BMW Calls Apple CarPlay Popularity a “Myth”, Signals Shift For In-Car Tech Offerings: Apple Responds

Apple has refuted claims by BMW’s Senior Vice President of UI/UX Development, Stephan Durach, that the widely held perception of its CarPlay offering as indispensable for many car owners is actually a “myth”. In an article published by BMWBlog earlier this week, Durach stated that BMW’s own analytics and research showed that drivers prefer using the integrated maps and navigation system, rather than Apple Maps or any other app via the CarPlay interface. 

Citing statistics collected by analysing the usage patterns of 10 million cars on the road, Durach conceded that people might still have their phones connected to the car’s infotainment system, and CarPlay might be active for other use cases, but said they still prefer using the car’s native navigation capabilities. A connected experience is still useful for tasks such as seeing message notifications and replying to them with minimal distraction, according to the report. 

The publication updated its initial report with a response from Apple, which cited a 2024 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, noting a significantly stronger preference for CarPlay over Google’s Android Auto and stock in-car infotainment systems. 

The controversial claims are not likely to cause car manufacturers to reconsider support for CarPlay and Android Auto – users will still value the familiarity of their phone UIs and ability to quickly access their personal data, notifications and entertainment media. Tesla has famously refused to ever support third-party phone integration software, while GM drew flak when it announced in 2023 that it would discontinue CarPlay and Android Auto in favour of its own software.

Carmakers’ reluctance to allow third parties, especially global tech giants, to control the user experience and the collection of user data in their cars is evidenced by the massively delayed rollout of Apple’s CarPlay Ultra experience, and the withdrawal of some companies that had previously indicated they would adopt it. BMW has previously confirmed that it has no plans to offer CarPlay Ultra. 

Recent upgrades to car systems, making them much smoother and more intuitive to use, could be behind this reported shift in user preferences. With voice commands, responsive user interfaces, and always-on Internet connectivity for real-time updates, people might be more receptive to carmakers’ own offerings.

Durach also pointed out that the BMW Neue Klasse user experience overhaul, which starts with the recently launched iX3 and will extend through the German carmaker’s entire fleet over time, puts technology front and centre for drivers. A function called Routines allows for more personalisation, with the in-car BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant setting up multiple parameters for the driver automatically. Additionally, BMW Panoramic iDrive and the head-up display powered by the new BMW Operating System X, will not support third-party map apps such as Google Maps, further incentivising drivers to use the native software.