According to The Information’s Jessica E. Lessin, organizational issues have been plaguing Apple’s development of iOS in the Car.
Because iOS in the Car did not fit well into an existing hardware or software team at Apple, executives “didn’t quite know what to do” with the program.
The disconnect is attributed primarily to overarching organizational issues that are said to place pressure on non-hardware products that do not fit within existing teams.
Even in the lead-up to iOS in the Car’s high-profile unveiling at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference last June, executives were reportedly still unsure about the product’s future.
Since that time, iOS in the Car has been listed as an iOS 7 feature “Coming Soon” on Apple’s website with no update on its availability. The feature is intended to provide enhanced iOS integration in automobiles, offering an iOS-style interface on the car’s touchscreen dash that allows users to make phone calls, access Maps, control music, and more.
Accordingly, the team working on iOS in the Car was forced to “lobby hard” for stage time during the Worldwide Developers Conference where the product was first shown.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that iOS in the Car is a “key focus” for Apple and the company believes that “having something in the automobile is very important,” but it is not certain when iOS in the Car might make its official debut.
Recently, developer Steven Troughton-Smith released both screenshots and a video of iOS in the Car in action, as the software is partially built into iOS 7.0.3 but unaccessible by default.
The iOS in the Car content shared by Troughton-Smith appears to confirm some of struggles Apple is having with the software. While one design is depicted in the video, Troughton-Smith’s screenshots and commentary on Twitter indicate that iOS in the Car has undergone a redesign from its early depiction on Apple’s website and at least one other redesign in iOS 7.1, which is currently available for developers.
@stroughtonsmith looks different in 7.1 beta 🙂 pic.twitter.com/sANTrdzrmc
— Denys Stas 🇺🇦 (@zyafa) January 28, 2014
While many car makers have expressed interest in including iOS in the Car in their 2014 models, cars with the feature have yet to materialize. So far in-car integration with Apple devices remains limited to Siri Eyes Free and Honda’s HondaLink, which falls short of full iOS in the Car functionality.
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