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Comment by tinbad | Hacker News Reader

Really curious how this gamble is going to play out for GM. CarPlay compatibility is in the top of my list when deciding on a new vehicle.

I’m sure they must’ve done some analysis but I feel this will backfire quickly, given how much value millennials, GenZ, etc. put into having a CP/AP compatible infotainment.

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>The recent consumer survey was conducted by McKinsey & Co., with results highlighted in a recent report from Automotive News. According to the survey, 30 percent of global EV buyers reported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as a requirement for their next vehicle, with 35 percent of global ICE buyers, 25 percent of U.S. EV buyers, and 38 percent of U.S. ICE buyers reporting the same.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/06/about-one-third-of-car-...

Same for me.

By accepting no phone mirroring functionality, you’re forfeiting your escape hatch… if the built-in infotainment suddenly becomes awful after a software update or the manufacturer chooses to stop supporting it and it becomes useless due to lack of updates, you’re just stuck.

All the while, the guy still driving his beat up 2016 Mazda CX-5 still gets a screen with maps in his dash because his infotainment system can still mirror his phone, even if the rest of the system has become obsolete.

It's so short sighted how they're willing to risk sales of a $50k item to upsell their homegrown knockoff.

Will echo this sentiment with one caveat. I would consider a non-CarPlay enabled vehicle if the infotainment is actually good and the vehicle is the main selling point (for me that would be Rivian).

I have only used Carplay in rental cars so not much experience. How well does it integrate with the car? Like if I am low on fuel/charge will it automatically suggest an addition to the route? Can I search on route for rest stops? My 15 year old BMW system can do both of those things, and I believe the modern system can as well.

It does have low fuel warning although I don't think my car actually enabled it. You can search on your route with carplay but the experience is significantly worse than doing it from your phone (and it nanny state disables using your phone navigation - you have to use the carplay UI). I don't think it integrates with gas tank status.

With the BMW system a low fuel warning with a destination set puts a prompt on the nav screen that says “do you want to add this stop?” With directions to the nearest gas station. You push the nav control button (not a screen!) once to accept the change or do nothing to continue.

It appears they think their shitty info/nav/tainment is a key distinguisher and that CP/AP threatens what's maybe the only way for them to stand out among a field of boring, undistinguished boxes.

In reality the only car makers with balls to be significantly different were not well rewarded in the last few decades. Then Tesla showed up with a new dealer model and tons of new features and sold ~4 million units with no marketing.

And now BYD is on the horizon leapfrogging everyone's feature set and price points, and US makers will need to be defended since they won't or can't compete.

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