8 Out of 10 Shopping for Vehicles with Apple CarPlay

BY Courtney Huckabay
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A new report from the In-​vehicle UX 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.

Access to smartphone apps through in-​car HMI is increasingly important to consumers’ purchase decisions. Mobile apps are preferred for many navigation tasks, especially more advanced ones.

Key report findings include:

  • Interest for mirroring systems is robust across all regions with preference shown for Android Auto in the U.S. and Apple CarPlay in Western Europe and China. Moreover, Strategy Analytics has found that once consumers have mirroring solutions, they are often used to the exclusion of embedded systems.
  • Furthermore, for a recently introduced infotainment feature, smartphone mirroring systems are a very strong pull for consumers.

Derek Viita, report author and Senior Analyst commented, “All of our research suggests that consumers will soon be ready to adopt CarPlay and Android Auto for their infotainment needs. 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.”

Dealerships should consider advertising the cars they have in stock with CarPlay and Android Auto. The new AudienceSCAN survey revealed 14% of Apple CarPlay/​Android Auto Shoppers think newspapers are the best source for automotive news or car care advice.

Added Chris Schreiner, Director, Syndicated Research UXIP, “Consumers are increasingly relying on connected apps for a variety of purposes in the car due to frustrations with the user experience of embedded systems. It almost seems to be the case that the last remaining obstacle for the advance of smartphone mirroring is simply exposure.”

"Since its initial release three years ago, CarPlay has become the new gold standard," Basir Khan writes for TheDrive​.com. "Apple touts more than 200 models from nearly every major automotive manufacturer currently offering it. There are some exceptions but given the results of a recent study conducted by Strategy Analytics, those few unwilling to embrace Apple's car radio may not have a choice."

Internet banner ads can tell shoppers which dealers have what they're looking for! The new AudienceSCAN survey showed CarPlay Shoppers are 89% more likely than average shoppers to take action after seeing banner ads.

"The study found that 23 percent of smartphone owners in the States consider CarPlay as a must-​have in their next car. Fifty-​six percent reported they are interested while 21 percent said they are not interested. Factors such as design, storage space and price may not matter if the car you are shopping for does not come with CarPlay. Who is not offering Apple's in-​car software? It is a shortlist which consists of Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, and Toyota."

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.


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