BlueJeans by Verizon recently announced a highly anticipated update for the iOS app, allowing users to join meetings from their cars.
It's all possible thanks to CarPlay integration, as BlueJeans can now use the vehicle's microphone and sound system to let you participate in a meeting.
The app's most recent update includes CarPlay support, and once you install it, the BlueJeans icon should appear on the home screen. The CarPlay version gets all the data from the iPhone, so you must install the app on your smartphone, log in, sync your Microsoft or Google calendar, and then connect the mobile device to the head unit.
The CarPlay feature lineup includes the option to view your upcoming meetings (based on data imported from Microsoft or Google calendars), join meetings, and even mute your microphone should you just want to listen to other participants speaking.
Depending on the car model, an active BlueJeans meeting can also appear on the instrument cluster.
The number of apps on Android Auto and CarPlay keeps growing, and it's all happening at a time when General Motors decided to go against the trend and drop support for phone mirroring in its cars. Starting with the 2024 Blazer EV, all zero-emission models launched by the company will run on Android Automotive, blocking access to Android Auto and CarPlay.
Photo: BlueJeans
Potential and existing customers received the news with much criticism, especially as Android Auto's and CarPlay's popularity is on the rise. Apple statistics indicate that nearly 8 in 10 US car buyers wouldn’t even consider a model without CarPlay.
In reality, if the company is willing to do this, General Motors can offer Android Automotive and phone projection systems in its cars. Critics claim the carmaker wants to block phone mirroring specifically because Android Automotive allows it to monetize the infotainment system, eventually turning its subscription system into a money-making machine in the long term.
General Motors claims this isn't the case, promising to keep the infotainment completely free of charge in the first years after buying an Android Automotive-powered vehicle.
The lack of phone mirroring could become a significant shortcoming for GM buyers, especially as connecting a mobile device to the head unit is highly convenient. Everybody has a phone in their pockets, and with the app ecosystem on Android Auto and CarPlay growing at such a fast pace (and new app categories getting unlocked gradually by Google and Apple), it's very clear that phone mirroring is here to stay, no matter what GM claims in its attempt to convince customers that Android Automotive is the right way to go.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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