Everything has gone mobile via a smartphone or tablet, and now, it’s entering your car. Smart cars are on the rise and there’s predicted to be huge headway in 2014. First we saw Apple enter cars in June and now Google will be releasing Android technology in Audi automobiles at the upcoming CES in a few weeks.
Just when you thought you were keeping up with the times with a mobile and tablet app, think again. Many car manufacturers such as Cadillac and Acura already have the technology in place and have released or are set to release in-app cars this month.
With app ratings and users providing instant feedback, it is important when developing smart car apps to make sure they are seamless. Pete Pachal from Mashable says
First and foremost, it must be seamless. And I mean seamless — that is, you don’t have to do a single thing for your in-car system to connect with your phone. As soon as you start your car, both the phone and the system should automatically connect.
Not only does the connection between phone and car need to be seamless, it needs to work no matter which application is used or who makes it It’s up to developers to ensure their apps are optimized to also work on car displays.
In a perfect world, it shouldn’t matter whether you use maps from Nokia, Google or Apple, as long as the app developer offered a car-compatible version of the service. Whether you’re on iOS or Android, you should be able to designate any map app as your in-car navigator, with the phone automatically transferring that app’s data to the dashboard.
Many believe that smart cars will be more important than any other connected device. It is just the beginning for smart cars but we should expect to see plenty in 2014. Be prepared to develop apps that not only work, but are seamless, safe and enjoyable for the driver. To ensure happy customers, make sure to test the apps in real life conditions as the experience will vary from car to car and depending on the area in which the car is driven.
2014 is sure to be the year where many will drive smart. Make sure you keep up.