A new report from the In-vehicle UX (IVX) group at Strategy Analytics, “Consumer Interest for In-Car Smartphone Mirroring is Almost Universal,” surveying consumers in the U.S., Western Europe and China, has found that an increasing number of consumers feel that smartphone mirroring systems such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Baidu CarLife will be a “must-have” when purchasing their next vehicle and moreover, are willing to pay for them at almost any reasonable price point.
Compatible with the iPhone 5 and later models, CarPlay provides a simplified way to use your iPhone interface on a car’s touch screen, giving users access to Siri voice controls, as well as Apple Maps, Apple Music, Phone, Messages, and a variety of third party apps.
Strategy Analytics found that once consumers have mirroring solutions, they are often used to the exclusion of embedded systems. Increasing interest in mirroring solutions is contributing to the fragmented infotainment landscape occurring across all regions, according to the research group. What’s more, for a recently introduced infotainment feature, smartphone mirroring systems are a very strong pull for consumers.
“All of our research suggests that consumers will soon be ready to adopt CarPlay and Android Auto for their infotainment needs, which is another round of bad news for embedded navigation suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that want to sell upgraded navigation systems,” says Derek Viita, report author and senior analyst. “It also shows a missed opportunity: OEMs have been including these systems ‘as standard,’ when our research suggests that consumers would actually be willing to pay for them, even to the price of traditional navigation options.”
