Mercedes Benz Balks At Including The Newest Version Of CarPlay
When I was shopping for a new car last summer, I knew that I wanted a small SUV and a hybrid. However, the third thing I must have in my new car was that it had to support Apple CarPlay. My iPhone is at the center of my digital world, and extending that to my new vehicle was imperative.
This week, Mercedes Benz confirmed that it has no plans to support the next generation of CarPlay. It has realized that letting Apple take over the infotainment domain will destroy its ability to monetize digital services in the vehicle.
“Apple announced a new version of CarPlay at WWDC in 2022. This version of CarPlay marked Apple's move from simply mirroring the smartphone on the vehicle infotainment screen to taking over the vehicle's instrument cluster and other screens. The instrument cluster has to run at a much higher level of reliability than the media or navigation functions and, as such, cannot be safely run on a smartphone.
Mercedes is not going as far as GM in terms of removing CarPlay completely, but by supporting smartphone mirroring only, Mercedes will offer far more functionality and integration with the vehicle that will help to entice the user to keep the smartphone in his or her pocket."
This decision by Mercedes Benz is important. Giving Apple full control of the instrument screen, especially the areas where the features are tied to vehicle safety and maintenance, is tricky. In some cases, it also prevents the company from adding value-added services of its own via over-the-air software in the future.
However, by mirroring the iPhone's functionality, which holds a significant amount of our digital content, this becomes a workable medium that can satisfy the demands of prospective Mercedes customers. Moreover, it grants Mercedes greater control and the opportunity to monetize new services.
However, this puts GM's decision to not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in their new electronic vehicles in a harsher light.
In a recent interview with The Verge, the GM vice president of software, Scott Miller, defended the decision to no longer offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in GM's future EV lineup.
"We are very comfortable with our decision," Miller told The Verge. "We are going to evolve and learn, and I think we are going to be in good shape here."
The first GM vehicle to no longer offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. This decision only applies to future GM electronic vehicles. GM's ICE-based (internal combustion engines) cars will continue to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while GM customers who own vehicles equipped with the systems will continue to have access to the related features.
On the other hand, this means that a person's digital life content will no longer be available on future GM EVs, which many may consider a deal breaker.
Next month, at Apple's WWDC in Cupertino, I expect Apple to share updated information about CarPlay, which may give us more clarity on how CarPlay will evolve and impact these decisions by Mercedes and GM.
However, I suspect that the inclusion and support of CarPlay on all future vehicles will continue to influence people's buying decisions as modern consumers seek a seamless transition between their digital lifestyle and their driving experience. They desire connectivity and the convenience of accessing their favorite apps, navigation, and music streaming services directly from their car's dashboard.
