Honda To Offer Deeper iOS Integration Through Its HondaLink Services

 Automotive  

Apple is about to provide an even higher level of integration with cars, as it has teamed up with Honda and agreed to supply the Japanese car maker with sophisticated in-car technology that will improve both vehicle safety and comfortability.

Apple entered the auto industry a couple of years ago, when it started partnering up with car makers, providing them with hands-free technology that allows drivers to use various devices in their cars without taking their hands off the wheel. This segment of the automotive market has been dominated by the likes of Microsoft and Blackberry, but recently, Apple has been able to make its presence felt, offering iOS connectivity in vehicles, which has allowed the company to become an integral part of infotainment systems of many car manufacturers.

 Now, Apple is about to provide an even higher level of integration with cars, as it has teamed up with Honda and agreed to supply the Japanese car maker with sophisticated in-car technology that will improve both vehicle safety and comfortability.

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Honda announced that it will upgrade its HondaLink, a cloud-connected service, with two new technologies provided by the consumer electronics giant, which will first be available in the 2014 Honda Civic and the 2015 Honda Fit. The first feature is called Display Audio Interface, which is a 7-inch built-in touchscreen, that will be compatible with iPhone 5 or higher, with icons similar to those of Apple's smartphones and other smart devices.

It will allow users to access the Internet through their Apple devices, play audio and video files from their devices directly on the 7-inch touchscreen, access their phonebooks, and use the vehicle's navigation system. The HondaLink service offers four apps that can be used through the Display Audio Interface, including the Connect App, the Navigation App, the Aha App, and the Launcher App.

The Connect app allows you to search point of interest locations, see weather forecasts, send instant messages, receive information about your vehicle that will help you monitor various vehicle systems, so that you know when it's time for your next service, and call roadside assistance.

If you download the Navigation app to your iPhone, you will be able to use a whole navigation system through the dashboard touchscreen, and see maps, routes, as well as traffic information.

The Aha app allows your car to connect to other Honda vehicles that have this technology, so that you can access the cloud-based services that the HondaLink provides, such as audio content, Internet radio stations, Facebook and Twitter updates, and reviews of restaurants, hotels and gas stations near you. With the launcher app, you can find and download other HondaLink apps that are available in vehicles with the HondaLink system, so that you can use those apps through your car's dashboard.

As far as the second part of Apple's iOS integration into Honda vehicles is concerned, it involves Siri Eyes Free support, which means that owners of the new Civic and Fit will be able to send and receive text messages, as well as e-mails, without having to take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel.

With these new features, Honda boosts iOS car integration, which is supposed to give the car maker a significant competitive advantage, at least when it comes to in-car connectivity.

By Jordan Perch

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Author bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “car tech” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”.