Chevy Delays MyLink Until Spring 2012
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Exactly a month ago, we discovered that the new MyLink infotainment system was not shipping in 2012 model year Chevrolet vehicles, even though several marketing materials directly from Chevrolet, such as its own website, press releases, and vehicle catalogs, stated a Fall 2012 availability in the Equinox and Volt.
The aforementioned materials stated that the MyLink units would be standard equipment on the 2LT and LTZ trim levels of the Equinox while being part of the Driver Convenience Package on the 1LT. According to a recently-released email from GM, however, this information is no longer accurate. Instead, MyLink will be available in the Spring of 2012.
Moreover, the email (available below) states that MyLink will be optional on the 2LT and LTZ trim levels of the Equinox, rather than being standard equipment.
Chevy will replace vehicle catalogs to reflect the updated information and is asking dealers to “counsel” customers about the availability of MyLink on 2012 Equinoxes. Additionally, Chevy’s update makes it clear that Equinoxes equipped with the Color Touch Radio that has been shipping so far in 2011 cannot be retrofitted with MyLink at a later date.
Here’s the update in its entirety:
The purpose of this message is to notify you of a recent change in the planned availability of Chevrolet MyLink on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The catalog shipped to you last Fall indicates that the Chevrolet MyLink Touch Radio will be standard beginning in the Spring of 2012 on the 2LT and LTZ trim levels and included in the Driver Convenience Package on the 1LT. This is no longer accurate. When the MyLink radio is available on the 2012 Equinox, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, MyLink will be an optional feature only on the 2LT and LTZ trims.
As a result of this change, the information in the 2012 Equinox catalog regarding MyLink availability is no longer accurate. The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox catalog will be reprinted to provide up-to-date information. The new catalogs will be sent to you toward the end of January and more details will follow on replacement of the catalogs at that time.
We need your assistance as follows:
Be sure you counsel with all 2012 Equinox customers concerning the availability of Chevrolet MyLink. In this regard, please note that Chevrolet MyLink is not available with Navigation for the 2012 model year. Also, vehicles originally equipped with the Color Touch Radio (standard on LT and LTZ) without Chevrolet MyLink cannot be retrofitted later with MyLink.
The GM Authority Take
Clarity and transparency — that’s all we could ask for; and that’s exactly what Chevy delivered with this update, albeit several months too late, since more than a few Equinox buyers were mislead by Chevy’s inaccurate marketing of the system (as can be seen in the comments of this post).
Chevy also updated its website to reflect the revised MyLink availability. The Technology section of the Equinox landing page, for instance, now reads:
Planned for Spring 2012 on 2LT and LTZ, stay connected while on the go with the all-new, Chevrolet MyLink.
We have to wonder, thought, what — if anything — Chevrolet will do about the customers who purchased their Equinoxes fully expecting MyLink to be included or obtainable sometime in the future via a software update.
And what about MyLink becoming an option, rather than standard equipment? We’re fine by that, as long as the non-MyLink touch system shipping in Equinoxes today remains the standard head unit. Think of it as Ford offering MyFord and MyFord Touch on its vehicles, the former having a less-functional (and smaller) display, while the latter being bigger and containing more features.
Hat tip to Michael.
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So will this also mean that the Intellink be delayed also?
I was thinking the same thing does this include 2012 buicks
Guys — IntelliLink was never intended for a 2011 release. It was always going to be a rolling update to 2012 MY vehicles:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/07/first-drive-2012-buick-lacrosse-eassist/
Alright Alex, can you educate me on the differences between MyLink and Intellilink?
I’ve sat in an Equinox and it had the exact screen imaged in this article. So i’m assuming that’s Intellililnk and not Mylink?
Ricardo — MyLink and IntelliLink are the same systems but have different color schemes and logos, as Paul mentioned.
What you saw in the Equinox you sat in was the current “color touch screen” system, which is MyLink minus several features like A2DP audio, app integration, and some nav-related features.
IntelliLink and MyLink differ in color schemes – they’re the same system.
Don’t confuse this with Cadillac CUE however, which, though it uses similar underlying software, is tweaked seven ways from Sunday, and is orders of magnitude more powerful.
It seems it would be frustrating, but I don’t care if mylink is an option as long as the color touch radio is standard on LT and LTZ. Though I think it would be nice if MyLink was standard on LTZ.
Lets see what they do for us. There aren’t that many that were duped. It’s like horrible android fragmentation lameness.
If they just make us an update that makes accessing the iPhones contact list easier and make Siri not act like a drunk gf (bluetooth then voice) I’d be happy.
I see a climate control icon. That seems like a bigger retrofit issue than a2dp btw.
So, can someone tell me, does my 2012 Regal GS have intellilink? It has the same screen as in this picture and my iPhone 4 works with it. The dealership never confirmed with me the name of the infotainment system and according to websites, Buick Regals weren’t supposed to get intellilink until later in 2012.
Am I safe in assuming that this applies to the GMC Terrain as well?
Tony — yes, the GMC IntelliLink system was always meant for a 2012 release as a rolling update to 2012 MY GMC vehicles, just like the Buick system:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/07/first-drive-2012-buick-lacrosse-eassist/
Thanks Alex for the clarification. I hope it will work with Google music like the 2012 Camaro
It should work with Google Music. I believe it just streams whatever is in the Google Music cloud and outputs to whatever the source is. If it’s USB, it can output via USB to the speakers; another alternative is to use the AUX cable for the output. The only thing that won’t work with the current non-MyLink system is the A2DP bluetooth streaming.
Alex, that’s what I noticed when I tried steaming via bluetooth in the Verano. My device is an Android phone and I plugged it into the car using USB and it didn’t recognize it either. I hope this us taken care of, would like to use steering wheel controls or the radio controls and not my phone to change songs.
For you folks that have Android phones, I have a suggestion that my help until Chevy gets things straight. I have an HTC Evo 3d, and have a lot of music on my phone. When I plug my phone in via a USB port, the phone is not recognized if I have my phone set to “charge only” on the “connect to pc” screen in the settings. However, if I change my phone settings to connect as a “disk drive”, that’s when the vehicle recognizes the phone. It takes a few moments for the vehicle to make the connection, but it seems to work. I have tried this in a Cruze, Sonic, Camaro, and yes, even a ’12 Equinox, and it has worked fine in all of those, but I can only seem to get it to work if I have my phone itself set properly.
I am not sure if you have Pandora or Stitcher on your phone if those will play through the USB or not, haven’t had the opportunity to check it out yet. But if you are having trouble getting your android phone to play through USB, check your phone setting’s “connect to pc” screen & set it for “disk drive”
I hope this helps! Happy New Year!
Michael:
That doesn’t work for my Galaxy SII phone because i don’t have my music on my phone, i stream my music via Google Music. You’d think that if Pandora can be streamed then so can Google Music. When i had a 2012 Camaro rental i tried using USB setup, and the car did not recognize my phone. So then i just used the Bluetooth setup und voilà – i could stream Google Music and use the steering wheel audio controls to navigate the albums and songs. When i was test driving a Buick Verano, i tried to do the same, but the Bluetooth function in the Verano only accessed the phone book. There may be a step i was missing – after all it was a 15-20 minute test drive and i wasn’t familiar with the new radio/screen setup.
@Ricardo Just to be sure: did a 2012 Camaro do A2DP for you?
I want to correct something. I just sat inside a Buick Verano again, and pulled out my phone. This time i was able to connect to the Bluetooth Audio and Play GoogleMusic on my android phone. I suppose i missed that part of the configuration simply because i was not used to the new system. Another thing i noticed when i was connecting, i saw Stitcher already on there. I wasn’t able to play with it more because i had to leave.
I sat in a 2012 Equinox today with the 7″ touchscreen system. It appeared exactly as the system pictured above although it did not have the Pandora or Climate Control buttons. I also could not find a button for navigation.
What are the differences between this system and the MyLink system? I’m surprised they can not be upgraded – the button layout and the hardware looks exactly the same.
According to GM, the hardware is “completely different” between MyLink and the current color touchscreen system.
The currently-shipping color touchscreen systems don’t have A2DP Bluetooth, the app compatibility layer, some navigation system elements, as well as the Nuance-powered voice recognition features — so these are all features that are mostly done in software (except for the Naunce and A2DP part, those may be tied to some kind of hardware).
Other than that, the only MyLink-equipped vehicle we’ve seen so far is the 2013 Malibu:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/12/2013-chevrolet-malibu-eco-the-first-drive/
This makes it difficult to understand how the MyLink in the Equinox will aesthetically different than what is currently shipping. In other words, the picture we show (provided by GM) is supposedly of MyLink… but it may not even be MyLink 🙂
Interesting. GM has a video here demoing MyLink in the new Malibu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7usGJU1pLo
The interface is very similar to the system I played with in the equinox today.
A few minor differences – I definitely did not see the Pandora button there…but maybe it was hidden because I didn’t setup a phone? I dunno – didn’t have enough time to play with it. I was, however, able to pair my phone with the car and make calls from it. Didn’t check to see if my contacts showed up on the screen but I imagine I would be able to voice dial those.
Official pic from Chevy’s site also shows the Pandora button: http://www.chevrolet.com/assets/en/images/model/2012/equinox/gallery/interior/12_ch_equ_gal_int_13.jpg
So, best guess at this point is that the radio doesn’t have the bluetooth hardware that supports A2DP – which would be needed to stream Pandora or any audio for that matter. (As Alex previously stated)
GM really should remove that pic from their official gallery of the Equinox. It’s very confusing and I could see why it would anger a customer expecting to be able to stream Pandora straight from his/her phone but can not because they are still running the old hardware.
Ricardo, I am not sure if all newer Chevy’s with the Bluetooth have the bluetooth audio. In the Sonic I drove, when you go into the vehicle “configuration” settings on the radio or center stack, and enter the bluetooth menu, I found bluetooth phone and a separate setting for bluetooth audio. I can’t guarantee that I’m working things right either, although I did like our regional Chevy trainer showed us. Not sure if it helps, but possibly try to go to the config. settings and see if it has a separate setting for bluetooth audio.
yeah, i found it in the 2012 Camaro, and now the 2012 Buick Verano. Since the Camaro and Sonic have similar set up it’s easier for me to connect on them. The Verano however has a different configuration setup so it only took me some playing with to figure out how to link up. Either way, problem solved!
Are you sure the Camaro had it? It shouldn’t have worked, since the 2012 doesn’t officially have A2DP. The Verano does, though.
I’m glad we finally have a good deal of clarity on this issue. I was about to buy an Equinox in November after test driving. I came home and while deciding on trim and options came across conflicting information on availability of Mylink. I did conclude that it was not available until Spring. However, much was spend trying to arrive at that conclusion and I decided to delay purchase until available. On the positive side, our family bought an Enclave last year after always driving German cars. The GM experience so far has been great so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. I guess my last thought on the matter is what is the protocol for knowing when it is available? The dealer through all of this was no help. Will there be a 2012.5 model denoting this change?
David — I’m certain there will be an announcement from GM about the availability of MyLink. They seem to have realized the fact that MyLink was not being offered in 2012 MY Equinoxes, and are now doing a better job at communicating with all parties involved.
I’d recommend visiting GM Authority on a regular basis — we’ll be the first with the scoop about MyLink availability 🙂
Alex- Thank you for the reply. I will stay tuned.
One other thing that was indicated in the GM literature regarding Mylink was that blue tooth streaming of audio content was not possible with an Iphone. I believe that this may have been remedied as I understand in later versions of the the iphone OS A2DP was added. I deduced that this was the reason that Iphone was indicated as non compatible. If you can confirm if Iphone will be able to stream by blue tooth on the anticipated system, that would be appreciated.
David — the iPhone supports A2DP/Bluetooth Audio streaming; has since the release of the iPhone 3GS (I think that was 2 years ago). The only thing that may not work with the iPhone is the ability to control certain apps via voice (like Pandora or Stitcher); for that, the iPhone will need to be connected via USB.
Other than that, I don’t see why the iPhone would be listed as incompatible.
Alex-
Can you find me a good contact at customer service so I can voice my complaints? Email phone or direct address? I better start now.
Jay — can you send me a private message in the Forum? I don’t like to post email addresses publicly 🙂
Just click “Forum” at the very top or bottom of this page and then hit “Register” if you haven’t registered at the forum yet.
Then click on my name anywhere in any discussion and hit “Send alex a message” on the left side of the page
Alex-
Back when intellilink was first being previewed there was a reference to the powermat. Now, talk about it as almost completely disappeared – is it still coming out? I think it would be a nice addition to the Mylink package once Mylink is ready.
As far as I know, PowerMat is still on track for MyLink, as well.
Let me do some diggin’ and I’ll get back to ya.
Alright — did some asking around. Here’s an answer from GM directly:
“Unfortunately, at this time I don’t have any specific information to share. All I can say is to stay tuned….”
I too feel duped by GM. The main reason I purchased my 2012 Equinox was for the technology. I was shown the pictures of the touchscreen radio which had the Pandora icon and was also told that I could get the full nav capability when GM came out with the update/module. They had no other info on it and said the regional office(?) had info either as it was so new. It was on the GM web site as an “upgradable to nav” radio, etc. and while I have tried the OnStar nav, it just isn’t what I expected. Little arrows and no maps. I passed up a Ford Edge that had the tech I wanted to buy the Equinox (I liked the style better) , sorry I did that now based on what turned out to be misinformation.
I purchased my loaded 2012 LT2 in September when they started hitting the lots. I just feel cheated by GM.
Exactly Jim, I feel this was so badly and frequently misrepresented by Chevy in advertisements, road test reviews, on the web and even by the head of marketing himself as being available for fall 2012 ; that anyone buying the vehicle because of these “false advertisements” is at least due a free radio swap out and upgrade this spring. My dealer has in fact offered to install it free if Detroit delivers on the hardware side. In fact those of us who were cheated should make this a class action suit if Chevy does not come around.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for keeping us updated on this issue! Any insight on whom to directly contact at GM about this? Thanks!
Lauren — please send me a private message in the Forum. I don’t like to post email addresses publicly. 🙂
Cheers!
Alex