“Ahead of Apple’s launch of iOS in the Car later this year, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has seemingly activated the feature inside what we presume is the iOS Simulator,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“iOS in the Car allows an iOS 7 user to connect their iOS device to their car’s built-in center console display,” Gurman reports. “On the console, they can use Apple Maps, read Messages, make phone calls, and control music.”
“While it seems likely that iOS in the Car will launch alongside iOS 7.1 later this year, references to the feature and functionality has actually been tucked into iOS 7 since the very first beta,” Gurman reports. “We understand that Apple (internally) is able to project iOS onto devices beyond car consoles. That includes TV displays and the Apple TV, opening up the door in the future for features beyond car-integration.”
Much more, including screenshots, in the full article here.
Soon to be ex-developer.
Currently I drive a 2012 Jeep Wrangler that uses UConnect to tether my phone to the stereo. It sucks pretty bad. The audio transmits with Bluetooth, which is fine with phone calls, but it means I have no audio when using a navigation app. To get that to work, I need to turn Bluetooth off, run a cable from the headphone jack to the auxiliary port on my stereo, and have the radio set on auxiliary. Not ideal by any means. Hopefully by the time my lease runs out in 2015 and I get another new Wrangler, either this or something better will be along.
Our family is almost due for a new car and I’m praying these auto makers get some better iPhone integration soon. I don’t want to buy a car base solely on iPhone connectivity, but it is such an important extension of what I do everyday that we may have to select a car from those that do support the iPhone better.