General Motors has caught a lot of flak for not having Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in its electric cars. It decided to stop offering the smartphone-mirroring software back in 2023, forcing drivers to use GM’s own Android-based native infotainment system for stuff like navigation, phone calls, and music projection.
CarPlay and Android Auto are pretty much expected by buyers to be standard on any new car these days, so some people were pretty angry about the move. Others went as far as to develop a retrofit to get CarPlay running on some of GM’s new EVs, but it was quickly shut down by the company a few months later.
Neither of my cars has CarPlay, but I have to admit, I absolutely love using it whenever I’m driving my parents’ cars or press cars. It makes the experience a lot more pleasant and simpler, even if having to switch between the car’s native system and CarPlay isn’t “seamless,” as GM describes.
That’s why I was sad to see this news that GM plans to eventually drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across its entire lineup in the future—not just its EVs as previously planned. CEO Mary Barra revealed the news to The Verge in an interview with Nilay Patel. Here’s the relevant transcript:
Let me ask you the second part of that question again, because, again, we’re talking so much about the future, and I understand the argument about the future you’re making, but you still have the smartphone projection in the gas cars. Why is it still in the gas cars?
MB: A lot of it depends on when you do an update to that vehicle. When you look at the fact that we have over 40 models across our portfolio, you don’t just do this and they all update. As we move forward with each new vehicle and major new vehicle launch, I think you’re going to see us consistent on that. We made a decision to prioritize our EV vehicles during this timeframe, and as we go forward, we’ll continue across the portfolio.
So we should expect new gas cars will not have smartphone projection?
MB: As we get to a major rollout, I think that’s the right expectation. Yes.
When exactly GM plans to drop CarPlay and Android Auto from its lineup isn’t clear right now, with Barra hinting to The Verge that the move will likely coincide with its plans to roll out a new onboard computing platform in 2028, starting with the all-electric Escalade IQ. From The Verge:
The automaker is calling it a “full reimagining of how vehicles are designed, updated, and improved over time,” which it says will include “10 times more over-the-air software update capacity, 1,000 times more bandwidth, and up to 35 times more AI performance for autonomy and advanced features.” The new computing platform will be rolled out to both GM’s EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles, the company said.
Aside from having the latest and greatest software available, the computer will add stuff like Google’s Gemini AI as a voice assistant, and more importantly, GM’s Level 3 hands-free, eyes-off highway driving. This is a step up from the company’s Level 2 Super Cruise system, in that drivers will be able to take their eyes off the road in certain situations (the SAE officially calls this “conditional driving automation,” and it’s all very confusing).
Level 3 systems like this aren’t fully autonomous, of course, because they require the driver to be able to take control at any time. So don’t go buying a new GM vehicle thinking it’s going to drive you around like a Waymo. It’ll likely be something similar to Mercedes’ Drive Pilot, which is classified for use as a Level 3 system, but only in very limited sections of highways and at speeds under 40 mph.
If I had to choose between Level 3 autonomy and CarPlay, I think I’d take the latter every time. But maybe that’s because I just love driving, and I’m familiar with how CarPlay works. I’m sure with time, I’d get used to GM’s system if I owned a car of theirs without phone projection. But it’s nice just being able to hop in and immediately know what’s going on with regards to stuff like navigation and music. That’s one of the biggest draws for CarPlay—it’s the same no matter what you’re driving. And people love familiarity.
Top graphic image: General Motors
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