- BMWS Senior Vice President of UI/UX reveals Key Information on CarPlay -Use
- The German fire recently said it would not go ahead with CarPlay Ultra
- There is a “CarPlay -Gyte” on the Internet, BMW Exec claims
Stephan Durach, BMW’s senior vice president of UI/UX development, has claimed that there is a “CarPlay Myth” circulating the Internet, according to a recent conversation with BMW blog.
Durach claims that not so many BMW drivers depend on the technology of navigation, as the world believes, and continues to explain that the company’s own navigation systems make much of the heavy lifting.
According to the man responsible for user interface and user experience on the brand, BMW collects anonymous data from 10 million cars, allowing data analysts and engineers to track what features they use regularly.
“We can see what our customers are doing, what kind of controls they use in what kind of driving conditions they use them,” he told BMW blog.
“People say they are driving around and using carplay for navigation. I can tell you it’s not true,” he adds.
With this data set in mind, Durach reveals that many drivers still have their phone connected to “dedicated uses”, including message services, but he claims that many drivers have started using BMW’s navigation system instead.
At the top of this, there has been an increase in the amount of BMW’s voting command as well as more dependence on head-up screens and other devices that do not currently support CarPlay.
The emergence of the car manufacturer’s infotainment
While Durach does not go deeper into detail, such as the percentage of drivers using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, nor does he mention the age or demographics of those who prefer BMW’s navigation system, his statements see BMW’s reasons for rejecting Apple CarPlay Ultra.
After all, the German Marque is releasing a brand new version of its IDRive system in the upcoming IX3, which will include the most advanced, windshield-strained head-up display (skin) to date.
Right now, Standard Apple CarPlay does not work with HUDs, nor can it utilize specific vehicle data in most vehicles, such as an EV’s charge mode or tackle something as simple as adjusting climate control.
Porsche and Ford are among the few car manufacturers trying to build the Apple CarPlay functionality in their vehicles so users do not constantly have to leave the environment to adjust some simple car controls, but it remains clunky and looks Naff.
Apple CarPlay Ultra has to solve many of these problems, but it has been met with resistance, not only because it handles too much control (and design decisions) over to Apple, but also because it is not very smooth or nice to look at.
The fact is that the car manufacturer’s infotainment systems quickly become smooth, smarter and more intelligent, and with increasing dependence on AI and LLMs to offer digital companions, a growing percentage of the interaction with future vehicles will be via voting commands or natural speech.
Plus, most of the smartphone apps we love and use regularly are now housed on native infotainment systems.
As the world is towards electrification, there will be more emphasis on smart route planning that factors in the most effective charging stops. I am increasingly moving away from the Goole card and waze for this very reason.
Due to both Apple and the car manufacturers’ sandbox data, CarPlay could continue to fall without major producer cooperation in the future.
