Is it possible Apple/Google initially charged a nominal fee when the technology was brand new, and now that it has widespread acceptance and is mandatory for many car purchasers, they turned the screws and are now charging an exorbitant price?
It's possible, but it wouldn't lead to this kind of action. Automakers already have a way to deal with expensive features that are critical to a large segment of the customer base. They limit it to higher trims or select models, depending on the cost constraints. That's what GM does with ADAS for example.
They're eliminating phone projection entirely here, which means they think the feature is incompatible with their business model.
What is the economic incentive for Google and Apple not to do this? They've convinced much of the public that it's a necessary feature (moreso than SiriumXM, for example, which also starts free then costs a lot), and better than what the manufacturers can develop internally, so why allow the manufacturers to integrate it for such a low price?
