GM Models to Get Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Photo: © General Motors
GM has begun rolling out wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities for its newest models.
As reported by GM Authority, the automaker debuted this feature in the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which recently arrived at dealerships after its unveiling late last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Customers who want wireless smartphone integration will need to choose the Trailblazer’s available Technology Package.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow drivers to access a wide variety of smartphone features and functions from vehicle touch screens. With wireless integration, they can enjoy all these benefits without having to hook up their phones with a USB cable. Instead, connection is automatic via Bluetooth technology.
In the Trailblazer, and presumably the other GM models to follow, wireless smartphone connectivity is accompanied by wireless charging capabilities — meaning drivers can ditch cables altogether if they choose.
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Offering a wireless smartphone connectivity feature puts GM in a strong position compared to its competitors. The only other automakers with this capability tend to be luxury-focused, like BMW and Audi. On most models, if you want this feature you’ll need to add it as an aftermarket option.
GM also plans to offer wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in several more of its upcoming models.
The 2021 vehicles that will receive it include the Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and Corvette; the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL; the Buick Encore GX; and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade XL.
Models that have been pushed out to 2022 will get this update too, including the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Traverse. Over the coming months, keep an eye out for even more GM models adding wireless smartphone integration as an optional feature.
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A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.