Rivian CEO Doubles Down on Decision to Not Offer Apple CarPlay
On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told guest host Joanna Stern why the EV maker continues to pass on Apple's CarPlay — both the standard version and the more advanced CarPlay Ultra.
Echoing his previous comments on the matter, Scaringe said Rivian is focused on offering a "seamless digital experience," where customers do not need to switch between its own software and CarPlay. Instead, he said Rivian prefers to provide an à-la-carte selection of built-in apps, such as Apple Music, Google Maps, Spotify, and YouTube.
Scaringe said he is "very confident" in Rivian's decision to skip CarPlay, especially as it plans to integrate AI into its vehicles over the next 18 months. For example, he said Rivian is planning a native AI-powered voice-to-text feature for messaging.
"We're really convicted on this," he said.
Nevertheless, Scaringe acknowledged that some customers will not purchase a Rivian given the lack of CarPlay. "We accept that," he said.
"Some of those decisions not everyone's going to agree with," he said. "That's okay."
Popular Stories
Twelve South, a well-known accessory maker for Apple products, has released a new AirFly Drive accessory that turns wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay.
AirFly Drive uses Wi-Fi to establish a connection between your iPhone and vehicle, eliminating the need to use a USB-C cable for CarPlay.
Priced at $39.99 in the U.S., the AirFly Drive plugs into a USB data port in your vehicle. The...
Apple's tech specs page for its all-new HomeView smart home hub contains a list of all of the built-in Apple apps available on the device.
While it has no App Store, the HomeView can also display CarPlay-enabled audio and video apps from a paired iPhone. This includes Audiobooks, Apple Music Classical, Apple News, and Apple TV, along with third-party apps such as Spotify, according to WIRED.
...
Shortly after the iPhone Duo launched, a few users reported hinge issues that were causing cracks in the inner display. Apple has now responded to the reports in a statement to MacRumors, saying a small number of units are affected.
The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps...
