Earlier this year, General Motors revealed it is planning to phase out support for CarPlay and Android Auto in all of its electric vehicles, citing the need for tighter integration with the vehicle as GM rolls out a new infotainment system co-developed with Google.
With this week's high-profile unveiling of the $130,000+ Cadillac Escalade IQ that will launch in late 2024, GM followed through on its promise as the automaker confirmed to The Verge yesterday that the luxury electric SUV won't support CarPlay or Android Auto anywhere on its massive 55-inch dashboard display.
The move to discontinue to CarPlay and Android Auto is more of a political one than a technical one, however, as MacRumors alum and car journalist Jordan Golson noted in his video overview of the new Escalade IQ.
Golson spoke to GM representatives about the omission and they shared that the decision was made due to EV-specific functionality such as utilizing vehicle charge state information to assist with navigation routing. When using CarPlay or Android Auto, the user's phone has no knowledge of the vehicle's charge state, and GM believes that forcing users to use the built-in Google-based system which can account for this information will deliver a better user experience.
Golson says that given this is not a technical decision, GM could update the infotainment system on the Escalade IQ and other upcoming EVs to add CarPlay and Android Auto if it finds customers are demanding it, but there are no guarantees about what GM will do.
While GM's argument about tighter integration with vehicle data does have some merit, there is nothing preventing the company from offering users the option of using either the built-in system or CarPlay/Android Auto, as is the case in millions of vehicles on the road today.
Apple's next-generation CarPlay
It also appears the argument could largely become moot with the next-generation version of CarPlay teased by Apple at WWDC 2022, which integrates very closely with vehicle systems and expands the CarPlay experience across the entire dashboard. We should learn more about next-generation CarPlay and see the first vehicles introduced with it later this year, but GM is not included in the list of over a dozen brands announced by Apple as partners on the feature.
Thursday August 14, 2025 4:13 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple made a major slip Wednesday when it accidentally included hardware identifiers in software code linking to numerous unannounced products.
The leaked information provided MacRumors with concrete evidence of Apple's hardware development across multiple product categories. Here's everything that was confirmed through the code discoveries:
New HomePod mini with updated chip – New...
Wednesday August 13, 2025 1:45 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro will have a starting price that is $50 more than the iPhone 16 Pro but it will come with a minimum 256GB of storage, doubling the base capacity compared to last year's model. The information comes from Chinese leaker Instant Digital, posting on Weibo. The account, which has 1.5 million followers, has now made the claim three separate times in recent weeks....
Monday August 11, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is continuing to tweak the way that the Liquid Glass design looks ahead of the iOS 26 launch, and the latest beta makes a change to the Lock Screen.
The Lock Screen clock has been updated with additional transparency, allowing more of the background to peek through.
Beta 6 on left, beta 5 on right
The clock also has more of a 3D, floating look, which is in line with the rest of the ...
Tuesday August 12, 2025 12:46 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
It is now mid-August, meaning that Apple's annual iPhone event is just around the corner.
This year, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17, the all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Here are some of the key rumors for those devices:iPhone 17: Same design as iPhone 16, but with an A19 chip, a larger 6.3-inch display, an upgraded 24-megapixel front camera, ...
Tuesday August 12, 2025 11:48 am PDT by Juli Clover
We're just about a month away from Apple's annual September event, and we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. There are some useful new features rumored for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which we've summarized below.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Satellite Connectivity - The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be the first...
Thursday August 14, 2025 3:40 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An alleged iPhone 17 Pro production leak may provide a first look at the device's milled all-aluminum chassis, which this year includes the camera bump – in contrast to last year's iPhone 16 Pro model that features a glass camera module attached to an all-glass back panel.
Originally shared by leaker Majin Bu, the image below could be of a moulding, but it still lines up with rumors that...
Wednesday August 13, 2025 5:29 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Rumors suggest that Apple is working on an updated version of the Apple TV that's slated for launch later this year. Information about the upcoming device that was found in Apple code indicates that it will be equipped with the A17 Pro chip.
There have been multiple rumors about a new Apple TV coming in 2025 with a new A-series processor, but it hasn't been clear which chip Apple would use...
Thursday August 14, 2025 7:29 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In case you missed it — this is the post for people who mainly only read headlines — Apple has announced that it will be releasing iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 later today. Apple shared this information in a press release on its Newsroom website.
The software updates will re-enable the Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models sold in the United States....
Tuesday August 12, 2025 11:08 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the summer months are often relatively quiet for Apple, the company still has many new products coming later this year.
Below, we have outlined at least 10 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each.
This article was originally published last month, and it has been updated with the latest rumors.
iPhone 17 Series
iPhon...
They can sell lucrative location-based ads on the built-in navigation system. They can't do that if you use CarPlay. Plus many other monetization opportunities.
This is about monetization. I was working for a firm that was looking to partner with automakers for services. Think a subscription to order DoorDash from the car, use MS Teams/Zoom in the car, media/movies etc, get location data and sell it to third parties etc. Automakers will charge for this in the future. CarPlay essentially runs on the phone and Apple controls it. This is the issue.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Apple's next-generation CarPlay
