Common Myths About CarPlay

[Dark-Fx]

I have added CarPlay to my Rivian.

Congratulations buddy, happy for you. Big milestone. Do you have any pictures of the happy little one?

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[NY_Rob]

Right, there's a lot coming from the vehicle itself. I'm not sure what the carmakers want to know exactly, but it seems to be things like your actual searches. Because they want to sell ads and consumer data, and tell you where to go. You search for "hardware" and get told where to go instead of where you want to go. I'm very much out of tune with this marketing enshittification other than to simply see it everywhere you look.

Things that the car maker wouldn't see, off the top of my head...

Specific place. Are you going to the pizza joint or the vegan health food next to it? What do we try to sell you or how do we sell your data?

Apps you use.

Messaging habits.

Media you listen to (likely ultra valuable marketing data). It's notable that Nielsen offers people cash to load their media spying app.

I asked Perplexity Pro to generate a short executive summary:

Why automakers care about “keeping” data
Automakers have been moving away from CarPlay and Android Auto primarily because those platforms keep most of the infotainment usage data in Apple/Google’s ecosystem instead of the OEM’s. With native systems, the car maker can see what apps you use, what content you select, and how you interact with their UI, and then monetize or analyze that. With CarPlay, they still get telemetry and behavior data from the vehicle, but not your in‑app behavior on the phone screen.

Can the car maker read your messages, calls, or music usage in CarPlay?
Under normal CarPlay design, the car maker does not get raw content of your iMessages, WhatsApp chats, email, or app data from CarPlay sessions. Those stay in Apple’s ecosystem and on your iPhone, where Apple applies its privacy rules and app sandboxing. The car does know when you are in a call or using audio, because it routes audio and button presses, but not the content of the conversations or the detailed app logs.

Thanks! Good info to dive into and maybe partially the reason Rivian does not let you load 5,000 songs on a USB drive and play it directly? No way to monetize that.

They would hate the way I drive, I don't search because I know all the local places I frequent and I play music off a USB drive.. I guess that makes me kind of a badass outlaw then

 

[R1S88]

Occam’s Razor is a principle that says:

When multiple explanations fit the facts equally well, the simplest explanation is usually preferred.

Is the simplest explanation for why Rivian doesn't offer CarPlay is that they truly believe they can offer a better and more cohesive experience? - just like they have said. Their goal as a public company is to maximize long-term profits. Isn't the VW deal the first signs they are succeeding?

Clearly, there is a loud group who feel they've failed and another less loud group on the forum who feel they are on their way to succeeding.

I hear over and over that it's a money grab, but doesn't the cost of cellular equal almost the whole Connect+ cost?

The other claim heard over and over again is it's a data grab, but...

According to Apple's privacy information, Apple says it minimizes data collection and ties some processing to the user’s Apple account rather than the vehicle.

The automaker generally continues to have access to:

* Vehicle telemetry (speed, battery state, fuel level, maintenance data)
* Vehicle location if the car’s own systems collect it
* Ownership and subscription information
* Data from manufacturer apps and connected-car services
* Service, warranty, and dealership interactions

Again, maybe they really are true believers. Time will tell if they're right, but the good news is you can bet by buying their products and equity - or not.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Thanks! Good info to dive into and maybe partially the reason Rivian does not let you load 5,000 songs on a USB drive and play it directly? No way to monetize that.

They would hate the way I drive, I don't search because I know all the local places I frequent and I play music off a USB drive.. I guess that makes me kind of a badass outlaw then

Rivian is getting lots of good data from me on how not to drive.

 

[JM.]

I guess that makes me kind of a badass outlaw then

You are a bad consumer. Do you hate America? LOL.

I play mostly podcasts from a third party (CarPlay integrated) app that is ultra private, even more than I'd like as it limits my own visibility into my usage. And Apple Music which is ad free and also privatized to my own account as much as possible (Apple does have to know plays to pay artists).

 

[NY_Rob]

You are a bad consumer. Do you hate America? LOL.

-In the eyes of Discover, and Visa cards I'm a "deadbeat" customer because I always pay in full before the due date and I haven't paid interest charges in over 20+ years.
-I only have internet through my cable company, I get TV through a roof antenna/TiVo and internet, and I have an Ooma box (original model before they had a subscription fee) for home phone service.
-Electricity is fully provided by 43 solar panels on the roof, monthly electric bill is $15 since 2019.
-No mortgage, no car loans, no other debt.

So yeah, I'm a bad consumer.. and loving it

 

[Thebandit]

-In the eyes of Discover, and Visa cards I'm a "deadbeat" customer because I always pay in full before the due date and I haven't paid interest charges in over 20+ years.
-I only have internet through my cable company, I get TV through a roof antenna/TiVo and internet, and I have an Ooma box (original model before they had a subscription fee) for home phone service.
-Electricity is fully provided by 43 solar panels on the roof, monthly electric bill is $15 since 2019.
-No mortgage, no car loans, no other debt.

So yeah, I'm a bad consumer.. and loving it

Trust me, Visa is perfectly happy making 2% off every transaction you make.

 

[NY_Rob]

Trust me, Visa is perfectly happy making 2% off every transaction you make.

Well then, maybe I'm a "better consumer" than I thought

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