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Cadillac joins dashboard fray, offers CarPlay/Android Auto in 2016 models

Cadillac, following in the footsteps of fellow General Motors brand Chevrolet, is adopting Apple CarPlay and Google?s Android Auto to meet demand for smoother integration between mobile phones and vehicles.  

Adding the systems for in-car phone integration in Cadillac?s 2016 model year is part of an enhancement of CUE, or Cadillac User Experience, the brand?s answer to Ford Motor?s Ford Sync system that lets applications and phones interface with the vehicle?s capabilities. The move suggests that as more brands adopt the systems, initial resistance to Apple and Google?s dominance in cars is gradually melting. 

?Connectivity is a nearly universal demand, therefore we seek the best solutions to connect consumer?s devices in such a way that they can operate the car ? by voice control, advanced touch or hard buttons ? such that the phone is stowed, and the driver?s hands are on the wheel and eyes on the road,? said David Caldwell, communications manger for Cadillac, Detroit, MI. 

?In 2015 we introduced wireless charging technology ? further encouragement to stow the phone.?
 
Making debut
Apple CarPlay will make its debut in the model year beginning this summer in Cadillacs with CUE?s 8-in multi-touch screen, except for the SRX Crossover, which will move to an all-new generation. Android Auto is expected to be phased into 2016 production at a later date. 

Android Auto in GM's Chevrolet.

To use CarPlay, the consumer first touches an icon on the car?s home screen that says Projection.

The system then instructs the user to connect his or her phone via USB cable. 

Once connected, the Projection Icon changes to read Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and the application initializes. In a couple of seconds, a home screen for CarPlay presents the key applications. 

The icons appear very much like those on an iPhone. Icons for maps, messages, email, and several other apps appear just as they would on a phone.  

One can select any of these, and CarPlay has redesigned the functions of the phone applications to enable simpler, easier access.

Drivers can make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. 

Apple CarPlay supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and compatible third party apps. 

?A good example of this in real-world conditions would be the common occurrence of a person receiving a message with an address or destination,? Mr. Caldwell said. ?With CarPlay, one can retrieve that message and select the address to start navigation instructions without handling the phone.?
 
The inclusion of CarPlay and Android Auto follows Cadillac?s addition of wireless charging and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity to GM?s luxury line.
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Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as an audio and messaging app ecosystem that includes WhatsApp, Skype, Google Play Music, Spotify and podcast players. 

Both phone integration systems require the phone to be connected via USB. Apple CarPlay requires iOS 7.1 or higher or an iPhone 5 or higher. Android Auto requires the Android Lollipop operating system.

A more powerful processor will be added to CUE for all 2016 models, enabling faster system start-up, voice recognition, navigation searches, and media playing, Cadillac said.

For the navigation system, the control structure has been simplified for easier destination entry and quicker destination searches. Map screens have been redesigned for easier use, including one-touch control of commonly used features such as muting, voiced navigation instructions and route cancellation.

For the Escalade, CTS and XTS product lines, the Cadillac CUE screen will add Surround Vision, a 360-degree view of the vehicle?s perimeter. Driving mode information will be expanded to the screen as well. 

CarPlay and Android Auto have bolstered their presence across numerous vehicle brands in providing access to drivers? favorite navigation, contacts, messaging and streaming entertainment apps.

For GM, bringing the platforms to its vehicles supports other efforts to market itself as a mobile leader. GM?s Chevrolet brand recently said it would offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in 14 vehicles for the 2016 model year.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor, the world?s top automaker by sales, last week announced a deal with Ford Motor to explore integration of Ford?s SmartDeviceLink technology in future Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The agreement built on a 2011 Toyota and Ford collaboration on in-car telematics standards aimed at providing a safer and more convenient driving experience.
 
Technology hubs
For its part, Ford is focusing on marketing vehicles not just as transportation but as a technology experience to attract millennial buyers who regard cars as an expensive burden.

Apple's CarPlay in a Chevrolet. 

?In the luxury space it?s important for us to offer well-designed and integrated technology,? Mr. Caldwell said. ?Also, we?re committed to systems that channel the most valued capabilities of mobile devices through the car. 

?This way, drivers can stow their mobile device, rather than handle it while driving, and have access to the key information and functions hands-free,? he said. ?New systems like CarPlay and Android Auto are another step forward in this respect, as these are systems specifically designed for users of the world?s leading mobile devices.? 

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York