General Motors is making headlines for doing General Motors things: it announced that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto would leave GM vehicles within a few years. For now, GM’s electric vehicles have already ditched this feature, while gas-powered cars will also make the switch. There is no firm timetable for when this will happen, judging by GM CEO Mary Barra’s opinion. interview with The Verge. General Motors, however, made an announcement that will bring many changes for 2028, seeking to overhaul the new vehicle architecture with autonomous driving and AI features; in a gesture that surprises no one.
GM’s plan to abandon CarPlay and Android Auto is a sure failure, there’s no two ways about it. Giving drivers fewer choices at a time when cars are becoming more and more expensive is a bit of a puzzling choice. Plus, actively removing a feature that many other cars have no intention of removing makes GM worse, just by comparison.
I have driven dozens of new GM vehicles over the years. The CarPlay-less infotainment system found in GM electric vehicles like the Cadillac Optiq is no longer a bad system. You can still take calls and stream music, but navigation is much less intuitive and doesn’t always work well with the apps on your phone. Having some consistency between your mobile device and your car’s operating system is definitely a positive.
People are unhappy with technological change
Now, GM isn’t just doing this out of malice, nor is it taking orders from the ghost of William C. Durant. There is precedent for not having CarPlay or Android Auto in a new car. Two big names in the electric car space, Tesla and Rivian, haven’t had phone mirroring capability since the brands’ respective debuts, and these customers aren’t really complaining.
However, taking the functionality far It’s a different approach and, predictably, the online world isn’t particularly happy about it. Specifically, users on the r/Android subreddit noted that they wouldn’t even buy a future car from GM when the change hits dealerships. One user went so far as to say “No Android Auto, no car.” One user on r/cars summed it up well with “This is a mistake.” This comment received over 2,700 upvotes, which clearly means that several users share the same sentiment. Going to other subreddits seems to provide similar opinions, meaning many users really aren’t fans of this decision.
For those drivers who don’t post online about it, time will tell whether or not they’ll lament the new (lack of) functionality in their newly purchased Chevy, GMC, Buick, or Cadillac vehicle. As with any automotive brand, fans won’t hold back from sharing their opinions. GM will receive feedback one way or another, positive or negative. We may just have to wait and see.
