Apple announced dates for it's annual Worldwide Developer Conference for this year earlier this morning. WWDC 2013 will be held from June 10-14 in San Francisco. Tickets for the event sold out in a couple of hours. WWDC is a hot selling event for one main reason; new product launches from Apple. So will this year's event include a car entertainment product from Apple?
Apple has been rumored to be looking at entering the car entertainment business for quite a while now. And, why wouldn't they? The connected-car business model is relatively untapped as of now. There are current players like Pioneer's AppRadio Mode enabled products that make a good attempt to being apps to your car stereo but there is plenty of room for improvement. Apple has historically done well with new product categories (iPad created the tablet category, MacBook Air redefined netbooks) so there is no doubting its potential with car entertainment systems.
Last year's WWDC showcased Apple's Siri Eyes Free feature which gives a 'Siri' button in your car. This attempt to integrate your iPhone with your car, however, never really took off with only General Motors taking Apple up on their featured offer. The feature may well make a foray into today's cars but it's going to take some time.
Car integration brings with it a whole different set of challenges. The biggest challenge is Safety. It is essential to find the correct balance between entertainment features and safety while driving. After all, you don't want to be fiddling around with your car stereo while driving. Driving laws are very stringent these days and for good reason. But a connected-car is definitely a more appealing car to today's generation.
We'll have to wait and see until early June if Apple introduces itself to the car entertainment industry. I, for one, am more than willing to invest in any kind of 'iCar' system because, going by reputation, you can be sure Apple will do it right (for most part).
Picture courtesy Apple ®
Car audio speakers are available in a large price range. Some speakers are cheap and others are expensive. Sometimes, expensive speakers will go on sale. That is always a great time to make a large purchase.
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