Automotive Electronics Future: Integrating Smartphones and Tablets into Automotive Loops

Since Ford Motor was the first to integrate several popular smartphone applications into automobiles, many other OEMs and first-line auto parts suppliers are thinking about how to integrate mobile devices and applications into the automotive environment. At this year's 2011 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES), vendors demonstrated their efforts in this area, not only with innovative concepts, but also with actual products.

Third-party car makers are introducing more sophisticated solutions for mobile application integration into automotive infotainment platforms.

Ford Motor Co., Ltd. has been operating earlier than other depots and has successfully implemented mobile application integration on its SYNC platform, which has reached the production level. SYNCAppLink is the industry's first software application that enables SYNC users to control smart applications through hands-free voice. Now the 2011 Ford Fiesta and Mustang owners can already download for free.

The following table lists third-party applications in the car.

Ford announced that the iPhone and the originally announced BlackBerry and Android smartphones will be compatible with AppLink. Pandora Internet Radio, Stitcher News Radio, and OpenBeak are the first mobile applications supported by SYNC, some of which can be downloaded from the Android Market and BlackBerry AppWorld and will soon be available for download from the Apple AppStore.

MINIUSA is also working with Pandora to develop the first third-party application for its MINIConnected infotainment system. The 2011 MINI car equipped with MINI Connected will be able to transmit Pandora so that personalized Internet radio can be accessed through the car's joystick, buttons on the steering wheel and in-vehicle displays. The MINIConnectedPandora app is available for free, will have an art-style color display, access to existing radio stations and create new radio stations using the car interface.

At the same time, Toyota's Entune allows Toyota drivers to make hands-free calls and control several music sources such as high-definition radios, all through voice control. The speech synthesis (TTS) function can also read incoming text message service (SMS) text messages. Bluetooth connectivity will support fusion of iheartradio, Pandora, Bing local search, MovieTickets. Com content and OpenTable. Com hotel reservations and other mobile applications. In addition, the system will support dashboard applications, allowing users to add new applications in the future.

Aftermarket solutions Internet radio, Pandora, is also becoming a mainstream application in the aftermarket. Many vendors have introduced in-dash stereos, Pandora Link with USB connectivity to the iPhone. At this year's CES, JVC, Kenwood and Sony joined the ranks of Alpine and Pioneer. Alpine and Pioneer have aggressively expanded their Pandora Link services from last year.

However, these aftermarket solutions are usually based on the vendor's own platform and do not show the potential to reduce costs by supporting other mobile applications in the future.

JVCMobile has invested heavily in developing applications for its 2011 car radio product line. Many of its new receivers support Pandora with 75 million users, iheartradio with 11.5 million users, or MotionX global positioning system (GPS) applications.

GPS is one of the most popular navigation applications in the iTunes App Store. JVC said that its 2011 audio product line, starting at $119, is compatible with many other iPhone-oriented applications, including YouTube, which may be displayed on the AV radio screen.

Tablet PCs are entering the mobile computing market this year, and this trend can be seen from CES. About 35 companies exhibited tablets, many of which are based on the Android operating system. Tablet PCs and smart phones provide similar functionality and gradually converge in applications, services, and sizes. Like smart phones, tablets are also entering the automotive environment.

With smart phones, there are other ways to introduce in-vehicle mobile applications to car audio bodies by using third-party applications. The recently announced embedded connectivity solutions, such as the monitored telematics system used by Hyundai BlueLink, Ford Focus Electronics, and Nissan Leaf, directly introduce connection services to the audio body as well as built-in applications. In addition, the depot is also producing a separate smartphone application for remote control of car functions.