In another sign that smartphones are becoming an increasingly important convergence device, OnStar is testing out apps for smartphones.
If you don’t know what OnStar is, it’s an in-vehicle service which generally comes pre-installed in cars and it offers services like turn-by-turn navigation, hands-free calling and automatic reporting of crashes. It comes with a subscription fee and the upcoming smartphone apps are expected to be free for existing customers.
According to Mobiledia, the OnStar app will include the ability to remotely lock and unlock your car, as well as integration with other services. That could include Pandora, Facebook or other Internet-based offerings.
I would imagine OnStar would first go with an Apple iPhone app and then move over to Android and BlackBerry. There’s no definitive release date but I wouldn’t imagine it would take too long.
The move comes as in-car technology is improving quickly and smartphones are playing a larger role that. This makes a lot of sense too, as the in-car devices are more difficult to replace but augmenting this with smartphones enables users to upgrade their in-car tech without having to buy a new car.
One example is the BMW ConnectedDrive system we spied earlier this year. This system integrates your BlackBerry with the 2011 BMW in-car display unit to display texts and e-mails. As you would expect, this also includes hands-free calling as well as voice-to-text dictation.
Microsoft is also bringing the heat with its Sync tech, which can use a phone’s cell minutes to deliver turn-by-turn directions. We’ve also seen some stronger smartphone integration in the pipeline – look for some sort of Sync app store to appear in the not-too-distant future.
Nokia is also looking at the in-car market and it has teamed with various manufacturers to create a standard for smartphones to interact with car displays. This would enable smartphone owners to use some of their apps in the car.
[Via Mobiledia]