How long do we have to wait for better mobile device and car integration?
What we have currently is okay, but it really isn’t close to what it could be. I realize Apple, Google, Microsoft and a bevy of car manufacturers are working on t his, but so far I am underwhelmed with what they have brought to market or demoed.
Why do I need a car stereo or built in navigation? Why can’t my smart phone or tablet use all the buttons, nobs, and displays in my car? Again…I know that some cars out there can use some of it. But they never really feel natural or make sense (too much learning).
In my perfect world, the car companies would dump trying to build in infotainment and work on standardizing basic i/o in the car. There would be standard buttons, controls and display. Seeing there is now a big hole in the dash why not put a dock there that you could easily swap out to match your device?
I like the idea of a dock over Bluetooth because there is no need to sync a device to the system–just pop it in the dock and go. The other advantage is that you can charge your device while you drive.
This still leaves room for customization by the auto manufacturers. Maybe a split screen navigation app that presents driving directions in the instrument cluster (heck, an app that allows you to customize the instrument cluster). Allow the device to get basic info like how much fuel is left for estimated miles so the navigation system can suggest fuel stops along the way. Let the car do car stuff, and let the smart phone be like your own personal R2 unit.
What I don’t think is a good idea is building smart mobile and network hardware into the car. We keep our cars for 3, 5, 10 years. Mobile and network technology is dated after 18 months. Why would you want to be stuck with 3 or 5-year-old, outdated smart mobile technology in your car? If the car is just an i/o device for your technology, the technological shelf life is much longer. Upgrade your phone, and you’ve upgraded your car infotainment feature set.
Today’s approach is close, but I fear we are long way from actually seeing real integration of smart mobile devices and cars.
UPDATE: Apple has introduced CarPlay that looks like a step in the right direction.
More about CarPlay here: https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/
