Nothing fires me up faster than some of the discussions I’ve been having with people about the lack of Apple CarPlay in some new vehicles. I consider myself fairly tech forward, and I love testing new features on cars. I mean, it’s kinda my job.
I want to understand your tech so I can explain it to others. And I just want it to work.
That is why I spent more than 5 hours over three days trying to understand a vehicle lineup that didn’t offer Apple CarPlay. At least 45 minutes of that time was spent with a product specialist who walked me through the system and tried to answer my questions about how to do things. Then, I literally sat behind the wheel and tried all the things I would normally do in a car hands-free: send voice-to-text messages, play podcasts, access voicemail messages, make phone calls.
The result wasn’t pretty. That’s not to say that Google built-in sucks. It doesn’t.
So, here’s a little more about the Google OS and why I think ditching Apple CarPlay is a problem.
Google built-in is awesome, but …
There are so many great things about the new Google built-in system (aka Android Automotive). The native Google Maps are constantly updated and get real-time traffic updates. So, when new roads are built or a crash happens on the interstate, you’re getting up-to-date information to inform your drive.
When this system is paired with an all-electric powertrain, your range estimates are baked into your navigation, so you’ll have an incredibly accurate estimate of what your percentage battery will be when you arrive at your destination. It will also tell you when you should stop along your drive to charge, if the chargers are available and how long you need to charge to be able to get your destination with range left.
This is a BFD because it essentially eliminates range anxiety. I’ve tested its accuracy in Volvo, Cadillac and Chevrolet EVs, and it’s really and truly amazing. I’m the biggest cheerleader in favor of this aspect of the Google OS.
Other benefits include the Google Assistant that will adjust your temperature or radio settings with a voice command and the Google Play store that will allow you to download apps and games that you can use when in park waiting on carpool or for your spouse at the airport.
You also have a proven operating system that isn’t glitchy or proprietary, which means you can move from one vehicle brand to another and have a very good idea of how it works. Plus, when you connect the car to your personal Google account, you can do things like plan your route on your computer, then it will automatically transfer to your car when you turn it on. Apps like Waze, Audible, YouTube Music and Spotify will also be natively embedded into the vehicle, and when you log in via the car, you won’t need your phone to access your features.
But, and this is a biggie, if you live in an Apple environment, transferring things like your Apple podcasts, Apple Music and iMessages is not currently possible. You’ll have to access your podcasts through Spotify or Google and listen to your music through the Bluetooth connection (and likely touch your phone to switch through playlists). While you will be able to get current text messages while you are driving, if you have any messages that were on your phone prior to getting into the vehicle, you won’t have access to those.
Plus, I have yet to find a way to access any voicemail messages through the system.
Then, there are the inevitable subscription fees associated with this system after the free trial is over. More on that below.
C’mon, just let me text my husband already!
I played around with voice commands a lot during my five hours with the system. And one of the first things I tried to do was text my husband through the Google OS. My husband spells his first name “Jon.” And Google went through every “John” in my contact list but ignored “Jon.” When I tried his last name, which also has a unique spelling, it tried to text a friend in my phonebook with the alternate spelling. I eventually had to ask Siri, not Google, to text “my husband” for it to go through.
This is indicatory of a lot of the problems I had with the Google OS as I tried to get it to interact with my phone – and this was after it was paired and I had logged into my Google account. I understand there are growing pains with a new system, but in order to do what I wanted to do (i.e. text my husband, play my music, listen to my podcasts), I ended up having to do a weird hodgepodge of asking Siri to do some things, downloading new apps I didn’t want and, well, frankly, picking up my phone.
I tried to chronicle my experience via video, and while some things worked really well, others did not.
None of this will be a problem for you if …
You are older or tech-avoidant. If you have a flip phone or are moving into these vehicles from a 1990s-era something that had no technology, you’ll love a vehicle without Apple CarPlay because you don’t know any different. You won’t miss the hands-free texting or access to voicemail because don’t use it now.
You live in a Google environment. Because you have to sign into your Google account to truly experience all the Googly goodies and app downloads, you probably already have all your contacts in a Google, so sending texts and accessing people in your phone book won’t be a huge leap. To the best of my knowledge, however, you still won’t have access to voicemail.
You don’t mind subscription fees. Though there are free trials being offered for Google built-in, eventually you’ll have to subscribe to maintain access. It could be three years; it could be eight years. But eventually you’ll have to pay for Google Maps and all the Googly goodies. Assuming Waze, which is owned by Google, still exists when the subscription expires, you should still be able to have a map in your car. Otherwise a whole chunk of your operating system might go dark. I’ve asked some automakers who are using Google built-in what happens if you opt not to subscribe, and they’ve looked at me like a deer in headlights. Because this system is so new, I’m not sure if it’s that they don’t know what happens if you don’t subscribe or if they haven’t considered the possibility that people won’t subscribe. Either way, I got no concrete answers – or I got conflicting ones.
You don’t do anything but drive in your vehicle. If you are a driver’s driver, you’re probably also pissed about cupholders. You’re in your car to drive, not eat or drink or send a text. So, the lack of access to podcasts or the music you have saved to your phone won’t matter. You like the good-old-fashioned radio. Or silence. So, phone mirroring, shmone mirroring.
You are your own map. Some people are inherently good with directions. They automatically know which way is east or north, and someone can give them verbal instructions once and they’ve got it. And if they ever do look at a paper map, north is always facing up. Woe to the person who tries to turn the map in the direction of travel. So, if you don’t need or want digital navigation in your vehicle, you also won’t care about the lack of Apple CarPlay or impending subscription fees. You don’t need any of it.
Can life without Apple CarPlay work?
There has to be a better way to integrate an iPhone with this system, but I’m not sure if there’s a magic pill to fix all ills. The Google Play store does have an Apple Music app, but on the vehicles I’ve tested with Google built-in so far, it’s not accessible in their version of the Google Play store. The automaker selects which apps you can download into the vehicle, and Apple Music didn’t make the cut.
Podcasts are a different kettle of fish. If you have podcasts saved on Apple Podcasts, well, you’ll have to just do it all over again in an Android-supported podcast app. Spotify and Google Podcasts, for sure, are supported on Google built-in. So, you’ll just have to bite the bullet and switch your podcasts over to a new app.
At this point, I don’t know if there’s a solution for voicemails or iMessage on the Google system. I haven’t found it, but if it’s there, please comment below. I’d love to know what it is.
The bottom line
What actually spawned this op-ed piece is an article written by a colleague for another publication who admits that he doesn’t do a lot of calling or texting from the vehicle. If that’s also you, you won’t miss being able to mirror your phone, and you’ll likely agree that no Apple CarPlay is no problem. But for those of us who spend a lot of time in our vehicles and use that opportunity to catch up on podcasts, phone calls and text messages, it is a problem.
While I understand there are work arounds, they’re still a bit clunky. And if I’m spending $30k to $100k on a new vehicle, I don’t want clunky. I want it to work seamlessly. Really, I don’t understand why you can’t have Google built-in and Apple CarPlay. It is possible. In fact, some automakers already do this.
So, if you’re looking at a new vehicle purchase in 2024, be sure to ask questions like: Does this vehicle have Apple CarPlay? And what subscription fees are associated with navigation? If you don’t like or can’t live with the answers, walk away. There’s always another vehicle waiting to find its way to your garage.
