJ Bacungan
American automotive giant General Motors (GM) announced as early as March 2023 that it would drop smartphone-mirroring systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from its future lineup of vehicles.
The company said it would develop an in-house infotainment system co-developed with Google, which is also the creator of Android Auto. This would allow GM to offer subscription services, with company CEO Mary Barra saying that she expects up to $25 billion (around P1.4 trillion, as of press time) a year in subscription revenue by 2030.
Additionally, an in-house system would allow GM to have more direct access to data from its customers on their driving habits. This is particularly useful in determining metrics like road crashes and usage patterns for the company’s electric vehicles (EV), which can both be sold to their parties like insurance companies.
This new scheme started with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, which has neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto. Instead, the crossover’s infotainment system comes with eight years of data to run Google-based apps like Maps and Assistant, as well as Spotify and Audible.
But a December 2023 report by U.S. automotive magazine Motor Trend gave more insight into this decision. GM head of product for infotainment Tim Babbitt told the publication that stability issues with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, such as bad connections, poor rendering, slow response and dropped connections, force drivers to pick up their smartphones again.
Babbitt posited that using an in-house, built-in infotainment system would minimize these occurrences of distracted driving, helping the American giant achieve its goal of zero crashes and zero road congestion.
Highly popular systems
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work by mirroring the smartphones of their customers, allowing them to bypass the cumbersome or lackluster in-house infotainment systems of many car manufacturers.
As such, these two systems have become powerful selling tools, even for entry-level models. But by using their own software, companies like GM intend to expand owners’ connectivity with their vehicles.
Drivers can, for instance, use voice-activated assistants to control everything from making calls and texts to changing the fan speed on the climate control system. This ensures maximum attention on the road, in combination with many active driving assists like adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.
One carmaker has long eschewed Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Tesla. The American EV manufacturer uses its own infotainment software, while remaining highly popular among buyers.
Strangely, though, GM released a statement after the Motor Trend story was published, claiming that its position on phone projection was “misrepresented” and it is reinforcing its “valued partnership with Apple and Google and each company’s commitment to driver safety.”
“GM’s embedded infotainment strategy is driven by the benefits of having a system that allows for greater integration with the larger GM ecosystem and vehicles,” the carmaker added.
Do you think GM is on to something with its in-house system or would you still prefer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
