Earlier this year, General Motor announced to a stunned industry that it would begin phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on all of its vehicles. Media and industry experts had a difficult time theorizing why this might be, as these smartphone connectivity programs are very popular, with most users finding them a convenient way to control their cars’ AV and infotainment systems.
“Fat finger” causes days-long outage of cars’ main instrument display, infotainment system
Now, GM Head of Product, Infotainment, Tim Babbitt has clarified the company’s reasoning for discontinuing the programs’ connectivity in its products at a Chevrolet Blazer EV press event. In a conversation with MotorTrend, Babbitt explains that while phone connectivity programs like CarPlay and Android Auto have their flaws, its easy for these flaws to snowball into an even bigger problem: driver safety.
Babbitt states that since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t perfect, drivers will inevitably pick up their phones when there is an issue with their connectivity program, both defeating the purpose of the program and putting the driver’s safety at risk. Babbitt hypothosizes that in being restricted only to a vehicle’s built-in infotainment system, there will be no reason for the driver to touch their phone, resulting in a safer environment for everyone.
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While some are quick to point out some glaring holes in this philosophy, GM is doing its part with its new “Utilifi” software, which thankfully features navigation staples like Google Maps and Google Assistant baked in. GM is taking a big risk by restricting its customers to built-in software, but if the software is good enough, perhaps it will pay off.
