The Future of Smartphones and Cars: The Next Era of Technology

My most recent blogs have been more about cutting edge changes in mobility and how they may affect corporate enterprises in general. Today I thought I would stretch out from that and reach a little farther into the future of smartphones and cars.

As a child I always loved concept cars and that someday planes and cars would merge and cars would be able to fly. Well as we still wait for those flying cars, here is something more reachable. In my latest trip to the car show there were cars that could connect to the internet and cars that would allow you to dock your phone and play your music from your phone over your car’s radio system.

So, what else can be done? Let’s look at some of the new technology on the market now as well as dive into the future of smartphones and cars.

The Future of Smartphones and Cars: Ready, Set, Start

Most of us have seen or used a key fob that we can just keep in our pockets.  When we touch the car door it unlocks. Then inside the car we push a button to start – all very cool. But, I still have to have the key fob with me.

There are several applications newly on the market that join your smartphone and car to allow for interaction with your vehicle. Take for instance the new product by www.viper.com for starting, locating, locking or unlocking your car. It only makes sense that since that you always have your phone with you, you should be able to have this type of functionality.

The Future of Smartphones and Cars: Are You OK?

Not sure if this has happened to you, but it’s happened to me – twice. My check engine light comes on and stays on (I can hear the cash register ringing up in the background). So I take the car in and they hook it up to a computer to check it. Interestingly, it was just letting me know that it’s 500 miles or so short of the next oil change.

OK, well wouldn’t it make sense for the car to just display a message that says, “This is a reminder that your next scheduled oil change is due in 500 miles.” This new technology is something you can have today from www.automatic.com. Their technology helps you become more cost aware by tracking and notifying you of wasteful driving habits while monitoring your engine status. So when the check engine light does come on you get real time information of what the problem is. You might be able to correct the problem yourself and clear the message which removes the check engine light for that issue.

The Future of Smartphones and Cars: My Dashboard

On average most families have two cars and three plus drivers. Today each person in your family that drives probably has a cell phone. Now, image that your phone can function as your key fob. In addition, when you open the car the seats, mirrors, headrest etc. will adjust to your personal specification that you set with your phone.

Let’s take it a step further. The whole dashboard would be a blank touch screen panel that you could setup your personal preferences and save to your phone. Then when the car is started all the features of the dashboard are just the way and where you like it to be (within reason). I like my stereo controls to be above the heater controls. I like my speed to show up on the right side not the left. I like my gears display to be vertical not horizontal. I like my background to be green not red, etc.

To go a step further, imagine that all cars are designed this way. When you rent a car on vacation or borrow a car from a friend or family member, the cars can wirelessly get your preferred settings so all your pre-loaded configurations are there. How cool is that!?

And if you really want to reach for the sky, let’s take the current functionality some cars have to parallel park themselves. Why not have the car drop you off at the mall entrance and then go park itself? Then when you’re finished at the mall, pull out your smartphone and tell your car you’re ready to be picked up. By GPS your car comes to the entrance and picks you up.

The Future of Smartphones and Cars: The Summary

In the future of smartphones and cars no matter which car you take, your setting will be your settings. Your spouse’s settings will be their settings. No more getting in the rental car and having the steering wheel hit you in the chest because the last person who drove it was much shorter than you.

All in all I see these future visions of technology taking place based on the latest technology we’re seeing coming out of the market as the future of smartphones and cars start to merge. Let’s hope this vision does not take as long as the flying car scenario.