How and Why Car Apps Are Poised to Take Off

If you think that car companies have not paid attention to the explosion of apps and productivity for mobile phones, think again. As Apple reports that iPhone sales are smashing every record by moving nine million products in a single weekend, car companies have stood up and taken note.

Some vehicles on the road today have app and smartphone integration, and the majority of those coming out in the immediate future will allow you to sync mobile to motor. What apps today help you get a car from point A to point B?

Sprint’s Drive First

Photo by Lord Jim via Flickr

Everyone knows that driving while using your phone makes for unsafe situations, with Texting And Driving Safety reporting that you put yourself at twenty times the risk for an accident by texting. For all the statistics and public information campaigns, however, people still take the risk. Sprint has come up with a novel solution for those who need a bit of help to remain focused on the road.

For only $2 a month, Sprint’s Drive First app locks down your phone when it senses driving-like movement on its internal GPS, redirects all calls to voicemail and blocks texts. Users can still access emergency call numbers and select apps for music or navigation.

Carbonga

Photo by Wikiuser100000 via Wikimedia Commons

Whenever you see the dreaded check engine light, you never know if you will have to spend $1,500 to repair a fuel valve or $15 to replace a gas cap.

With Carbonga, a $5 app available on the Apple iTunes store, users need only connect their smartphone to a $70 goPoint Technology GL1 cable that runs an engine diagnostic without needing to take the car to a mechanic. It may not fix a broken spark plug, but the app gives information on whether or not it’s safe to drive a little bit farther with your engine’s condition.

OnStar, In-Car

Photo by Tyler via Wikimedia Commons

Anyone who owns a GM vehicle may know about the practicality and convenience of OnStar. Going forward, GM cars and trucks will be able to do more with the voice-command OnStar function, including using the system to communicate, instead of shifting your attention toward a mobile phone. AutoBlog reports that the new OnStar will be far ahead of the curve.

They do not require an existing smartphone for the driver to become integrated into their vehicle; instead, embedded technology enables hands-off calling. If you’re in the market for a Chevy or other GM car, the new 2014 and 2015 models will come with the OnStar feature, including the new Chevy Spark, according to a Phoenix Chevy dealership, Freeway Chevrolet.

All-In One Connections

Photo by Yutaka Tsutano via Wikimedia Commons

Having been the first company to launch a car (and an advertising campaign) with iPod compatibility, BMW has taken many steps towards iPhone plug-in functionality. Any person looking for a BMW to buy or lease gets mobile compatibility standard on many available vehicles.

The all-in-one BMW connected app lets users do everything from browse Facebook to access web radio simply by jacking in their iPhone to the vehicle’s central computer.

About the author: Naomi Barnes is a writer from Houston.