One-Third of New Car Buyers Say No CarPlay or Android Auto Is a Deal-Breaker
Credit: Apple
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A new study has revealed that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are important features for new car buyers worldwide. The study could spell bad news for automakers like General Motors, which is dropping them from its electric vehicle feature list.
The results of a recent study by McKinsey & Co. reveal that a significant number of global car buyers say the lack of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is a deal breaker when considering which new vehicle they’ll buy or lease. Thirty percent of those in the market for an electric vehicle and 35 percent of those looking to buy an internal combustion vehicle say the lack of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto means no deal.
Smartphone mirroring systems have become increasingly common in the auto market in recent years. Ward Intelligence says that as of mid-2023 over 90% of new vehicles had Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capabilities. Many new vehicle buyers say they prefer Apple’s and Google’s infotainment systems over the vehicle maker’s systems.
While car makers like General Motors are looking to replace Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with their own smartphone mirroring systems so they can charge owners for apps and new features, the study reveals that a decent percentage of car buyers would be fine with that. The study says 30% of EV buyers would spring extra for smartphone integration, while 17% of buyers of internal combustion vehicles would fork over money to do the same.
The study also queried respondents about what they would do if Apple CarPlay or Android Auto were disabled in their current vehicles. 35% of respondents said they would use the car maker’s standard infotainment system, while 52% said they would use their iPhone or Android smartphone directly. Fourteen percent would buy a vehicle from a different carmaker when they purchased a new vehicle.
Tesla and Rivian are arguably the two most well-known Western vehicle manufacturers that do not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in their vehicles. Rivian claims that roughly 70% of its customers wanted smartphone integration, but that percentage plunged to 30% after drivers became familiar with the standard in-car infotainment system.
General Motors will join the duo in dropping Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from their new vehicles. The automaker says it is confident that its in-house infotainment system will be quite popular among buyers.
“The infotainment experience should feel custom to each driver and vehicle,” GM spokesperson Anna Yu said. “We’re moving toward a native system that easily syncs with the customers’ phone of choice, and enables deeper integration with vehicle controls and status, alongside features like voice assistant, navigation, music, texts, calls, apps, and more.”
GM’s native system will also open up a whole new stream of revenue, allowing it to sell or offer “subscriptions” to new services and features. Something they cannot do when CarPlay or Android Auto are in place.
Unfortunately for GM, the rollout of its new infotainment system has not exactly gone smoothly, as owners are complaining of software malfunctions that dealership mechanics have struggled to fix to the customers’ satisfaction.
