Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
General Motors is one of the biggest names planning to step away from Android Auto and CarPlay, as the American carmaker believes that going all-in on Android Automotive would help its efforts to monetize the infotainment system.
GM will no longer offer phone mirroring software in its electric vehicles, blocking Android Auto and CarPlay and upgrading the cars to Android Automotive.
The strategy was received with much criticism by the customer base, as Android Automotive can also allow Android Auto and CarPlay. Polestar does it, but General Motors believes that offering the two phone mirroring solutions on top of Android Automotive limits the potential of the operating system.
The company has since tried to convince the world that its strategy is the correct one, and now it has turned to a new approach for this controversial plan.
General Motors has started hiring former Apple talent to work on its software strategy. GM's exec VP of Software and Services recently revealed in a post on LinkedIn that the carmaker appointed four former Apple engineers, all supposed to help the company improve its design and user interface efforts.
Lori Mann, Baris Cetinok, David Richardson, and Christopher Matthews are now General Motors employees. Matthews previously served as a director within the Apple Design Team and will now lead General Motors' human interface design unit.
General Motors says Matthews' main role is to help "deliver great experiences for our customers when interacting with our vehicles." In plain English, the former Apple employee will bring his know-how to General Motors in an attempt to make the software in GM's cars easier to use, especially as the transition to Android Automotive could pose challenges from a usability perspective.
General Motors' new strategy started with the 2024 Blazer EV and will eventually expand to all-electric vehicles in its lineup. However, the carmaker plans to migrate from combustion engines to zero-emission motors by 2035, so the transition to Android Automotive is a matter of time.
The carmaker says Android Automotive will provide customers with an upgraded experience, including new capabilities that aren't otherwise available on Android Auto and CarPlay. For example, Google Maps benefits from the deeper integration into Android Automotive by reading more vehicle data, including the battery charge and the estimated range. With this information, Google Maps can look for more efficient routes, eventually recommending charging stops to reach a destination.
The Android Automotive adoption gains more pace, but General Motors is the only big name that blocked Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars. Tesla and Rivian don't offer the two systems either, as they stick with their infotainment platforms specifically to retain control of the experience behind the wheel without giving in to Apple and Google. Rivian previously said that offering Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars is still possible if customers demand it.
The strategy was received with much criticism by the customer base, as Android Automotive can also allow Android Auto and CarPlay. Polestar does it, but General Motors believes that offering the two phone mirroring solutions on top of Android Automotive limits the potential of the operating system.
The company has since tried to convince the world that its strategy is the correct one, and now it has turned to a new approach for this controversial plan.
General Motors has started hiring former Apple talent to work on its software strategy. GM's exec VP of Software and Services recently revealed in a post on LinkedIn that the carmaker appointed four former Apple engineers, all supposed to help the company improve its design and user interface efforts.
Lori Mann, Baris Cetinok, David Richardson, and Christopher Matthews are now General Motors employees. Matthews previously served as a director within the Apple Design Team and will now lead General Motors' human interface design unit.
General Motors says Matthews' main role is to help "deliver great experiences for our customers when interacting with our vehicles." In plain English, the former Apple employee will bring his know-how to General Motors in an attempt to make the software in GM's cars easier to use, especially as the transition to Android Automotive could pose challenges from a usability perspective.
General Motors' new strategy started with the 2024 Blazer EV and will eventually expand to all-electric vehicles in its lineup. However, the carmaker plans to migrate from combustion engines to zero-emission motors by 2035, so the transition to Android Automotive is a matter of time.
The carmaker says Android Automotive will provide customers with an upgraded experience, including new capabilities that aren't otherwise available on Android Auto and CarPlay. For example, Google Maps benefits from the deeper integration into Android Automotive by reading more vehicle data, including the battery charge and the estimated range. With this information, Google Maps can look for more efficient routes, eventually recommending charging stops to reach a destination.
The Android Automotive adoption gains more pace, but General Motors is the only big name that blocked Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars. Tesla and Rivian don't offer the two systems either, as they stick with their infotainment platforms specifically to retain control of the experience behind the wheel without giving in to Apple and Google. Rivian previously said that offering Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars is still possible if customers demand it.
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