General Motors (GM) has confirmed that we will be saying goodbye to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto real soon. The smartphone protection services will no longer feature in any of the newer car models starting with the 2028 lineup. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto won’t feature in the Cadillac Escalade IQ either. General Motors is moving in the direction of having a fully integrated in-house infotainment system built upon the Google Android Automotive OS.
Why is General Motors moving in the direction of the new AI system?
While year in and year out, drivers have relied on CarPlay and Android Auto to bridge the gap between people’s digital lives and their dashboards while enabling messaging, entertainment, and access to songs, the CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, said that the experience was not all smooth sailing. The main problem came when switching between the vehicle’s main interface and CarPlay or Android Auto. GM is breaking away from their initial approach that relied rather heavily on smartphone integration.
General Motors is not moving in the direction of another operating system and is creating an ecosystem. The new AI ecosystem will be built on the same platform that is already being utilized by brands like Volvo and Renault. The idea is for the new interface to allow car users to gain access to Google Maps, YouTube Music, and Waze.
How is the AI system by General Motors going even further than other interfaces?
General Motors, in partnership with Google, seeks to introduce a custom in-car app store. This means that drivers can download apps directly and will no longer require their smartphones. The other offering is that drivers will be able to check their tire pressure, climate settings, and battery performance all with simple voice commands.
Different from CarPlay or Android Auto, which mirrored the smartphone’s display, this Android-based system will have direct access to vehicle data and controls. At General Motors, the tone that is being set is one where simplicity wins, and the company surely does see the move to the new AI ecosystem as a simple win for General Motors.
General Motors is making the transition from smartphones to smart cars
General Motors’ decision to move towards the new AI system was a strategic one where the automaker could move towards being a software-defined vehicle. This system won’t only power the infotainment platform but also assist with features such as the “hands-off, eyes-off” semi-autonomous driving function and provide the assistance of Google’s Gemini-powered assistant.
While the company is all in favor of promoting this new AI ecosystem, car enthusiasts are rather critical. In fact, analysts have found that Apple’s CarPlay system is one of the most requested features from drivers ready to buy cars. In most surveys, nearly half of the buyers indicate that they won’t buy a vehicle that does not offer Apple’s CarPlay system. However, General Motors is not an automaker known for holding back on its vision. GM also scaled back on EV dreams in favor of a totally new fuel when all other automakers continued with their EV dreams.
General Motors road towards an all-new AI ecosystem
General Motors’ decision is based on the industry trend towards AI-driven intelligence. GM feels that by developing their own platform, it can gain access to the vehicle’s data as well as the app’s ecosystem. For consumers, they might have to adjust their expectations slightly and learn to embrace what GM is offering. We could be saying goodbye to Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of something more worth it. However, with General Motors unveiling of a car with a living hologram, we can safely assume GM lives up to all expectations.
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