Apple And Google Driving Together Behind The Wheel
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Apple and Google duke it out on just about every platform, from phones and tablets to music and app stores. So why isn't the bitter rivalry playing out behind the wheel?
You can thank General Motors for driving the detente.
"We're trying to put the core set of functions and done in the right way so people are the least distracted." said GM boss Mary Barra.
Barra told Re/Code's Code Conference that texting or other mobile device use while driving is quickly becoming one of the leading causes of death on the roads.
That's where the automaker works with Google's Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay, to keep infotainment simple but powerful when you plug in your phone.
"The simplicity of having voice control, the size, even the font that you look at." said Barra. "And then also how many layers deep are you, to get the key things people want? There's been a lot of testing that's gone on."
Fourteen Chevy models, starting with this summer's Cruze, will work with both iPhone and Android. That's not to say all automakers will offer such compatibility, but it seems sensible not to take sides.
