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GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

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Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#171

Post by spockz »

LanceH wrote: post #94
kube-system wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After having wireless CarPlay, not sure I can ever go back. It’s really nice to get in the car and just go, and everything from my phone is automatically on the dash and controllable with the car’s native controls. The last thing I want is for my car to be another device with its own subscription, accounts, applications, configuration, etc.

It's a bit of a pain if two people share the car. Even worse if two people share more than one car. There never seems to be an option to force use a specific phone when more than one is possible. They all seem sticky to a phone and it always seems to be the other one. I guess a good thing about carplay is that when traveling with someone else, they can use their phone to update things like maps, and we're not complet…

I really liked wireless CarPlay when testing the Enyaq and wondered about the multi user situation. Already today Bluetooth always seems to get exactly the wrong phone. In our current setup we just have a phone holder with plug in which we shove the phone. Then it is done. It takes longer to pull the phone out of the pocket than to connect it.

The only downside to CarPlay is that the battery stays at 100% charge. I wish I could limit that to 80%. Especially if we take long drives this degrades the battery unnecessarily.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#173

Post by cpursley »

lamontcg wrote: post #139
ulfw wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most sold EV brand in the US with about 2/3 of market share doesn't allow CarPlay either. Now don't get me wrong, I want my Apple Carplay too. I wouldn't want to buy a car without it. But the argument that "as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes" I just don't see happen in real life today. Most EV buyers chose a Tesla. No CarPlay or Android Auto in that one.

> The most sold EV brand in the US with about 2/3 of market share doesn't allow CarPlay either. 4.8% of the overall vehicle market.

Yep, HN folks often live in a bubble (myself included).

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#174

Post by cpursley »

wlesieutre wrote: post #91
jdlyga wrote: post #5

Car infotainment systems are terrible. That's the reason why everyone wants CarPlay and Android Auto. It's kind of like going back to flip phones after using smartphones for years.

Even if the infotainment is good today , GM is basically saying “trust me bro, 10 years from now maps on this decade old hardware are going to be so good you’ll want to pay a subscription for it.” I was thinking an Equinox EV would be my next car, but now I’m looking at gas vehicles and thinking I’ll give EVs a while longer to sort out which manufacturers earn a reputation for EV reliability, longevity, and good soft…

The Equinox is an atrociously bad vehicle. Especially when compared to Korean and Japanese competitors.

Other than the Corvette (amazing performance and value), and perhaps it’s trucks, GM is a literally asleep at the wheel.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#175

Post by goodluckchuck »

the_mar wrote: post #112
mlsu wrote: post #32

How does this business decision make sense? A car is a high-margin item, so the impact of even a handful of consumers choosing not to buy must be huge, right? Whereas, they would need to "monetize" (ugh) many many more units to turn back that lost profit. And as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes. My girlfriend bought a car recently. CarPlay was not negotiable for her,…

Car is a low margin item. SaaS is a high margin item

Yes, from what I’ve seen, Ford sells their vehicles at cost and uses that line of business as a funnel to generates profits from via financing.

Some higher trim models have a decent margin, but many lower trims are sold at a loss, resulting in essentially no profit from manufacturing.

Moreover, EVs are shaping up to be a financial disaster for carmakers. Tesla is essentially the only company to turn a profit on EVs, with the likes of Ford etc. hemorrhaging billions every year, with no end in sight. EVs simply aren’t shaping up to be a viable business without supplemental revenue streams.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#176

Post by hulitu »

mlsu wrote: post #32

How does this business decision make sense? A car is a high-margin item, so the impact of even a handful of consumers choosing not to buy must be huge, right? Whereas, they would need to "monetize" (ugh) many many more units to turn back that lost profit. And as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes. My girlfriend bought a car recently. CarPlay was not negotiable for her,…

> How does this business decision make sense?

At least Android Auto is a shitshow. Does not do screen sharing and you can only use apps approved by Google. I don't listen to music on my phone and i use a different navigation SW. And on top of that, Android Auto requires permissions to everything, refusing to start if permissions are not granted.

I really see no useful case for Android Auto and investing money in it during car development is a waste of money and developer time IMHO.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#177

Post by scarface74 »

mlsu wrote: post #32

How does this business decision make sense? A car is a high-margin item, so the impact of even a handful of consumers choosing not to buy must be huge, right? Whereas, they would need to "monetize" (ugh) many many more units to turn back that lost profit. And as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes. My girlfriend bought a car recently. CarPlay was not negotiable for her,…

How is a car a “high margin” item when GMs profit margin was less than 5% last year?

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#178

Post by scarface74 »

hulitu wrote: post #176
mlsu wrote: post #32

How does this business decision make sense? A car is a high-margin item, so the impact of even a handful of consumers choosing not to buy must be huge, right? Whereas, they would need to "monetize" (ugh) many many more units to turn back that lost profit. And as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes. My girlfriend bought a car recently. CarPlay was not negotiable for her,…

> How does this business decision make sense? At least Android Auto is a shitshow. Does not do screen sharing and you can only use apps approved by Google. I don't listen to music on my phone and i use a different navigation SW. And on top of that, Android Auto requires permissions to everything, refusing to start if permissions are not granted. I really see no useful case for Android Auto and investing money in it d…

No car manufacturer is going to allow an infotainment system with apps that aren’t heavily vetted. There is too much of a liability and some things are completely illegal to have in view of the driver like video.

Even older cars are careful, like my last car that would not even allow you to pair your phone to radio over Bluetooth while the car was not in park.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#179

Post by TulliusCicero »

tnel77 wrote: post #39
mlsu wrote: post #32

How does this business decision make sense? A car is a high-margin item, so the impact of even a handful of consumers choosing not to buy must be huge, right? Whereas, they would need to "monetize" (ugh) many many more units to turn back that lost profit. And as the shakeup due to EVs begins, even loyal consumers will be considering other makes. My girlfriend bought a car recently. CarPlay was not negotiable for her,…

I personally love CarPlay. A requirement for my next vehicle is wireless CarPlay, and I will not even begin to consider it if it does not have that. Some people want ventilated seats or a V8. I want CarPlay. I think this is a very silly move by GM that they will quickly reverse.

Just rented a car with wireless Android Auto, and while it was convenient when it worked, it occasionally dropped the connection and I had to manually restart it (and sometimes it would refuse to connect). On one day where I was on a road trip, this happened several times.

Also, when I wanted to turn it off temporarily, there's no easy way to do so on either the phone or car. Gotta turn the car off or dive deep into infotainment settings. It looks like neither the auto manufacturers nor Google have thought this through.

Re: GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay, Android Auto sparks backlash

#180

Post by scarface74 »

ethbr0 wrote: post #56
majormajor wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's been some controversy about data collection going the other way the Android side. https://www.motortrend.com/features/13-cool-facts-about-the-... > As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, Porsche said certain pieces of data must be collected and transmitted back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically…

This doesn't surprise me. My observation with Google product teams partnering is that they start from the assumption that the price of working with them is whatever data they want. Pushback = "Fine, we won't do a deal" Felt like watching railroads negotiate with local government.

This very attitude is what prompted Apple to drop Google for its native Maps app.
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