Delphi Producing a Ford Sync-Rival

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Yes Delphi’s producing a radio that may exceed the Ford Sync. And Delphi last week gave us a nice roadmap of what to expect in OEM radios over the next 5 years.

First: Delphi has a radio in production that doesn’t need a CD or DVD player and that gets all music, GPS and Internet from your smartphone. And it mirrors your smartphone screen.

Second: Since not all smartphone apps are safe in a 50-mph environment, Delphi is considering becoming a clearinghouse to determine which apps may safely stream to your radio, Bob Schumacher, Delphi general director of advanced development of electronics and safety told us.

The new Delphi OEM radio (as yet simply called “connecting platform”) provides a WiFi connection to the smartphone for Internet, texting and email, Google Voice searches, navigation and traffic, controlled from the radio.

It’s faster than the Ford Sync is now says Schumacher because it will use a WiFi connection from the phone to the radio for data. The slower Bluetooth connection will be used for music.

At least one car company will use Delphi’s new “connecting” radios in cars to be available in Q4 2012.

That sounds like a long way off but there are 2 milestones forecast for smartphones in cars. One: by 2013 somel luxury cars will offer smartphone connectivity radios. Two: by 2016 these smartphone/radios will filter down to mid-level cars, says Schumacher quoting Gartner research.

By that time the smartphone will sell the car, he says. “How well an OEM integrates smartphone connectivity in the car will determine what cars people will buy.” Let that one sink in a bit.

Since many smartphone apps are unsafe while driving Delphi may become a clearinghouse. “Someone has to validate all those apps to be safe and not distracting…We’re looking at that,” said Schumacher.

To continue reading click here.

Source: CEoutlook
Photos: (Top) Delphi connecting radio (Bottom) Bob Schumacher of Delphi

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1 Comment

  1. This article should be speaking REAMS of opportunity for the aftermarket for now through 2020. Based upon the last 7 to 10 years experience, I fear it will instead be speaking of an increasingly shrinking market for the specialist to tap into.

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