Hands on with Apple CarPlay on the 2016 Chevrolet Volt

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Scott, Quebec - Part of Chevy's technology push with their new models, most specially the upcoming 2016 Chevy Volt, is the inclusion of onboard 4G-LTE as well as smart infotainment connectivity with Apple's CarPlay as standard features.

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Ford adds support for Siri Eyes Free to older vehicles

A new update for Sync infotainment system brings with it Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature to second-generation Sync system. This is found in Ford cars made in 2011 or earlier. It’s a bit late since the feature was first introduced by Apple back in 2012 when iOS 6 was released but better late than never. Siri Hands Free has less features than CarPlay but it does let you operate your iPhone with Siri. It’s a boon since Siri’s gotten more new features with the release of iOS 9. Sync 3 platform is coming out in 2016 and Ford does plan to support CarPlay, too, but they won’t give any details yet.

Sync 3.8 also brings with it an improved pairing capability between the iPhone and Sync. It automatically reconnects your phone if it gets disconnected.

Source: Cult of Mac

2016 Honda Civic models gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support

Honda just announced that its upcoming 2016 Civic model will be supporting both Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto. It’ll have a 7-inch touchscreen to support both platforms. With Apple CarPlay you can do things like get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music. You can control this right from the display or by using Siri. Some of the apps it can support include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music, and other compatible third-party apps. It’ll need your device to run iOS 8.4 or later and be an iPhone 5 or later. For Android Auto, you need Android 5.0 or later. It can run features like Google Maps, Google Now, messaging, music, etc.

Source: Honda | Via: Apple Insider

GMC and Buick cars to get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto to follow

Two more car brands will be getting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support in the near future. General Motors announced the GMC and Buick models that will be Apple and Google’s car software. The 2016 GMC Canyon, Yukon, and Sierra models will be getting an 8-inch IntelliLink infotainment system that has Apple CarPlay. The base model Sierra is unique in the sense that it gets a smaller 7-inch version of IntelliLink. The first three models will get Android Auto at a later date, while the entry-level Sierra will launch in 2016 with both CarPlay and Android Auto support. For Buick, the 2016 Buick Regal and LaCrosse models will be betting an 8-inch IntelliLink system as well. CarPlay will also be arriving first before Android Auto.

CarPlay on both brands will have a similar implementation. The software will give full-screen access to navigation, audio controls, etc. It’ll also let you toggle between Apple’s software, onboard OnStar 4G LTE-connected IntelliLink software, and, eventually, Google’s Android Auto.

Source: CNET