If you hop into a General Motors EV (save for the Cadillac Lyriq), one thing you’re not going to find is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The automaker phased out both phone-mirroring systems in favor of its own operating system in its electric vehicles about two years ago at this point. However, the programs have continued to be widely available in all of GM’s gas-powered cars, but it seems like that is about to change.
The General says it plans to drop support for phone projection on all new vehicles in the near future, according to The Verge, which spoke with GM CEO Mary Barra. Right now, the timing is unclear. During the Decoder podcast interview, Barra pointed to a large-scale rollout of what the automaker is calling a new centralized computing platform that is set to launch in 2028. It’ll involve eventually transitioning GM’s entire lineup to a unified in-car experience. While that does sound interesting, I’m sure CarPlay and Android Auto die-hards are not going to be thrilled by the news.
The big move
Here’s more of what Barra told The Verge in her interview when asked about phone projection in gas-powered vehicles:
A lot of it depends on when you do an update to that vehicle. When you look at the fact that we have over 40 models across our portfolio, you don’t just do this and they all update. As we move forward with each new vehicle and major new vehicle launch, I think you’re going to see us consistent on that. We made a decision to prioritize our EV vehicles during this timeframe, and as we go forward, we’ll continue across the portfolio.
When asked if new gas cars will not have smartphone projection, she simply said, “As we get to a major rollout, I think that’s the right expectation. Yes.” There you have it, folks.
What GM is working toward, according to The Verge, is a massive update to its current Android-powered infotainment system with a Google Gemini-powered assistant and an assortment of custom apps that are both built in-house and with partners.
It’s a bold plan from a mainstream automaker, especially since the decision to drop phone projection has been reserved mostly for tech-forward EV makers like Rivian, Lucid and Tesla.
As someone who has sampled GM’s EV infotainment extensively, I’ll tell you, I really do not miss CarPlay when I’m using it. It works rather seamlessly, and the fact that it uses Google Maps as its native navigation system is a huge plus in my opinion. While CarPlay and Android Auto are good crutches for subpar infotainment systems, they’re not really necessary if the system can survive on its own.
