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Apple to launch 'iOS in the Car' next week, report says

Apple will reportedly unveil iOS in the Car next week, with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo all signed up to use it.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Apple's iOS in the Car -- which brings the operating system to your dashboard -- will be announced next week, according to a report in the Financial Times. And the Cupertino company has got some pretty big car companies signed up.

Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo have all agreed to use the OS in its jam jars, the report says. A couple of months ago, Google announced it was getting in the car too, with the Open Automotive Alliance. Audi, General Motors, Honda and Hyundai are all on board, effectively bringing Android to the dashboard.

Apple will reportedly launch iOS in the Car to coincide with the Geneva Motor Show, which starts on Thursday. But Apple doesn't do trade shows, so don't expect it to have a stand.

I've contacted Apple for comment and will update this story if I hear back. 

Other rumours say Apple could be about to snap up electric carmaker Tesla Motors. CEO Tim Cook is a big fan of the environment -- and isn't shy about making it known -- and he did promise recently that Apple would launch new categories of device. So maybe an Apple car is on the cards.

With iOS in the Car, you'll be able to use Apple Maps as your in-car satnav, listen to music, and watch films. You'll also be able to make calls through it, use Siri to dictate and send messages, and have it read you back replies. Just be careful who else is in the car.

Although Audi has buddied up with Google to use Android in its motors, it could bring iOS to its cars too. So soon we might have the choice of buying an Android- or iOS-flavoured Audi.

Are you looking forward to iOS in the Car? Or do you think Android would be better suited to in-car use? What would you like to see from the connected cars of tomorrow? Let me know in the comments, or beep your horn over on our Facebook page.