“Nearly all major auto makers… are on board with supporting Apple CarPlay, technology that promises to seamlessly synch iPhone operating systems onto a car’s dash, giving drivers a slimmed-down version of iOS with their iTunes library and other features at their fingertips,” Mike Ramsey reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“But auto makers continue to stress they have their own bells and whistles, including 4G LTE connectivity and other features that improve driving,” Ramsey reports. “General Motors Co. stressed a new Teen Driver system on the latest Chevrolet Malibu that can mute audio on the car or paired devices when seat belts aren’t buckled. The feature also provides audible and visual cues when the car exceeds predetermined speeds.”
“Still, auto makers increasingly will need to accept that consumers gravitate toward the operating systems on their mobile devices and will expect the same in their cars, says Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation Inc. the largest dealership chain in the U.S.,” Ramsey reports. “Indeed, major car manufacturers have at least said they will support CarPlay, though exact rollout dates on specific vehicles remain mysterious for the most part. ‘We will partner with them in certain areas,’ said Alan Batey, GM’s North American president, in an interview. ‘But we believe there is a lot more we can do in the car for our consumers than just what they see on their mobile device.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s CarPlay is (finally) the right strategy (as is Google’s knockoff of it). Most vehicles will eventually come with support for both CarPlay and derivative mobile operating systems, since car makers want to make their vehicles accessible to everybody. Well, maybe the luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, etc. could skip the Android integration (not much demographic overlap there), but the Kias and Chevy’s of the world will want to make sure they can support iPhone knockoffs, too.
Related articles:
Apple’s CarPlay success shows the power of having a long-term strategy – March 15, 2015
Apple’s real CarPlay: Cupertino doesn’t need to build cars in order to reinvent driving – February 28, 2015
Ford drops reputation-scorching Microsoft Sync, enables support for Apple’s sought-after CarPlay – December 12, 2014
Apple’s CarPlay looks like the future of in-car infotainment – April 13, 2014
