GM Plans to Drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto From All Its Cars - Slashdot

GM Plans to Drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto From All Its Cars - Slashdot
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GM plans to dump Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all its car new vehicles "in the near future,"
reports the Verge
In an episode of the Verge's
Decoder
podcast, GM CEO Mary Barra
confirmed the upcoming change
to "phone projections" for GM cars:
The timing is unclear, but Barra pointed to a major rollout of what the company is calling a
new centralized computing platform
, set to launch in 2028, that will involve eventually transitioning its entire lineup to a unified in-car experience.
In place of phone projection, GM is working to update its current Android-powered infotainment implementation with a Google Gemini-powered assistant and an assortment of other custom apps, built both in-house and with partners. GM's 2023
decision to drop
CarPlay and Android Auto support in its EVs has proved controversial, though for now GM has maintained support for phone projection in its gas-powered vehicles.
Related Links
Some US Electricity Prices are Rising -- But It's Not Just Data Centers
Using Apple CarPlay Impairs Driver Reaction More Than Alcohol, Study Shows
Many People Don't Actually Like Their Car's Infotainment Systems
CarPlay? Android Auto? Most People Still Just Listen to AM/FM Radio
Why Your Car's Touchscreen Is More Dangerous Than Your Phone
Apple Plans to Allow Outside Voice-Controlled AI Chatbots in CarPlay
California Colleges Test AI Partnerships. Critics Complain It's Risky and Wasteful
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GM Plans to Drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto From All Its Cars
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GM Plans to Drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto From All Its Cars
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My last corvette
Score:
, Interesting)
by
dmitrygr
( 736758 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @07:54PM (
#65752266
Homepage
I guess my current 2022 corvette will be my last one. I will not buy a car without CarPlay. That they already talk about "monetizing" this, confirms to me the correctness of my choice.
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Re:My last corvette
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, Insightful)
by
Valgrus Thunderaxe
( 8769977 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:16PM (
#65752302
This is a foolish move by GM. I'd rather just link my phone to the equivalent of a dumb-screen and let Google or Apple handle my "tech".
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Re:My last corvette
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, Insightful)
by
leonbev
( 111395 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:46PM (
#65752350
Journal
For me, a car is an 8 to 10 year purchase. By the time I'll be ready to get rid of that car, GM's proprietary infotainment system will be obsolete and half of the 3rd party integrations on it will likely be deprecated.
Also, I'd imagine that the security and software updates for it will likely run out right around the time that the car's warranty runs out. So, at that point, you'll either need to disconnect it from the internet and lose a TON of functionality or risk your car's infotainment system being turned into a Chinese botnet.
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Re:
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by
Q-Hack!
( 37846 )
writes:
This... Both of my older Fords came with their proprietary Sync crap. It's a nightmare trying to navigate on a system that uses predictive text for street names that are newer than the last update ($$$). At least Ford saw the light and now let you use your phone with newer models.
Re:My last corvette
Score:
, Interesting)
by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @11:35PM (
#65752558
For me, a car is an 8 to 10 year purchase.
My car is a 2007..,,making it almost 19 years old. I'm so very glad it does not have any kind of "infotainment system" that would long since be out of date by now.
You know what it DOES have? A dashboard. I've used that to install a phone mount. My phone is the "infotainment system". Plus, it's portable. I can transfer it to my motorcycle and use it there too. Most importantly, it is easily updatable and replaceable, without depending on the vehicle manufacturer.
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Re:
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by
cusco
( 717999 )
writes:
"Foolish move" seems to exemplify pretty much any action coming out of Detroit since around 1970.
Re:
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by
smithmc
( 451373 )
writes:
It's like Android Auto except it works. Always.
Android Auto does work. Always. And I won't buy a car without it. I already pay for a phone; why should I pay twice?
Re:My last corvette
Score:
, Interesting)
by
Ritz_Just_Ritz
( 883997 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @10:03PM (
#65752444
Same. I trust Google and Apple a lot more than I trust car manufacturers to keep my maps updated and respond to bugs. I also carry my phone on with me and it can transfer from car to car with a consistent level of quality and consistent interface. AND I won't pay for these features twice.
Not that I'd be eager to buy a GM product anyway.....but this takes them off the menu for me entirely.
Best,
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Re: My last corvette
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by
CompMD
( 522020 )
writes:
As someone who worked with AAOS for Volvo/Polestar, updates are absolutely NOT handled by Google. AAOS updates are handled by the OEMs. The OEMs deal with integrating their UI, custom services and apps, and core functionality on AAOS. Google provides the OEM AAOS and maybe GAS, and itâ(TM)s entirely up to te OEM to make something work.
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by
karmawarrior
( 311177 )
writes:
No it doesn't. It disconnects at random, and autoplay still happens even if you disable it in both Android Auto and whatever app you use to play music and in the bluetooth settings. Yeah, three fucking settings for autoplay, and all of them are ignored, and the first thing that happens when you turn your car on is something you didn't ask for starts blaring out the fucking speaker.
I'm done with Android Auto for anything but GPS. It's shit, the programmers behind it are morons, it's yet another case of Googl
$100 down
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by
will4
( 7250692 )
writes:
Hope that we can go a la cart and opt out of the hundreds (thousands?) of extra dollars these infotainment systems add to the price of a car, from the extra screen cost, software programming costs, extra copper wiring, extra computer chips, lifelong extra pollution due to extra weight carried,
...
First job should be to be a car.
Technology equivalents of gameplay skins, which you cannot opt out of paying for, remembering your seat position, should be optional..
Try to by a Ford or GM full size truck for farm
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by
sinij
( 911942 )
writes:
I'm done with Android Auto for anything but GPS.
Buy a Garmin with lifetime map subscription. This is what I do.
Re: My last corvette
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by
fluffernutter
( 1411889 )
writes:
Android Auto does work.
I am in favor of having Android auto, but to be fair it works terribly in my car. It crashes on me constantly. It has failed to turn off the radio when I switch to it. It has refused to start at all, even when stopping by the side of the road and restarting the whole vehicle and rebooting the phone. Apps will suddenly refuse to even log in.
Re:
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by
r1348
( 2567295 )
writes:
Can you play music locally stored on your phone on your car? Because that's 99% of what I do with Android Auto and VLC.
Re:My last corvette
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, Insightful)
by
TheMiddleRoad
( 1153113 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @10:22PM (
#65752474
You don't need AA to do that, just a bluetooth connection.
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Re:
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by
MBGMorden
( 803437 )
writes:
I don't want to navigate the apps using my tiny phone screen though - Android Auto gives a great car-appropriate interface to my device.
At the end of the day why someone wants to use the feature really isn't an issue. You don't explain to their customers how to avoid doing something they want to do. Its a simple feature thats already available that they're removing to try and charge more for their proprietary alternative that many don't want.
Re: CarPlay may be optional but not Bluetooth.
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by
orient
( 535927 )
writes:
I would. In all the cars I onwed in the last 10 years, the phone's handsfree captured my voice clearer than my cars' Bluetooth, to the point that, for phone calls, I would switch the sound from Bluetooth to speakerphone.
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by
TheMiddleRoad
( 1153113 )
writes:
Agreed. The Volvo Android system is solid but a bit busy. I just want more physical controls. It's the only car where, when I navigate, I trust the in car maps, since they're google.
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by
sinij
( 911942 )
writes:
Google is also in control of your physical device (car) and is that much more effective siphoning data about you. This is a death sentence for privacy, as you can't de-Google your car.
Re:My last corvette
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, Insightful)
by
Ickyban
( 2713241 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @09:31PM (
#65752424
Same here (except I don't have a Corvette). iPhones receive iOS updates for many years after the handset is release - do we really trust a car company to mimic this?
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Re:
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by
MBGMorden
( 803437 )
writes:
Well, and even an iPhone eventually is out of date and needs to be replaced. I keep vehicles a long time. My current one is a 2017 Chevy Colorado I bought new back in early 2017. I've had it 8 years. My vehicle before that I bought new in 2006 and I kept it for 11 years.
Both have lasted much longer than any standard computing device will. All I want is a dumb screen a la Android Auto to sit there and adapt to whatever phone I happen to be connecting.
Why give anyone control?
Score:
by
Excelcia
( 906188 )
writes:
Why even CarPlay or Android Auto? Those are not the dubious features we should be scrambling to get "back". Both of those were bad choices to begin with, handing Google and Apple control of our in-car experience, sending them our location at all times to be sold to the highest bidder. I chose not them, and certainly not to let the car manufacturers get their drool-covered mitts on my experience.
I'd rather have a very good, solid phone holder I can slip my phone into and control everything myself. I have
Re:
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, Insightful)
by
RitchCraft
( 6454710 )
writes:
"Twice the quality" - LOL
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by
Kernel Kurtz
( 182424 )
writes:
The Corvette and the heavy duty pickups are, IMHO, what is any good from GM. Perhaps the Tahoe or Suburban. However, if I'm paying top dollar for a vehicle (last time I inquired about a 3500, the salesperson wanted sticker + $5000 before he would even reach for a key to show off anything on the lot), it better have a good entertainment system. No Android Auto or CarPlay? No sale.
The Corvette (especially the C8) is the only GM product of any interest to me, and I'd personally be more interested if they were planning to make it more raw sports car and less cell phone on wheels, but it sounds like this is not that.
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by
dmitrygr
( 736758 )
writes:
I do recommend the C8. Love mine. And current models still have CarPlay. Get it while you can.
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by
TheMiddleRoad
( 1153113 )
writes:
I sat in the C6. It was awful. Heard the C7 was better but never tried it. Sat in a C8. Even worse. Like sitting in an elephant. It's just too big for a sports car. Way wider and almost as long as my BMW.
Lame.
Score:
, Interesting)
by
Smonster
( 2884001 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @07:57PM (
#65752270
I understand their stock driven desire to monetize everything. And want to be in control of the user experience. But I just want to use my pocket computer to run things. I don’t want another unintegrated computing platform. This is anti- customer and no one is asking for this. It is enshitification. Pure and simple. However, I’ve never bought a GM product outside of their stock, which I sold on their resent peak before this announcement. So I only care insofar as I don’t want my brand of choice following suit. This is bad example. I sh!t on enshitification.
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Re:Lame.
Score:
, Interesting)
by
timeOday
( 582209 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:17PM (
#65752308
I currently own two GM cars, a Malibu and an Acadia, and I like them a lot. But like you said, there is NO value to ANY consumer in dropping CarPlay and Android Auto, since they could even offer it side-by-side with their proprietary and most likely subscription-based garbage that nobody wants if they thought it could compete.
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Re:Lame.
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, Insightful)
by
bagofbeans
( 567926 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @10:46PM (
#65752500
The value isn't for you. It's to be able to firstly charge a subscription for being a middleman on your phone interaction, and secondly for slapping on a pile of surveillance of your phone activity that Carplay doesn't allow.
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Then I will never buy one.
Score:
by
MikeDataLink
( 536925 )
writes:
Ever
Let me rewrite that for you...
Score:
by
sargeUSMC
( 905860 )
writes:
GM plans to sell vehicles only to boomers and the Amish.
Re:Let me rewrite that for you...
Score:
, Interesting)
by
Mspangler
( 770054 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:34PM (
#65752334
Boomers won't buy one either, they are old and cranky and not interested in learning new ways that turn out to be worse than the old ways.
The odds of the Amish putting GM Play in their buggies is very low.
This is also the same GM that while you are driving randomly puts up a warning on the screen that your should not read the screen while you are driving. And you can't clear the screen while wearing gloves.
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Re:
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by
MBGMorden
( 803437 )
writes:
This is also the same GM that while you are driving randomly puts up a warning on the screen that your should not read the screen while you are driving. And you can't clear the screen while wearing gloves.
And you can't disable from the settings menu either. You can disable the warning that you might have left your kid in the backseat, but you can't disable the "Don't take your eyes off the road." message that is likely to pull your attention from the road.
Re:
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by
sinij
( 911942 )
writes:
Does black tape over driver-facing camera does not work?
Re:
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by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
Boomers won't buy one either, they are old and cranky and not interested in learning new ways that turn out to be worse than the old ways.
The odds of the Amish putting GM Play in their buggies is very low.
This is also the same GM that while you are driving randomly puts up a warning on the screen that your should not read the screen while you are driving. And you can't clear the screen while wearing gloves.
GMs answer to the glove problem is to provide a legal defense team that makes Oracle litigation look like a group of 8-year olds playing grown-up, along with selling you a $2000 mandatory upgrade in the form of heated radio knobs and $800 custom GM gloves that still don’t work on touchscreens. For safety reasons of course.
Hell yes that warning screen still pops up while driving in rush hour traffic on the freeway. You are now
unified
with their litigation needs. You’re welcome.
Boomers want CarPlay
Score:
by
drfuchs
( 599179 )
writes:
Peak Boomer here. I own a GM car with CarPlay, and will not consider one without it. Perhaps youâ(TM)re thinking of our parents, who served in WWII?
Re:
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by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
Peak Boomer here. I own a GM car with CarPlay, and will not consider one without it. Perhaps you’re thinking of our parents, who served in WWII?
I hope that’s not the assumption. Unlike Facebook, it’s considerably harder to
actually
sell their core product to a dead person.
And it’s been 75 years since that War
ended.
With ALL due respect, the few still alive are probably struggling to
hear.
Much less drive.
Unified experience
Score:
, Insightful)
by
russsell
( 185151 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:20PM (
#65752314
I don't want a unified experience across the entire GM line-up. I want a unified experience across the things I use such as my phone and car.
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Re:
Score:
by
cusco
( 717999 )
writes:
This. If it doesn't have Amazon music then I'm not interested.
Re:
Score:
by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
I don't want a unified experience across the entire GM line-up. I want a unified experience across the things I use such as my phone and car.
Talk about a feature NO consumer asked for, or even justified. Ever.
Unified experience? If it were Honda wanting to make that claim because they happen to make my car, my lawnmower, my pressure washer, and my generator engines (which they do make),
then
perhaps we can talk about a unifying experience, since that scenario
actually
could happen. And does.
Last time Chevy built something other than a shitty car, they were building ventilators for the National stockpile. Which a US Military will likely have
Note Android users, no big change.
Score:
, Informative)
by
thegarbz
( 1787294 )
writes:
GM uses Google Built-In. You don't need Android Auto for this. The experience is already largely synced by your google account. I use Android Auto everywhere, except for my own car which has Google Built-in as the primary interface. It's like Android Auto except native, fast, and works without the damn phone.
That said Apple users, you're left in the dust, but then if you have a GM car you should be used to this. Apple CarPlay has always been abysmal or non-existent on GM vehicles.
Re:Note Android users, no big change.
Score:
, Informative)
by
dmitrygr
( 736758 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:27PM (
#65752322
Homepage
What are you blathering on about? I am on my third corvette and CarPlay has been working perfectly in each car.
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Re:Note Android users, no big change.
Score:
, Interesting)
by
larryjoe
( 135075 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:47PM (
#65752352
GM uses Google Built-In. You don't need Android Auto for this. The experience is already largely synced by your google account. I use Android Auto everywhere, except for my own car which has Google Built-in as the primary interface. It's like Android Auto except native, fast, and works without the damn phone.
Do you have to pay a monthly fee, either for the service or the cell phone connection? If so, that's not a plus. I've read that GM strongly pushes paying for its OnStar data plan and that although its possible to connect to the phone via a hotspot, it's also not turnkey.
Also, I assume that you have to give the car the credentials for your Google account. That means that you have to trust that GM is going to do the right thing, both in terms of not selling your data and in terms of keeping your data safe from malware. Also, since the car could be driven by a valet, friend, or thief, a PIN or pattern is needed every time the car is turned on, which is slightly less convenient than Android Auto (especially the wireless versions).
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Re:
Score:
by
jacks smirking reven
( 909048 )
writes:
GM strongly pushes paying for its OnStar data plan
I think this is a line I would draw legally, much like every car has to include an ODB2 port if it's equipped with a cellular modem it must include a SIM slot or a user programmable eSIM. No technical excuse otherwise on that one, that's pure lockin for money.
Re:
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by
shilly
( 142940 )
writes:
Having to login each time is a lot worse than slightly less convenient, in my view! GM really cuoldn't give a shit about their customers, could they?
Re:Note Android users, no big change.
Score:
, Informative)
by
sinij
( 911942 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @04:22AM (
#65752758
That means that you have to trust that GM is going to do the right thing, both in terms of not selling your data and in terms of keeping your data safe from malware.
About that.
FTC Takes Action Against General Motors for Sharing Drivers' Precise Location and Driving Behavior Data Without Consent
[ftc.gov]. Also,
Volkswagen Data Breach: 800,000 Electric Car Owners' Data Leaked
[cybersecuritynews.com].
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Re:
Score:
by
FellowConspirator
( 882908 )
writes:
There's no fee for the service. There's no fee for the basic cell service, and my car came with 8 years of the higher tier service (that allows streaming), but you can tether the car to WiFi from a phone and be able to access those features.
GM DOES push OnStar still. In my car, there's an OnStar safety package thing (which is free for 3 years?), and you need to pay some sort of fee to use the built-in cell modem as a WiFi bridge after 1 year (IIRC). I believe that after 8 years, there's a fee for certain se
Re:
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by
Ksevio
( 865461 )
writes:
Exactly, it's pretty much the same experience except you're paying extra monthly for it
Re:
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by
Luthair
( 847766 )
writes:
That assume what you're using is Google apps. Personally I use the open source AntennaPod for podcasts for example which I can't imagine will be available. Not to mention is it even going to work without the privacy invading OnStar
Re:
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by
misnohmer
( 1636461 )
writes:
Not exactly. First, you're likely going to have to now pay a data subscription for the pleasure of using those Android apps. Second, not all apps are available and may never be. Third, upgrading a few years old aging Android infotainment to current hardware is going to require buying a new car, vs. just buying a new phone. Last but not least, is GM truly committing to patching the car's system for life of the car? Try running Android on a 15 year old device today, see how secure it is.
A lifetime of planned obsolescence.
Score:
, Funny)
by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @03:25AM (
#65752710
Not exactly. First, you're likely going to have to now pay a data subscription for the pleasure of using those Android apps. Second, not all apps are available and may never be. Third, upgrading a few years old aging Android infotainment to current hardware is going to require buying a new car, vs. just buying a new phone. Last but not least, is GM truly committing to patching the car's system for life of the car? Try running Android on a 15 year old device today, see how secure it is.
15 years? For a GM car?
Look on the bright side. The tow truck dragging it around, will have Android auto.
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Re: Note Android users, no big change.
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by
Big Hairy Gorilla
( 9839972 )
writes:
All the downsides of the Cloud and Google surveillance
... now in cars aka cellphone on wheels. You say that like it's a good thing.
Re:
Score:
by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
I'll have to disagree with that last part.
CarPlay was about the only thing on our Buick that DIDN'T suck. It worked great!
That said, I'm very glad to be rid of that piece of shit car.
Re:
Score:
by
YuppieScum
( 1096 )
writes:
GM uses Google Built-In. The experience is already largely synced by your google account.
So, can I install a good off-line satnav app like
OSMAnd
[osmand.net] onto the car, along with a few Gb of maps? Will the OS get regular updates and upgrades for the life of the car? Will that OS support continue across multiple vehicle owners? Most importantly, will all the above be free?
Unless the answer to all these questions is a resounding, unequivocal and legally-binding "Yes!" then they can fuck right off with this shit.
Back in the day of single-DIN car radio/tape/CD/etc units, swapping out the factory-fit unit w
Infoteinment in car are pure shit.
Score:
, Insightful)
by
denisbergeron
( 197036 )
writes:
DenisBergeronNO@SPAMyahoo.com
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:31PM (
#65752328
I just pass from a subscription base on a Ford Mach-E 12 inch screen to a non subscrption base Outlander PHEV with a 9 inch screen and buttons for sound, HVAC and everything else. Man never again I will get a car without physical button for sound, screen, HVAC, and so on. And never subscrption.
Share
Guess I'll never own a GM.
Score:
, Insightful)
by
Guspaz
( 556486 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @08:32PM (
#65752330
I will not buy a car that does not have Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Car systems always suck, and they don't have all the apps/accounts/settings/cellular connection/data plan that my phone does.
Literally the only reason that any car manufacturer tries to force you to use their own system is to sell you subscriptions.
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Re:
Score:
by
PPH
( 736903 )
writes:
Buy a phone for phone things. Buy a car for car things.
Or do we need to extend Zawinski's Law to automobiles?
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by
test321
( 8891681 )
writes:
I don't use those modern thingies, so your post was very informative to me, but one question came to mind. If the objective of "Apple CarPlay/Android Auto" is to let you stream audio from the phone to the car, then wouldn't it be enough for the car to integrate behave as a generic bluetooth speaker? Or are there other uses where an Apple/Android bridge to the phone is necessary?
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r1348
( 2567295 )
writes:
It doesn't just stream audio. It lets you use select apps from your phone on your car screen, already synced with your account. I.e. you can use Google Maps to navigate while you listen to Spotify, without needing any extra substription, and using your phone's mobile data.
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by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
Necessary? No.
But listening to music is probably the LEAST useful thing about phone mirroring. You can do that with a simple BT connection.
A better use case is navigation, getting info on the car's much larger display screen (compared to the phone). That's certainly the main thing I use it for, when driving my wife's car (mine does not have CarPlay).
I bought a third party CarPlay unit for my Jeep. It's supposed to be super simple to hook up and use. It has been several months and I haven't gotten around to
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shilly
( 142940 )
writes:
There's dozens of other use cases for CarPlay & AA. For me, the most common are navigation & dealing with calls and texts. I can answer a call or decline it, respond to a text with dictation, and ask Siri to get me to where I need to be, or tap a calendar entry and navigate to the destination embedded in it. And I can use Waze if the traffic is heavy and I need a navigation app with excellent real-time re-routing around congestion. These are just some of the common use cases for me.
Re:
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by
BenBoy
( 615230 )
writes:
Literally the only reason that any car manufacturer tries to force you to use their own system is to sell you subscriptions.
Not the only reason. They'd also like a window into your life:
[mozillafoundation.org]
Re:
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by
markdavis
( 642305 )
writes:
>"Literally the only reason that any car manufacturer tries to force you to use their own system is to sell you subscriptions."
They will sell you subscriptions, regardless. Because there is still the matter of telematics, car mobile app, etc. How do I know this? Because my new car has both Android Auto and Apple Carplay ability, in addition to native systems (so it has all three). Without the subscription, a lot of functionality is lost, even when using AA/ACP (like self-driving). The car comes with
The new tinfoil hat.
Score:
by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
I will not buy a car that does not have Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Car systems always suck, and they don't have all the apps/accounts/settings/cellular connection/data plan that my phone does.
Literally the only reason that any car manufacturer tries to force you to use their own system is to sell you subscriptions.
At this rate, I can see the latest TikTok viral trend in the automotive world already.
Tin foil wraps and microwave door glass.
And they laughed at the prophetic hat wearers for fucking years. Orwell had no idea the prophet he sadly was.
On Brand
Score:
by
Sarusa
( 104047 )
writes:
This seems on brand for their shitty vehicles?
Guess I won't be buying any GM products.
Score:
by
smithmc
( 451373 )
writes:
The Equinox EV would have been on my shortlist for my next car, but not if have to pay a subscription fee for the privilege of handing GM all my data, when I already have a perfectly good phone.
doesn't have to be bad
Score:
by
Camembert
( 2891457 )
writes:
I thought the same about brand specific UIs before I got my Y. But must be said that I don't really miss CarPlay in it. The Y has a nice UI that is more sophisticated than the CarPlay UI. Yes I do play a little per month for connectivity, but not much really, and it allows me to see live traffic conditions in the gps or play my music and podcasts even if I don't have my phone with me.
Re:
Score:
by
larwe
( 858929 )
writes:
Five years from now when the updates to your in-car UI have ceased and your new phone does things the in-car UI cannot... you will feel differently. Cars age like cellphones - badly.
Re: doesn't have to be bad
Score:
by
LehiNephi
( 695428 )
writes:
If I may offer a modification to your statement, it would be that car infotainment systems age poorly. Not the cars themselves. I currently own three examples that have aged quite well. All are near or over 20 years old. New enough to have OBD-2 and great reliability and repairability, old enough to be focused on real utility and avoid the invasion of useless (or worse) tech and complication. No $700 LED tail lights or $1500 mirrors with cameras, or everything-is-a-module-connected-to-the-canbus.

Now get
Re:
Score:
by
larwe
( 858929 )
writes:
You're right, of course, but manufacturers are doing their damnedest to make everything dependent on the infotainment system - as you said "everything on the canbus" - what you omitted was "and won't turn on unless you're paying the monthly subscription".
Re:
Score:
by
r1348
( 2567295 )
writes:
So... you're paying a monthly fee for features your phone already has?
Honestly, lack of Android Auto is the main reason I steer clear of Teslas.
Re:
Score:
by
Tony Isaac
( 1301187 )
writes:
There's no way Tesla's live traffic rivals Google Navigation.
I find it funny that you're OK with paying a monthly fee for something that's completely free on CarPlay or Android Auto.
Re:
Score:
by
Bandraginus
( 901166 )
writes:
I find it funny that you're OK with paying a monthly fee for something that's completely free on CarPlay or Android Auto.
If you're not paying for the product, then
you
are the product.
Re:
Score:
by
shilly
( 142940 )
writes:
People *already* pay for CarPlay, when they buy their phones, and they *already* pay for data with their carrier contracts. They don't want to have to pay *twice*.
Re: doesn't have to be bad
Score:
by
fluffernutter
( 1411889 )
writes:
You can also pay for the product and be the product.
Re:
Score:
by
Tony Isaac
( 1301187 )
writes:
There is no way GM will put the same level of effort (money) into their UI, that Tesla, Google, or Apple does.
Re:
Score:
by
shilly
( 142940 )
writes:
How does Tesla manage texts & calls, and does it suggest destinations to navigate to, based on your upcoming calendar entries? How does it work with 3rd party apps -- I mainly listen to BBC Sounds via CarPlay, for example?
Ah, a return to the bad old days
Score:
, Funny)
by
larwe
( 858929 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @09:52PM (
#65752440
I happen to have recently bought a 2017 Buick, the last model year before the entertainment center included CarPlay/Android Auto. I had forgotten how bad the bad old days were - $150 updates to maps (that were always out of date anyway), weird clunky proprietary in-dash UIs, the existence of OnStar, etc. It all made sense before all these things were free/ad-supported on your cellphone. None of it makes sense now.

GM simply wants those thicc revenues from their own online services, in exactly the same way that Samsung would love to cut Google out of their mobile ecosystem. In exactly the same way, GM's system will offer duplicative but always-behind-the-curve functionality in their proprietary trashbox, and everyone will have to figure out how to keep using their up-to-date mobile device as primary display. My car appears to have been engineered _specifically_ to avoid any surface flat and non-porous enough to make a good mounting point for a cellphone. I'm sure the more modern ones are also. Suction cup on the middle of the car's inbuilt screen seems to be the best ergonomic answer.
Share
This Hurts Me To The (Apple) Core
Score:
, Interesting)
by
jvp
( 27996 )
writes:
on Sunday October 26, 2025 @10:18PM (
#65752464
I'm a long time GM buyer; I've only ever purchased their vehicles from Corvettes, to performance Cadillacs, to pick-up trucks. I currently have a '24 GMC 2500HD that I take off-roading, and a '24 Z06 that I'm selling to move to a new '26 CT5 Blackwing. Cut my arm and I bleed little blue GMs. But this move makes me seriously re-think that fanboi'ism.
The built-in Google system in the Corvette and pick-up is, how to put this nicely so I don't offend the Google fans...
Hot trash. Google Automotive sucks. Badly. Like, really, catastrophically badly. If you actually feel that it's a good system, you've used nothing but horrible systems in the past, for sure. It's super-trash.
It's awful. It's slow as all hell, applications crash constantly, and the nav system can take forrrrrever to find itself when the car is first turned on. And it requires OnStar to get constant updates, traffic, etc. You can attach the car to a Wifi setup or HotSpot to your phone and hope the offline maps can update that way, but it's sketchy as hell whether that works. No, GM wants you to pay nearly $600/year (per car!) to have your BUILT IN nav system work.
Remember when Nav systems had DVD updates, or even SD card updates because they stored everything locally in the car? Pepperidge Farm remembers. I actually prefer those days. But failing that, I'll take CarPlay over that Google crap any day of the week. The Apple stuff just works. All the time. Every time. Without waiting or any extra subscriptions other than my mobile bill. As someone else wrote here: I'm already paying for that for other things.
This is yet another silly decision that Ms Barra has made during her tenure, that her successor (who can't get here soon enough!) will have to unmake.
Share
Re: This Hurts Me To The (Apple) Core
Score:
by
fluffernutter
( 1411889 )
writes:
I agree with you that Android auto has been horrible since I have had it in 2017. But I had Chrysler uconnect before that and the Ford system now. They don't crash like Android auto does but they didn't understand anything I said to them either and their menus were terrible. Nor did they have the functions android auto does. How can you listen to Spotify in your vehicle without paying for another data plan?
Well, nothing new here
Score:
by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
My last GM vehicle was enough to ensure I'd never buy another GM vehicle.
But if that wasn't the case, lack of Car Play would certainly do the trick.
Aux In
Score:
by
bill_mcgonigle
( 4333 )
writes:
I have a Honda with an obsolete "infotainment" system, but at least it has an Aux In next to a USB port that provides power, so I can plug in an $11 UGreen dongle and listen to whatever I feel like. If I cared there are some nice 7" 1080p screens for cheap in the Raspberry Pi space that could be shoehorned in and run at 12V. But I'd rather have no screen at all.
Funny thing is that UGreen pairs faster than any other bluetooth device I have and never doesn't work. For eleven bucks.
With the fickleness of Go
Re:
Score:
by
larwe
( 858929 )
writes:
Funny thing is that UGreen pairs faster than any other bluetooth device I have and never doesn't work. For eleven bucks.
As a simple audio device, it only connects an audio stream and no control or data streams. It also doesn't need to perform checks like "does the host want me to send it my list of contacts?"
Firewall, meet Firewall.
Score:
by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
Maybe Crutchfield will make bypass harnesses for these systems in ten years when absolutely nothing works but the screen and speakers are still useful.
You mean the Crutchfield that will find a wiring harness unable to pass through the car firewall due to the lack of hardware signature found?
Yes. I’m talking about the lobbyist-driven DOT-mandated digital firewall. Not the old literal one.
You act like their plan, isn’t to make this shit worse.
Far worse.
Their shareholders will practically demand it.
So, Gemini, huh? What could go wrong?
Score:
by
Tony Isaac
( 1301187 )
writes:
So, they're going to put AI at the heart of a rolling ton of metal. AI hallucinates, remember? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen!
Won't buy one
Score:
by
MBGMorden
( 803437 )
writes:
My current vehicle is a GM - a 2017 Chevy Colorado. If this is the case I won't buy another. I have no desire to be locked into a proprietary system.
Meh
Score:
by
evil_aaronm
( 671521 )
writes:
This doesn't bother me all that much. My car is a 2014 Hyundai Elantra with a dumb sound system, but USB input, so I can connect my phone, charge it, and play my music from it. That's about all I need. My wife's car - new to us, but a 2016 Toyota Rav4 - has BT connectivity, which is nice, but still not necessary. If I get a new car without Apply Play, or whatever, I still won't care. I won't use the "integrated" system, and won't bother with a subscription, either. Just give me a jack-in connection, a
Re:
Score:
by
geekmux
( 1040042 )
writes:
I won't use the "integrated" system, and won't bother with a subscription, either. Just give me a jack-in connection, and I'm fine.
People once said they won’t ever buy a car that has those damn screens instead of knobs. Or trust a car that can “talk” to other things. And they sure as hell won’t even get in a car that can drive itself.
You speak as if you’ll be given a choice, BoomerNG. They plan to integrate into your life as fuck-you-bigly as they can throw money at a lobbyist army.
To give you an idea of how fuck-you-bigly that really is, we’re talking about a company in a capitalist system that l
I reckon it's all about the ads
Score:
by
Bandraginus
( 901166 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @02:45AM (
#65752686
Ads are the next "frontier" for those nice big shiny screens in all these cars. Think about it, what screen do you own that is
not
infested with ads? Well, the one in your car.
Imagine location-based ads popping up when you pass a McDonalds. They can absolutely do this, because you sign away very permissive rights to GM in the car EULA... such as GPS location, etc.
GM needs full control of the screen to do this, which is why they want to claw back all that real-estate from Apple and Google.
Share
usefulness for shared vehicles?
Score:
by
pereric
( 528017 )
writes:
Besides the obvious risk of lock-in and enshitification, i have another question:
While perhaps mostly European at the moment, a non-negligible number of people have their motor vehicle needs fulfilled by shared cars instead of owning - either via an official car club, of sharing among friends. And there are of course also traditional rentals. For this, a system which you don't have to configure per user and vehicle is useful - for example plugging in a smartphone. Will this "centralised system" work for cas
Result of an uncompetitive market
Score:
by
shilly
( 142940 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @03:42AM (
#65752720
US OEMs have long been insulated from having to compete very much with other car makers, but obviously this has ramped up dramatically in the last twelve months. This kind of shit would not fly if GM were being kept on its toes by Chinese manufacturers like BYD, the European value manufacturers like Renault, etc. But they’re locked or priced out, and that allows the US OEMs to sell worse products. Same reason there’s no supermini segment in the US, despite there being tens of millions of urban dwellers, some of whom might very well prefer a small car to a larger one.
Share
Not smart
Score:
by
DrXym
( 126579 )
writes:
It's one thing to make their vehicle software better so people have less reason to use their phone. But taking away the choice is just greed. It is obviously intended to monetize the user - analytics gathering, ads, upselling,"premium" services & subscriptions and a shittier experience for anyone fool enough to buy these cars.
Perspective from 10 year GM vehicle owner
Score:
by
madbrain
( 11432 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @08:06AM (
#65752894
Homepage
Journal
I recently replaced my 2015 Volt with a Chevy Equinox EV. The Volt did not have Android auto or Carplay. Neither does the Equinox EV.
I thought i would hate it, but the Android automotive on the Equinox EV is fairly nice. The first 8 years of Onstar data are included with the car. My music in Qobuz synchronizes between my phone and desktop as well - meaning I continue playback on another device.
I was concerned about the money grab for the subscription after the 8 years expire, since I tend to keep my cars longer than that. It turns out that if I enable Hotspot on my smartphone, the Equinox EV can also connect to it over WiFi. As far as I can tell, there is no loss of functionality by doing so.
My husband drives a 2017 Bolt, which does have Android auto and Carplay. We use Android, so we only tried the AA. Unfortunately, it is an early implementation that works only via wired USB. The built in USB ports have gone faulty. One is dead, and the other can't maintain the connection due to bad contacts. The whole center console would need to be removed to fix them - a very expensive out of warranty repair. So, no more Android auto on our Bolt. I must admit that it was nice when it worked.
What the 2017 Bolt does have, though, is an AUX audio input to which a proper CD player is connected. There is no longer any AUX input on the 2025 Equinox EV. My 2015 Volt had a built in CD player. This is no longer offered as an option. My husband has a 5 figure number of CDs, that he refuses to rip. I'm not sure how he will deal with this when his 2017 Bolt gives up the ghost. But its battery warranty is good through 2031 due to battery replacement in 2021, so it may be a while, hopefully.
Share
Re:
Score:
by
Voyager529
( 1363959 )
writes:
My husband has a 5 figure number of CDs, that he refuses to rip.
If it's a principle thing, I obviously can't help...but I will say that I've been thrilled with
dbPowerAmp
[dbpoweramp.com].
It fully automates the ripping process, especially with multiple drives. A friend of mine gave me 500 CDs; I had them all ripped within 2 hours, properly tagged, consistently named, and to my specifications (I had five SATA drives in a custom-built tower for the purpose).
If he's really got 10,000 CDs, I'm reasonably confident that
a stack of $17 USB disc drives
[amazon.com] and dbPowerAmp can get the whole shelf ri
GM is finally listening to customers!
Score:
by
k3v0
( 592611 )
writes:
on Monday October 27, 2025 @11:36AM (
#65753250
Journal
just kidding, no consumers have asked for their inferior software. must be only shareholders who want it
Share
Re:
Score:
by
thegarbz
( 1787294 )
writes:
Bored drivers are a safety hazard and must be eliminated. If you've ever driven for 4 hours without so much as a car radio you'd realise how dangerous it is. Maybe not to others, but to yourself because you'll likely just look for the nearest tree to drive into after the first 3 hours of nothing but engine noise.
Re:
Score:
by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
I do it often.
Not everyone needs to entertain themselves with some shit of some kind making some racket.
Plenty of us are very comfortable being alone with our own thoughts.
Re:
Score:
by
Richard_at_work
( 517087 )
writes:
And you have the option of turning the entertainment system off.
Dont be a prick and think that you should force that on the rest of us - you have your option, we want ours.
Re:
Score:
by
registrations_suck
( 1075251 )
writes:
What the fuck are you talking about?
At what time, anywhere, did I EVEN HINT of taking anything away from anyone????
I don't care what you do. Listen, don't listen, spank it while driving down the road for all I care.
AM radio (Re:Distracted driving)
Score:
by
MacMann
( 7518492 )
writes:
Bored drivers are a safety hazard and must be eliminated.
Uninformed drivers are a safety hazard, that is why there was a fight over AM radio receivers being required in new vehicles. Having the means to get weather reports, traffic reports, or whatever else may impact travels, is important for keeping drivers safe and traffic moving smoothly. Anyone driving down an interstate should be familiar with the signs that indicate a frequency for tuning an AM radio for traffic information. I rarely listen but the few times I have the information was helpful in avoidin
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