A recent consumer survey revealed around a third of consumers would refuse to buy a car lacking Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
Results from a survey conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company and shared by Automotive newsfound that 30% of global electric vehicle buyers and 35% of global internal combustion vehicle buyers think the lack of support for third-party smartphones reflects a deal-breaker.
The results from the survey are given below General Motors (GM) announced last year it will not offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on newly launched electric vehicles, noting safety issues, and planned driver assistance features linked to integrated navigation software.
“If an OEM moves away from seamless smartphone integration, it’s clearly a risk,” said Kevin Laczkowski, global co-head of automotive and assembly firm McKinsey.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirror the mobile phone interface on the car’s infotainment system. According to one report Published by Wards Intelligence last year, these two systems have recorded an installation rate of more than 90% in US light-duty vehicles since 2021.
These smartphone mirroring systems are similarly popular in Australia.
The McKinsey survey found that 17% of internal combustion engine buyers and nearly 30% of electric vehicle buyers would be willing to pay for smartphone integration if it was not standard on the vehicle.
In a separate question in their survey, McKinsey researchers asked what car owners would do if smartphone integration was eliminated from their current vehicles.
Only 35% of global respondents said they would switch to the brand’s original system. 52% said they would only use smartphones, while 14% said they would switch to another car brand for their next purchase.
Ferrari recently confirmed they are phasing out satellite navigation in their vehicles thanks to the superior mirroring features of smartphones, while Aston Martin and Porsche both will introduce next-generation Apple CarPlay, which will expand across multiple screens and control functions such as climate control.
However, some automakers want to develop their own systems to limit the control and influence of companies like Apple and Android. Rumor has it that that’s the case with GM, which may offer its own software subscription service to increase profits.
GM digital cockpit experience executive Mike Himche explained last year Reuters: “We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more closely integrated with navigation. We didn’t want to design these features in a way that was dependent on the mobile phone user.”
According to GM’s head of infotainment products, Tim Babbitt, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have stability issues, including lost connectivity, slow display and poor on-screen response. These problems cause drivers to pick up their phones, which defeats the purpose of smartphone mirroring, he said.
Mr. Babbitt acknowledged that many of the problems he listed occur with wireless connections, but plugging in a phone is not always the solution.
Some companies, like Tesla and Rivian, have never offered Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in any of their vehicles.
Automotive news Rivian’s initial research reports show that 70% of customers want CarPlay in their vehicles, although that number drops to 30% as customers become accustomed to the brand’s native system.
McKinsey released its biennial Mobile Consumer Conflict study on June 12. The study surveyed more than 30,000 consumers in 15 countries, representing more than 80% of global vehicle sales .
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