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The Great Divide: Why Low and High-End Automakers are Embracing CarPlay and Android Auto
In the rapidly evolving world of automotive technology, a new trend is emerging: the abandonment of native car operating systems (CarOS) in favor of smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This shift is particularly evident at the extreme ends of the automotive market, where both low-end and high-end manufacturers are opting to leverage the familiarity and functionality of these smartphone ecosystems.
Ferrari’s recent decision to remove built-in navigation systems from their upcoming models, including the Purosangue and 12Cilindri, is a prime example of this trend. Emanuele Carando, Ferrari’s head of product marketing, cited phone mirroring as “the most user-friendly possibility” and the most up-to-date option, rendering dedicated in-car navigation systems obsolete. Ferrari believes it’s unnecessary to burden them with learning a specific in-car navigation system they will seldom use.
At the lower end of the market, budget-conscious automakers are arriving at a similar conclusion. They are realizing that investing in the development of their own…
