The Apple Car may be a few years off, but a new deal signed between Ford and Apple is bringing Siri to 5 million more cars.
According to a new report, a software update available today means that any Ford owners who bought a Ford car with SYNC functionality after 2011 can take advantage of Siri Eyes Free by initiating a long press of the voice recognition button on their steering wheel.
It feels like it’s taken forever for Siri Eyes Free — the in-car Siri functionality first unveiled in 2012 — to actually start popping up in a meaningful number of cars, but the new ad for the Chevrolet Equinox highlights Siri Eyes Free functionality in the wild… and shows how it can go horribly, horribly wrong for you.
Via: iClarified
A week ago Honda brought Siri Eyes Free integration to its 2013-2014 Accord and 2013 Acura vehicles. The automobile maker said it had additional functionality to announce today, and the news is out. Honda has put a 7-inch “Display Audio” touchscreen in its 2014 Honda Civic and 2015 Honda Fit that is one step closer to Apple’s “iOS in the Car” dream becoming reality.
Apple clearly has designs for Siri that go far beyond the intelligent assistant's current implementation. Siri forms a key component of CarPlay right now, but it could certainly go further. Apple also has a number of interesting concepts, such as a patent designed to let you ask "Siri, where's my car?" when you're lost in a parking lot — at which point, your dedicated AI helper will guide you back to your car. Helpful, no?
Today Honda announced that it is offering Siri Eyes Free integration with certain 2013-2014 Honda Accord and 2013 Acura vehicles. Honda said that it would be implementing Eyes Free as a dealer installed accessory back in January, and now customers can visit a dealership and have the technology installed.
Remember Siri Eyes Free? First announced back in June 2012 as Siri’s next frontier, the functionality allows car makers to install kit in their vehicles that allows iPhone owners to perform a whole host of tasks using Apple’s intelligent assistant — like taking calls, calling up directions or creating reminders — without ever taking their hands off the wheels.
Siri Eyes Free sounds great, but we’re still waiting on cars to actually ship that support the feature. 2013 looks like it’s the year that it’s going to happen, though. Following Hyundai and Chevy’s announcement that Siri Eyes Free was coming to their car now comes word that Honda will be offering the functionality in the new Accord and Acura.
