“At first, it might appear that Apple’s move into the auto industry is a modest adventure. After all, there are only 15 million new cars sold all over the world each year, and CarPlay will be on only a portion of those. In addition, it’s easy to get distracted by concerns about Siri’s robustness combined with concerns about driver focus and safety,” John Martellaro writes for TheStreet.
“History has shown that the early diagnosis of a new technology is almost always off the mark in the long run. That’s because observers tend to cast a new technology in the perspective of old thinking,” Martellaro writes. “Harder still is the challenge to put the long-term strategic consequences into perspective. For example, it’s all too easy to think in a simplistic way about device handling in the car. At first we had an iPhone in our hands or stuck on the dash. With CarPlay, there is better integration, but not in an earthshaking manner. So CarPlay may seem like a yawner. It’s not the startling new innovation, virtual magic, that some have been clamoring for.”
“Innovation isn’t always a surprising new technology. Sometimes, innovation is the incremental extension of current technology in news ways,” Martellaro writes. “Moreover, placing Apple technologies like Siri and Maps in front of average users is going to provide mission-critical feedback that will drive the technologies to the next level of refinement.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple’s new CarPlay API allows developers to easily add CarPlay support to third-party apps – March 6, 2014
Why Apple’s CarPlay, Siri make AAA nervous – March 6, 2014
Despite no one yet having used it, Apple’s CarPlay draws safety criticism from some – March 5, 2014
No, Apple’s CarPlay does not ‘run BlackBerry’s QNX’ – March 5, 2014
Apple CarPlay uses BlackBerry’s QNX platform – March 4, 2014
Hands on with Apple’s CarPlay in a Ferrari FF; plus how Apple will push new third-party apps to the system – March 4, 2014
Apple’s ‘CarPlay’ set to take automotive industry by storm – March 4, 2014
Apple’s new CarPlay system will turn tens of millions of cars into iPhone accessories – March 3, 2014
Apple rolls out CarPlay giving drivers a smarter, safer and more fun way to use iPhone in the car – March 3, 2014
Apple to launch iOS in the Car with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo next week; more makers coming this year – February 28, 2014
Honda’s ‘HondaLink’ offers partial iPhone-vehicle integration ahead of Apple’s ‘iOS in the Car’ – January 24, 2014
Apple patent application reveals in-vehicle holistic ID for ‘iOS in the Car’ – December 12, 2013
ABI Research: Apple’s ‘iOS in the Car’ to be No. 1 in-vehicle system by 2018 – November 1, 2013
General Motors adds Apple’s Siri Eyes Free to more vehicles following ‘remarkable’ customer response – October 16, 2013
Hidden contacts revealed within Apple’s iOS in the Car – August 8, 2013
Automakers integrate Apple’s iOS in the Car to minimize driver distraction, increase customer satisfaction – July 30, 2013
Why Apple is planning aggressive 2014 launch for ‘iOS in the Car’ – July 26, 2013
Why Tim Cook described Apple’s iOS in the Car strategy as ‘very important’ – July 25, 2013
Apple has its eyes on automakers with ‘iOS in the Car’ – July 5, 2013
Ford plummets to 27th in J.D. Power vehicle quality rankings on Microsoft-developed ‘MyFord Touch’ woes – June 20, 2012
I can finally agree with something from TheStreet.
The biggest thing CarPlay does is it stops people from looking down at their phones. It is difficult to look away from the road, focus on a close-up, small screen, process the data, and not drive their car into the next lane.
CarPlay gives people the functions they want when driving placed on a much larger screen and farther away than reading distance. It also adds multiple input capabilities, depending on the automaker’s implementation, including Siri.
The first statement is wrong. 60M cars are produced worldwide:
http://www.worldometers.info/cars/
I doubt that only 25% of them are sold every year.
I think CarPlay like AirPlay demonstrates how Apple can push their ecosystem into other products. TV’s next.
They need to get their stuff into the higher end cars. Civics and Fits are not going to sell to iPhone 5S owners. Mercedes C class as well. My golf buddy just bought a Tesla. Have you looked at the Tesla 17″ screen. Just beautiful. Google’s Maps w Street View is awesome there. I really hope Apple has a shot at that screen as well, it is an absolute sin that Tesla and Audi have gone with droid.
Could be why the two CEOs were chatting. Hmmm
Audi is also onboard with CarPlay – according to Apple’s web page in the product.
Wow, you are such a pompous ass. I kinda doubt if more iPhone owners drive a Tesla over a Honda. Of course I’m sure you drive a Lamborghini or a Ferrari.