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Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
GM made a huge mistake by blocking them in its cars, and going all-in on Android Automotive could ultimately backfire and push customers (at least some) to competing brands.
But I recently learned that General Motors was right about Android Auto and CarPlay, at least in one respect.
The American automaker has tried all kinds of strategies to defend its controversial decision to block Android Auto and CarPlay. The long-term goal is to turn infotainment systems into money-making machines, but GM can’t admit that. We use a variety of approaches to convince people that going all-in on Android Automotive is the right approach. Some of the attempts were ridiculous and embarrassing.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Last December, Tim Babbitt, GM’s head of infotainment products, explained in an interview that one of the reasons for discontinuing Android Auto and CarPlay was the overall level of safety these two systems provided. .
Specifically, Babbitt explained that Android Auto and CarPlay regularly experience bugs such as connectivity issues, leaving drivers with no choice but to pick up their mobile devices. Sure enough, criticizing the bugs in Android Auto and CarPlay is a lazy effort and may even anger GM’s partners Google and Apple.
But anyone who has used Android Auto for more than a few days knows that connectivity bugs are common in this world. However, that doesn’t mean all users will get the same experience, and Google isn’t working on making the app more stable and reliable. By not allowing Android Auto and CarPlay in the car, the customer will not be able to use the two apps, even if he could provide a 100% perfect experience.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
But my Uber driver just proved GM’s theory (which is exactly what it says, and a theory the company admitted it hasn’t tested) correct.
Today, as we were heading home early, my Uber driver, who was running Waze on Android Auto to get traffic information for suggested routes, got disconnected mid-drive due to a random bug. (I didn’t know what triggered the disconnection, but Android Auto quit unexpectedly while the car was running).
The driver noticed the disconnect, was still driving (i.e. the car was still running), picked up his phone, looked at it several times, scanned his fingerprint to unlock it, tried to connect it again and restart it. android auto. Judging by the speed of his reaction, it seemed that this was not the first time he encountered an error, and it was as if he knew exactly what to do to solve the problem.
Strangely, Android Auto didn’t restart on the first try, so he tried restarting his phone. Once again he turned his attention away from the road, looked at his phone and initiated a restart. The device was no longer connected, so when Android reloaded I checked the phone again to connect.
Within minutes, I was so distracted by Android Auto that I almost missed a turn, not to mention barely looking at the road while trying to restart the app.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
General Motors has no excuse to block Android Auto and CarPlay, but claims that these two systems can sometimes do more harm than good, especially when connectivity issues arise. It’s not as stupid a thing to do as you might think. Imagine the same bug occurs to him several times a day and a driver has to restart his smartphone repeatedly to restart Android Auto and CarPlay.
GM claims that embedded systems provide a more secure experience because they don’t require a mobile device to run. That’s probably true, but it’s much more important to give customers choices than to force them to do what they believe will work for everyone.
It’s okay if Android Auto doesn’t work properly. Users can switch to Android Auto at any time. If it works as expected, why not let drivers stick with it and feel more comfortable behind the wheel?
General Motors has yet to find a good reason not to allow all systems on their cars. As a reminder, Android Automotive supports Android Auto and CarPlay, so a GM can enable all three of his options. But this safety argument seems to make sense. It’s not for everyone, and no responsible driver would start using their phone while driving. However, the Uber driver says he can’t afford to pull over every time Android Auto shuts down unexpectedly, so if a more stable and reliable alternative exists, he’ll probably use it right away. I will hire you. Forcing it can backfire, and that’s exactly what appears to be happening today due to GM’s poor planning for his transition to Android Automotive.
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