Drivers Unite for Android Auto and CarPlay After GM's Latest Blunder

The American carmaker announced not long ago that it plans to abandon Android Auto and CarPlay in new-generation EVs, instead bringing Android Automotive to all these models. The company has already made the first step in this controversial direction with the 2024 Blazer EV, which adopts AAOS and removes Android Auto and CarPlay.

The carmaker has the technical means to offer Android Automotive side-by-side with Android Auto and CarPlay. As a fully featured operating system, AAOS can allow phone projection systems to run on top of it – for a fact, Polestar already does it – but the only requirement is the carmaker allowing this integration.

GM said no to CarPlay and Android Auto, and an unfortunate, unjustified, unpardonable, un-you-name-it statement released by a company executive triggered a prompt reaction from potential customers.

The statement

General Motors took the world by surprise earlier this year when it announced that all its future EVs would block Android Auto and CarPlay and only offer Android Automotive. Tesla and Rivian don't offer the two systems either, but GM's decision was unprecedented.

It wasn't received well. Long-time GM customers called for the company to rethink its strategy, with some saying they're ready to switch to Ford if CarPlay goes away.

GM's executives defended the decision on several occasions, claiming that Android Automotive is the only way to offer more advanced capabilities.

The resistance went away gradually until earlier this week when a company executive reminded everybody that Android Auto and CarPlay were going away. And this time, we also received a justification: safety.

Tim Babbitt, GM's product lead for infotainment, said in a statement that the company is removing Android Auto and CarPlay because of the safety issues. He pointed at the bugs happening in both worlds, as random disconnects and slow responses could make drivers pick up their phones in the middle of the drive.

It's a ridiculous way to justify a ridiculous decision, and GM's big honchos knew it was a mistake. It released a new statement to explain that Android Auto and CarPlay are okay from a safety perspective, but its focus is on offering more advanced functionality in its cars. Replace "more advanced" with a subscription, and you're a step closer to the truth.

The response

Babbitt's statement was uncalled for. It added fuel to the fire, reigniting a controversy the world almost forgot about.

As a result, it didn't take long for others to take advantage of it. Ford's CEO Jim Farley took to Threads to remind the world that his company will stick with Android Auto and CarPlay. Because they're safe. That's right, Farley used the same argument that GM invoked for dropping Android Auto and CarPlay as a reason to continue offering the two features.

People joined the anti-GM battle with messages posted all over the web, expressing their support for Android Auto and CarPlay.

Farley's message is living proof. It's true that Farley's audience is mostly pro-Ford, but look at the comments, and you'll get it.

Someone says his family has been running a Chevy dealership for decades. "[It] will be awkward when I roll up in a Ford," they posted.

One user says GM has always been their main choice, but dropping CarPlay is too much. "We were always a GM family," they say, "but dropping CarPlay support crosses them off my list of options when I buy my next car."

And the posts go on and on, with more people explaining why abandoning Android Auto and CarPlay is a major mistake that'll push them over the fence. "CarPlay is a requirement, not an option," someone says.

According to Apple, nearly 8 in 10 new-car buyers in the United States consider CarPlay a must-have feature in their vehicles.

The problem

GM's major problem, which the company can't seem to be able to deal with, is the ridiculous number of attempts to defend its strategy.

The carmaker knows that dropping CarPlay and Android Auto is huge. It knows it'll impact millions of buyers. But the company can't find a way to cope with the transition from a marketing perspective.

The lack of Android Auto and CarPlay is a major inconvenience, and statements like the one released by Babbitt do nothing good. What GM must do is explain why Android Automotive is the better option and how, point by point, it'll improve the experience behind the wheel. It'll be hard to convince users that blocking their favorite features is the right way to go (it isn't), but they can at least try it.

Everybody knows that people who don't agree with something are typically the most vocal. GM knows it, too, and it's probably why the company hopes the world will eventually forget about these blunders. But as long as it doesn't handle the switch correctly, not only will blunders like this returning, but they'll also impact its new-car sales to a much bigger scale.