More than three in every four U.S. vehicle...

More than three in every four U.S. vehicle owners with at least one connected car feature say such connectivity services will influence their next vehicle purchase, and more than half rate connected services as “very important” in guiding their next vehicle purchase, Parks Associates said in a report Tuesday (http://bit.ly/XaFeAM). More than 80 percent of U.S. broadband homes with a mobile phone service have a smartphone, “which is a gateway device for connected cars,” Parks said. “Smartphones have raised expectations of what connected devices can do, and Google and Apple are among the companies trying to build on those expectations in the connected car space.” The most common connected car feature is the ability to make phone calls using the car’s built-in Bluetooth connectivity, but the most desired feature is the ability to view maps or get directions, the report said. “Apple and Google are vying to be the consumer touch point for connected applications and services, and that competition has naturally extended to the automotive space.” Both iOS and Android “bring their mobile operating systems to the car through a ‘mirroring’ approach that lets the user control certain smartphone functions and apps through the car’s display, physical buttons, or voice control,” it said. Smartphone users are much more likely than non-smartphone owners to find connected car services appealing, it said. For example, 37 percent of current vehicle owners in U.S. broadband households are very interested in the ability to view maps or receive directions, it said. Among smartphone owners, the percentage of those interested increases to 48 percent, it said.