Siri & Apple Maps on Your Car Console

Apple is always at the forefront of any technological innovation. The same is true for the integration of voice activated control and mobile maps app with the car console. Apple has been working hard on integrating car consoles with its iOS 7 applications like Apple Maps and Siri. A voice controlled navigation system in your car that is powered by Siri is not a distant dream with Apple taking forward the concept of Siri Eyes Free. Several online publications have said that Apple is aggressively moving towards fitting cars with Siri controlled Maps. According to Apple’s plans, we can have our car’s console loaded with Siri and Apple Maps any time later this year.

The latest Siri Eyes Free (iOS 6 version) for cars allows sending of texts to anyone in the contact list through voice command with Siri at its core. It also makes it possible for you to access calendar and play music directly from your iTunes library.

General Motor’s Chevy Sonic and Spark are the only cars that have adopted Siri Eyes Free after 11 months of its launch. These cars have been integrated with Siri through Chevrolet MyLink. According to some sources, 9 more car manufacturers including Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, have announced that they will soon be linking their cars with Siri.

One exciting upgrade is that the users will be provided with a button on the steering wheel to control Siri. This will allow hassle free access as user will not have to search for their iPhone or a button on car screen to play music, send a message or get directions. Everything can be accessed via steering mounted control. One more system upgrade is linking of the Apple Navigation system with the steering wheel controls.

This integration will enhance the the user experience as it will allow fading of music while seeking navigation instructions. Moreover, you will not have to search for your phone to make adjustments to the navigation application; rather you can conveniently access it via your car’s central console. A cherry on the cake is the money saved by not opting for a built-in car navigation system as the free Apple Maps of your phone will easily take its place.

However, there is still a lot left to be done and improved. For example, the app based system that we are talking about will require car’s data connection which will cost more than what you are paying for data connection now. Apart from that, it is difficult to access reliable and fast data connection on the move. Also, Apple really needs to get rid of the flaws in its Maps app before integrating it in the cars. However, Apple is probably working on it as is evident from its job listings which require applicants with expertise in iOS linking with car audio system via Bluetooth.

All these are welcome signs for the car infotainment system upgrade. With Apple in, Google can’t be much behind. It will be exciting to wait and watch the competitive duel between the two giants!