2024 Chevy Blazer: GM’s First Vehicle to Bid Farewell to Apple CarPlay
We estimate that a sizable portion of iPhone users would name Apple CarPlay as one of the key characteristics they prioritize when shopping for a new car. Some people may even find a car’s lack of phone connectivity to be a deal-breaker. With Android Auto, the same is true for Android users.
A feature that improves the quality of life is the ability to quickly replace an often-inefficient built-in entertainment system with one that connects wirelessly to the user’s preferred smartphone and replicates its user interface on the dashboard.
So, why did GM decide to stop making this indispensable widget? A Reuters story suggests that GM may want to do away with Apple CarPlay completely.
According to the article, the carmaker intends to gradually phase away Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the next EVs, starting with the Chevy Blazer in 2024.
GM will instead collaborate with Google to create a new infotainment interface.
This indicates that even if GM is also abandoning Android Auto, it is still a win for Google, if not for owners of Android smartphones.
GM appears to have chosen a side in the ongoing conflict between iOS and Android, so sorry Apple users.
Why then would GM enter the conflict?
The quick response is money. Edward Kummer, a chief digital officer of GM, told Reuters, “We do feel there are subscription income potential for us. Users avoid multiple possibilities for Manufacturers to charge them for the identical functions that their devices come with for free when they use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The automaker’s CEO, Mary Barra, reportedly wants to see an annual subscription income of between $20 billion and $25 billion by 2030.
For now, GM says that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will continue to be offered in combustion vehicles but considering that the automaker plans to phase out all ICE cars by 2030, the clock is ticking before the features go away for good in new GM vehicles.