At Apple’s WWDC yesterday, the company unveiled iOS 7, which includes vehicular integration due to roll out to a dozen car manufacturers next year. Basically, this will connect your iPhone to your car’s built-in screen, transforming it into an infotainment center, complete with turn-by-turn (albeit Apple Maps-based) navigation.
It will bring Siri integration, let you listen to and respond to texts, and (of course) provide access to your music. According to GPS Business News…
Phone, Music, Navigation, and messages (iMessage) are the first apps that will be available through the interface. Apple has not indicated if and how third party apps will be also able to be replicated on car’s screens.
You can see the entirety of the announcement in this video, starting at about the 1:44:30 mark.
They can’t do it any worse than the current car makers. Currently the owner of a Ford Edge w/ My Touch and it’s always a bit of a mystery what I’m going to get when I turn the car on. Problem I see is that iPhone needs cell service for the GPS to work. Many places in Colorado where no cell service exists therefore isn’t a viable option.
You don’t need cell service for the iPhone’s GPS to work. It still works, just doesn’t refresh the map screens. For example, if you use an app like motion x you can download tiles of the location you will be. I live where there are many dead spots for cell service, including my house, but the iPhones GPS is fine. So hopefully this will work out!