In cars as affordable as Chevy's Spark, CarPlay and Android Auto go mainstream - Minneapolis Star Tribune
For the last few years, drivers of most new cars have been able to speak to their phones and have audio stream through a car's speakers using the nearly ubiquitous Bluetooth wireless standard. Phones need to be plugged into the USB port, where the phone is kept charging and powering the in-car entertainment. You can access maps, voicemail, phone contacts and music apps using a touch screen embedded in the dashboard — no need to grab your phone. The 2016 Honda Accord EX with manual transmission is the lowest trim on which Honda is offering CarPlay and Android Auto support. Volkswagen's entry level 2016 Jetta 1. 4T at $17,680 offers CarPlay and Android Auto as part of a $995 technology upgrade that includes a larger touch screen and rearview camera. General Motors stands alone in offering CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment on cars as inexpensive as the Spark — the 2015 version retails for upward of $12,170 — and as high-volume as its Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu sedans and Silverado... Chevrolet marketing director Steve Majoros calls the decision "revolutionary," and one the automaker hopes will improve its market share. Source: www.startribune.com
