Yesterday at the Apple 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference (WDC), Apple announced the forthcoming iOS 7 along with a slew of new features (including a UI overhall).
Of particular interest to us was the announcement that Apple will be supporting the integration of iOS into the in-dash screens of vehicle telematics systems - "iOS in the car".
According to Apple, 95% of new vehicles sold today are already compatible with iOS devices for music and playback controls, however, the in-vehicle iOS will support phone calls, directions and communication such as iMessages, along with hands/eyes free functionality powered by Siri.
Apple has identified a fairly large list of carmakers who have signed up for iOS in-vehicle with committments to include iOS 7 as early as 2014. The list as of the time of this post include: Acura, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel, and Volvo.
Pretty cool... but what about the OEM infotainment and telematics systems? Is iOS poised to replace OEM content and feature set? Is this just the replacement of one proprietary system with another (albeit more consumer friendly) or will we see a platform developed which will support Android and other smartphone platforms? Will Apple open up dev kits/SDK to support mobile app use of in-vehicle data?
It seems like this announcement raises more questions than it answers. However, without this first step by Apple to bring the consumer experience one step further into... well... everything, these questions would exist only in the theoretical realm. Check out the clip below from the conference and feel free to weigh in on the pros and cons as well as your wish lists!
