New CarPlay Support Email?

[jtshaw]

The contradiction is that there's clear business advantage to Amazon for Rivian to exclude Apple and Google, but you disagree because there's no proof (fair enough) while posting that Amazon isn't influencing Rivian with no proof. Observing that Rivian has coded for Spotify is not relevant, nor is the architecture of home automation and voice interfaces (not that I'm a fan of Google listening in on my conversations, but it's a helluva lot more natural and effective than Alexa … and Siri is just plain brain dead.
I just thumbed back through this thread and see there's multiple back-n-forth on the topic, so I think there's some crossover of arguments leading to miscommunication (a shocking thing for an Internet forum … : )
My bottom line as stated by others is simply that Apple and Google are not dealbreakers – I think that's the feedback those companies should take to their product people. Tesla and BYD have both gone the vertical integration route (which Apple has maintained strategically for decades and is now stacked right down to the silicon) so I don't see this carplay/android auto approach as a long term strategy, more like Alpine and Kenwood "heads" … used to be state of the art, didn't make the transition to touchscreens in cars (I imagine they tried.) Like Garmin and nav … seemingly quit without even a struggle … how is it that Garmin isn't the most common app on phones, watches and "the" nav in cars? It's a tough game, especially when Apple and Google want your customer. Given your insider knowledge of Amazon, perhaps you can explain how and why Amazon doesn't compete with Apple and Google in key markets like phones, watches, wearables and leaves Samsung and LG alone in consumer products from TVs to fridges and almost every other major household durable purchase, yet burns serious R&D on Fire and Alexa … mystifying …
(and yeah, we're way off topic … sorry)

Amazon tried to compete with phones and fell flat on its face (as did Microsoft). Part of the issue in ecosystems like phones is there are two sides that are both very very important. The first side is core experience provided by the OS/handset vendors of the world (performance, OS UX, etc) and the second side is the app ecosystem. iOS and Android have ridiculously large user bases and rigidiculously deep app ecosystems because they moved quickly to create them and did it early. If you want to compete with them part of that is convincing all those app developers to support your platform, and that is very very hard because bandwidth is super limited at many of the app-producing companies, so they stick to the cash cows. Amazon likely focused on Alexa and FireTV because they occupied spaces that were, at the time, far less congested. FireTV somewhat mitigated the App developer part by using Android under the covers so the Apps port easily.

The Garmin example is interesting. I think a big part of their struggles is differentiation is a LOT harder when you are "just an App" relying on hardware you don't control. Garmin has drifted more into different markets where their hardware tech is super differentiated (like the lovely running GPS watch on my wrist that can do 40 hours of high-resolution activity tracking on a single charge).

Cars are interesting because, at least today, they are not generic computing platforms like phones are. The App ecosystem problem is a lot smaller because people are primarily focused on a smaller footprint of app types (navigation and audio stream being the vast majority of use-cases folks have). With autonomous cars, that could potentially change radically...

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[Obioban]

The problem is that all the benefits to not including carplay benefit Rivian, at the expense of the customer.

In a competitive market, that would not work out. Rivian is not yet in a competitive market, sadly.

 

[the long way downunder]

The problem is that all the benefits to not including carplay benefit Rivian, at the expense of the customer.

In a competitive market, that would not work out. Rivian is not yet in a competitive market, sadly.

It seems to me that there is not one earnest Rivian customer who would decline the purchase and cite Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the dealbreaker … if that person exists, they need clinical psychotherapy, not just an EV. : )

 

[Obioban]

It seems to me that there is not one earnest Rivian customer who would decline the purchase and cite Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the dealbreaker … if that person exists, they need clinical psychotherapy, not just an EV. : )

Lack of CarPlay is 100% a deal breaker for me.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

It seems to me that there is not one earnest Rivian customer who would decline the purchase and cite Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the dealbreaker … if that person exists, they need clinical psychotherapy, not just an EV. : )

More insults. Disgusting.

 

[astonius]

It seems to me that there is not one earnest Rivian customer who would decline the purchase and cite Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the dealbreaker … if that person exists, they need clinical psychotherapy, not just an EV. : )

God-forbid some folks value their infotainment experience more heavily than you

 

[ERguy]

It seems to me that there is not one earnest Rivian customer who would decline the purchase and cite Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the dealbreaker … if that person exists, they need clinical psychotherapy, not just an EV. : )

It's a deal breaker for plenty of people in a competitive environment.

I would buy the Rivian without
AA/CP if there were no EV alternatives with AA/CP.

Thankfully I no longer have to make that sacrifice.

With the F150 lightning, I can have AA/CP in an electric truck.

It's most certainly a deal breaker for me with most other factors that matter most to me being similar, such as range and price.

If the R1T had made it to the market prior to the F150 Lightning being announced, I might not have taken the Rivian despite it's shortcomings.

 

[sacramentoelectric]

Lack of CarPlay is 100% a deal breaker for me.

So I like you right away because of the e39 M5 and i3 (I had/have them both) but none of the vehicles you have listed in your sig have the feature (I think) yet it's still a dealbreaker? Maybe I don't know what I'm missing. But for real, have you or are you going to cancel your reservation? If so, I admire your uncompromising nature and would be grateful if you moved me up in line one spot. Thanks in advance.

 

[astonius]

So I like you right away because of the e39 M5 and i3 (I had/have them both) but none of the vehicles you have listed in your sig have the feature (I think) yet it's still a dealbreaker? Maybe I don't know what I'm missing. But for real, have you or are you going to cancel your reservation? If so, I admire your uncompromising nature and would be grateful if you moved me up in line one spot. Thanks in advance.

BMW has a pretty robust aftermarket specifically for CarPlay support. I wouldn't put it past @Obioban to have added it to all of them.

Also, the decision is in regards to the new vehicle purchase landscape. If I didn't have CarPlay in my current vehicle but knew what was possible with it I would be considering it heavily, especially when nearly every other manufacturer is including it.

 

[sacramentoelectric]

It's a deal breaker for plenty of people in a competitive environment.

I would buy the Rivian without
AA/CP if there were no EV alternatives with AA/CP.

Thankfully I no longer have to make that sacrifice.

With the F150 lightning, I can have AA/CP in an electric truck.

It's most certainly a dragonfly for me with most other factors that matter most to me being similar, such as range and price.

If the R1T had made it to the market prior to the F150 Lightning being announced, I might not have taken the Rivian despite it's shortcomings.

I like how you think and that's why I've preordered every different model that's coming out. One of them is going to fit. The closest thing I have to a dealbreaker feature is if Driver+ sucks. I'm too used to having Autopilot to go back to garbage driver assist. I have the sneaking suspicion that they'll all come in within a few months of each other. Maybe not the Cybertruck. That might be 2025. But we should have a much better idea of what the final CT will be like long before most of us get our hands on an R1T. It won't have Carplay or AA either though.

 

[the long way downunder]

God-forbid some folks value their infotainment experience more heavily than you

that's just silly … you used the nonsense term "infotainment" as if it was important

 

[the long way downunder]

It's a deal breaker for plenty of people in a competitive environment.

I would buy the Rivian without
AA/CP if there were no EV alternatives with AA/CP.

Thankfully I no longer have to make that sacrifice.

With the F150 lightning, I can have AA/CP in an electric truck.

It's most certainly a dragonfly for me with most other factors that matter most to me being similar, such as range and price.

If the R1T had made it to the market prior to the F150 Lightning being announced, I might not have taken the Rivian despite it's shortcomings.

rubbish. if you're buying a car because it streams advertising or simplifies making a phone call …

 

[Obioban]

So I like you right away because of the e39 M5 and i3 (I had/have them both) but none of the vehicles you have listed in your sig have the feature (I think) yet it's still a dealbreaker? Maybe I don't know what I'm missing. But for real, have you or are you going to cancel your reservation? If so, I admire your uncompromising nature and would be grateful if you moved me up in line one spot. Thanks in advance.

All of my cars have wireless CarPlay in them. But yes, some retrofitting was required (not possible in something like a Rivian, where the infotainment controls everything)

E.g…

 

[Joints4Sale]

All of my cars have wireless CarPlay in them. But yes, some retrofitting was required (not possible in something like a Rivian, where the infotainment control

E.g…

I can understand why you value your "infotainment". 150k miles on that M3 and 120k? on the M5. WOW! Good on you for keeping M cars that long. I can't see the odometer on the i3. All fun cars.

I would love to have CarPlay(I never drive without Waze) in the Rivian but it's not a deal breaker for me. My foray into EV started with a i3 REX and what became more important to me was an all electric range of more than 200 miles. I found out that I could live without CarPlay when I got into a Model Y Performance. The Model Y P is a phenomal drivers car and Autopilot is way better than it should be. I also found out that I can live without Autopilot when I gave up the Model Y so that my wife could get her e-Tron GT.

The important thing for me is that the Rivian will likely be a great car/truck to drive(as is/out of the box) which I doubt the F150 will be. I can always mount a iPhone holder somewhere in order to run Waze.

 

[BigE]

THIS is what I want to avoid.
Why TF do we have this beautiful screen and have to mount our phone?!?!?!

I’m pretty sure he said they were using ABRP for maps and charging. What does this say about Rivian’s changing maps?

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