Release of iPhone 4.0 to signal in-car integration?

By: Lisa Keegan

Date: Sunday, 18. April 2010

Rumors have abounded over recent months regarding the possibilities of new developments with iphone in-car integration . It seems that this possibility may become a reality with the release of iPhone 4.0 this Summer.

The iPhone 4.0 release will include over 100 new user features, one of which is 'iPod out' - the feature that is said to signify the iPhone's first steps into the car infotainment system market. Last year Apple submitted a patent application for a new interface System for in-car infotainment systems so watch this space!

The 'iPod out' feature, when used with a device supporting the iPod Accessory Protocol, would essentially constitute an Apple branded car kit for your iPhone. It sounds fairly basic but given the functionalities of the iPhone, the possibilities are endless. ' ... iPod Out could allow an in-dash entertainment system to mimic all the functions of an iPhone for music playback (without the usual incompatibilities). That way, a driver could use the controls on a steering wheel to switch between songs on a iPhone without requiring additional hardware or software.' [source: New York Times Blog]

Third party car kits are currently available for the iPhone, enabling users to access and control various features on their handsets, there is however no fully-integrated device which will will manage calls and music while charging your iPhone's battery. It is hoped that the release of iPhone 4.0 may address these shortfalls or at least put iphone users on the right road, so to speak! You will be able to take a call while listening to music, without having to sacrifice one to the other.

Drivers.com has written a number of articles over the years on in-car infotainment systems (from both the technology and driver distraction perspectives) and it is a market that is set to explode. The players are lining up and a lot of interesting developments may start to take place in the not too distant future. A recent news release from QNX Software Systems reveals that BlackBerry too is planning to make a name for itself in this market, and is in the process of acquiring QNX, a move described by the New York Times as '...perhaps the most aggressive step yet taken by a handset maker to move into the dashboard'. QNX Software Systems has been involved in the infotainment and telematics software systems for over 200 different vehicle models and its software is been licensed for over 17 million in-car systems globally.

Apple and BlackBerry are set to compete on a whole new level soon and with the experience and market infiltration QNX offers, BlackBerry may prove a very worthy competitor.

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