Polestar CEO Promises To Keep Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Around (techcrunch.com) 30
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath couldn't be happier with the integration of Google built-in, the branded product that embeds Google apps and services directly into the company's EVs. But don't expect the EV maker to drop Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as a result. On the sidelines of CES 2024, Ingenlath committed to sticking with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the middleware that allows drivers to project their smartphone onto the car's infotainment display. He went a step further and questioned automakers that have. GM, for instance, decided not to make the new 2024 Chevy Blazer EV compatible with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
"It's still too important for our customers to have the choice," Ingenlath said during an interview at CES 2024. He later added that, in his view, removing the option isn't the right way of treating customers. "Our priority is very clear; We have a really fantastic system together with Google," he said. While Ingenlath admitted that adding that Google Built-in provides the best experience, he asked "why would we try to dogmatically educate our customers?" Polestar has been a champion of Google built-in. However, it's willingness to keep Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is notable because it illustrates the complexity of appeasing customers even if it might overshadow the native technology in the vehicle. "Ingenlath seems convinced that as Google built-in improves and continues to add apps and services, consumers will give up Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on there own," adds TechCrunch. "And the updates do keep coming."
"At CES 2024, for instance, Polestar announced that the Chrome browser would start rolling out to Polestar 2 in beta, allowing drivers to surf the internet via the central vehicle display while parked. Ingenlath hinted of more improvements in the future, including more precise navigation in Google Maps that drills down to the specific lane as well as customized features designed for Polestar customers."
"It's still too important for our customers to have the choice," Ingenlath said during an interview at CES 2024. He later added that, in his view, removing the option isn't the right way of treating customers. "Our priority is very clear; We have a really fantastic system together with Google," he said. While Ingenlath admitted that adding that Google Built-in provides the best experience, he asked "why would we try to dogmatically educate our customers?" Polestar has been a champion of Google built-in. However, it's willingness to keep Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is notable because it illustrates the complexity of appeasing customers even if it might overshadow the native technology in the vehicle. "Ingenlath seems convinced that as Google built-in improves and continues to add apps and services, consumers will give up Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on there own," adds TechCrunch. "And the updates do keep coming."
"At CES 2024, for instance, Polestar announced that the Chrome browser would start rolling out to Polestar 2 in beta, allowing drivers to surf the internet via the central vehicle display while parked. Ingenlath hinted of more improvements in the future, including more precise navigation in Google Maps that drills down to the specific lane as well as customized features designed for Polestar customers."
Chrome will be rolling out in Polestar 2?? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Polestar is a EV company that Volvo bought in 2015 and they run it as a sub brand.
Re: (Score:3)
Polestar was making racing Volvos before Volvo purchased them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:No idea who "Polestar" is (Score:5, Interesting)
But I'm surprised that car companies are ditching AA and Carplay.
Because EVs presently aren't as profitable as ICE vehicles, so auto makers are looking for new sources of revenue. Once they've got you locked into their single infotainment platform, then they can sell you subscriptions for things you could already do for free on your phone.
Personally, I've owned vehicles without a dashboard that looks like it belongs on the bridge of the starship Enterprise for most of my adult life, and given the option I'd still prefer a vehicle with no infotainment display. But that design has essentially been outlawed for new vehicles ever since back-up cameras became mandatory equipment.
Re: (Score:2)
In summary, Polestar is a subsidiary of Volvo that specializes in EVs.
Re: (Score:2)
What? Seriously? I had thought/heard that Polestar was a subsidiariy of some trashy junk dealer out of the dark pits of the CCP. If they're actually Volvos, that changes a lot and one would actually be worth my consideration. The Sweedes actually build some *really* good cars.
Re: (Score:2)
I had thought/heard that Polestar was a subsidiariy of some trashy junk dealer out of the dark pits of the CCP.
Volvo was bought by Geely, which is a Chinese brand. So you weren't entirely wrong. However, Geely seems to be giving Volvo a great deal of autonomy.
Polestar (Score:2)
You mean a ...umm ...dancer?
I will never take this company seriously. I know who they are. They have been a joke for years.
Re: (Score:2)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
No idea about the recent ones though.
This is frustrating (Score:3)
Apple Car Play or Android Auto
What if I want an iPhone and an Auto or an Android phone and a Car?
What about a truck or SUV? They're neither! (car or auto, I mean)
Re: (Score:2)
What if I want an iPhone and an Auto or an Android phone and a Car?
Then buy a Polestar. That's what the whole point is about. Polestar run a completely integrated standalone Android Auto based infotainment system. You can pair it with a phone or choose not to and retain 100% of the functionality. It doesn't matter what phone you own, no one I know pairs them with their Polestars (I know a lot of people with Polestars since they are the cheapest lease car available by my employer) because unlike other cars you get no additional benefit in doing so.
all crap (Score:2)
Am I the only person that does not want a crappy computer built into the dash of my car? You can't upgrade when you need to, its hugely expensive to repair if it breaks, and its feature limited.
I have a 2015 Volvo with some kind of crap built in, it has a few streaming apps. It takes a full 5 minutes from start up, to get say Pandora running, and select something, before I can hear music. Completely useless. I can hear the hard disk spin up when I turn on the car, how many more years do you think that has o
Re:all crap (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple Carplay and Android Auto basically just use the vehicle's infotainment system as a display and input device; all the actual heavy lifting is done on your phone. In the same way as you could upgrade your PC but keep using the same monitor and mouse, it's as obsolescence-proof as tech can reasonably get.
It's still a big distracting screen in the middle of your dash (or in the case of some automakers, partially protruding into your view of the windshield) though, and yeah, some of us aren't real big fans of that aspect.
Re: (Score:2)
> While Ingenlath admitted that adding that Google Built-in provides the best experience, he asked "why would we try to dogmatically educate our customers?" Polestar has been a champion of Google built-in.
What runs "Google built-in"?
Re: Google built-in (Score:2)
What runs "Google built-in"?
It is the new name for Google's Android Automotive O/S.
https://built-in.google/cars/ [built-in.google]
Re: (Score:2)
My point to Powercntrl is that "Google built-in" runs on hardware in the car, not on your phone. While Polestar may be keeping options that mostly use the phone for processing, they really like the built-in option instead. I'm really not a fan of these built-in options.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
No one spends money on map updates. This time has passed. People will sooner put a $20 phone mount on their dash.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Suckered yes, but do you think a "technically illiterate" person is using high tech maps on their car? I know a technically illiterate person, drives a brand new Subaru Forrester AWD with a lovely built in navigation system. How do they drive? ... His wife gets a street directory made of dead trees out and navigates for him. (It shocked me too, I genuinely thought they didn't publish them anymore).
But the reality is maps isn't a revenue stream anymore, and they certainly aren't $500 unless you're talking ab
Re: (Score:2)
Apple Carplay and Android Auto basically just use the vehicle's infotainment system as a display and input device
This entire article is about the opposite to that. The Polestar runs "Google built-in". It's virtually 100% identical to Android Auto except the heavy lifting is done by the car and a phone connection is completely optional.
Re: all crap (Score:2)
Amazingly, technology advances over time. If your 2015 Volvo is a XC90, the sound you think is a hard drive is a cooling fan. If not, blame Ford for the late 2000s infotainment crap.
The Sensus system launched in 2015 doubled in speed in 2018, and when it was replaced with Android, it got a quad core 64-bit Intel system to run on. Performance hasnâ(TM)t been an issue for a long time.
Re: (Score:1)
If the infotainment system is drop-dead awesome on the day I buy the car, then I might well 'want' it, and may use it. However, I've yet to see a car with that, other than a Tesla (theirs is probably "market leading", but it's far from drop-dead awesome - but at least it gets updates!).
A more likely experience is the infotainment system is a maze of confusing menus and icons that don't match the thing they're for. It'll require a dozen clicks to do something simple, it won't remember my preferences and it'l
Going About it the Right Way (Score:3)
Good on Polestar. Consumers do like choice. Most infotainment systems in cars are just downright bad and with out constant updates just get worse. It's why consumers love CarPlay & Android Auto, they are up to date and consistent across cars which is a really good thing about them. I can get in my Opel or my wife's Kia and I have the same screen layout etc. With Apple CarPlay my Garage door opener is integrated with HomeKit so it works across cars too. I trust Apple HomeKit with iCloud much more than a third parties IoT cloud talking to Google cloud servers that would need to be used to achieve the same thing with the builtin Google infotainment. I don't need another mobile data subscription with Apple CarPlay and I have my entire CD collection right along with me for music.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't own a car, but I rent cars frequently. I absolutely love that I have the same experience in every one of them. I occasionally I get a car that doesn't support this, and it's just a headache. No car manufacturer can keep up with the Apple or Google in terms of development and fixes and so you're left with a quirky, buggy system with an interface that leaves you wondering half the time how it works and whether you dare touch anything. I can do without learning how to use the navigation system whil
Apple apps (Score:1)