Quick summary
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be removed from all GM cars in the future.
This comes as the brand announces a new in-vehicle system based on Gemini.
In the modern automotive world, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are everywhere you look. The systems – which mirror your Android phone or iPhone onto in-car screens – have been incredibly popular in recent years because they enable a host of features that look instantly familiar.
Today it goes even further, with a new announcement also removing compatibility for fossil fuel vehicles. This comes from an interview with The edgewhere the brand’s CEO, Mary Barra, suggested that new fossil fuel vehicles would not support smartphone projection.
This is a major step for the brand, especially after the backlash that surrounded the latest such move. Many users were frustrated by the decision to remove compatibility, which has become a norm for most people.
(Image credit: Chevrolet)
So why is GM doing this? Well, it all comes down to their desire to offer their own platform for in-vehicle displays. Cynics suggest this could be an attempt to lock certain features behind a paywall, which would likely be an even bigger problem for most drivers.
Yet it’s not all bad news. The brand also has announcement a new feature emerging next year that uses Google Gemini to deliver conversational AI in your car. This is something we’ve been hearing about more widely for a long time, and it’s great to see the feature finally come to market.
Whether or not an AI-powered in-car assistant can replace CarPlay and Android Auto remains to be seen. It will certainly be an interesting year for GM.
TOPICS
