As a musicholic – I’m addicted to my Apple Car Play.
I love it…
I just get in my car, it hooks up to my car stereo and I get to ride as I listen to my favorite music without having to look at my phone.
It’s one of those creature comforts we get living in the 21st Century.
However…
What if control of the radio isn’t the only thing these companies are looking for?
It’s no secret that we’re getting more and more automated with each passing year – and this automation comes at a cost – autonomy.
Millennials and Gen-Z seemed to skip over the previous generations’ rites of passage – especially getting your driver’s license and the sense of freedom that came with it.
For those of us that remember that feeling the first time we set out on the road by ourselves – the idea of a self-driving car gives us the heebie-jeebies.
But it seems like that’s where we’re going – and it’s creating a rift between some of the biggest companies in the world.
See who’s trying to take control…
Make no mistake…
Apple’s (AAPL) been inching toward the driver’s seat of your car for years…
Its CarPlay software – already baked into 98% of new vehicles sold in the US – has become as familiar as air conditioning.
But its latest upgrade – dubbed “CarPlay Ultra” – is hitting the brakes hard…
And it’s not a glitch or software bug that’s stalling it – it’s the automakers themselves.
This ultra-integrated version of CarPlay promised a next-level experience: speedometers, fuel gauges and even climate controls all displayed in Apple’s sleek ecosystem.
Essentially, it would turn your dashboard into an iPhone on wheels…
Seamlessly blending Apple’s interface with your vehicle’s core systems.
Apple claimed back in 2022 that 14 major automakers had signed on.
Fast forward to today – and that list is shrinking.
Brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and even GM (GM) are backing away.
Why?
Because giving Apple full access to the digital guts of their cars feels like handing over the keys to the entire vehicle experience – and the data that comes with it.
And as we all know…
Data is KING in the 21st Century.
Make no mistake, this is a turf war…
And the battlefield is your dashboard.
The global in-car infotainment market is projected to surpass $2.3 trillion over the next decade – and whoever controls the interface controls the revenue.
That includes subscriptions, software updates, driver behavior data and a treasure trove of insights automakers can use to influence future design and function.
General Motors drew a line in the sand last year – removing both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its new EVs entirely. Its goal? Keep the user experience (and all the juicy data) in-house.
But building software that works as cleanly and intuitively as Apple’s is no easy feat…
Tesla’s (TSLA) succeeded – but Tesla’s always been as much a tech company as it is an automaker.
Same with Rivian (RIVN)…
But for legacy carmakers used to building engines, transmissions and safety features – not user interfaces – the leap into Silicon Valley-grade tech is steep.
Still, they’re willing to make the climb rather than risk handing over control to a company like Apple.
Apple, meanwhile, isn’t exactly sulking in the parking lot.
It’s reportedly eyeing a massive acquisition of AI startup Perplexity – valued at $14 billion – as part of its bigger strategy to catch up in the AI arms race.
For a company that’s often criticized for lagging behind OpenAI, Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG) in the AI space – this move could change the narrative overnight.
It would be Apple’s largest acquisition ever – and a signal flare to the rest of the tech world that it’s ready to go on offense.
So, whether it’s inside your dashboard or embedded in the next wave of search engines – Apple is still finding ways to extend its reach…
Just maybe not with your car’s climate controls anytime soon.
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“Control the interface, and you control the user. Control the user, and you control the market.” – Marc Andreessen
