The future of connected cars

Cars are trying to be as connected as possible but the automakers aren’t keeping pace with the technology. Here’s a look at what the future of connected cars might actually be.

Most current in-car infotainment and “telematics” systems follow a common theme in their design. For the sake of safety, branding, and a sustained source of revenue, they shackle vehicle owners to an integrated system that does poorly the things that smartphones already do well. The “connected car” dream has arrived in small doses on selected vehicles, and it has idiosyncrasies that drive vehicle owners who’ve become used to the power and simplicity of smartphone apps a little bit crazy.