Coming soon: OnStar Apps for iPhone and Android
OnStar technology will be coming soon to a Chevrolet mobile application.
In its never-ending quest to stay ahead of the competition, General Motors has announced the addition of a new feature to its best-in-class OnStar telematics system.
In the coming months, owners of most new 2011 GM products will soon have the ability to control key vehicle functions from their Apple iPhone or Google Android smart phones. Each GM brand, including Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC, will release a branded app that will allow the driver to activate all of the functions available on a traditional GM key fob, including remote start, horn, lights as well as door lock and unlock.
What’s more, the apps will provide key diagnostic information, including fuel tank level range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure, and lifetime average miles per gallon. Information such as the vehicle’s current odometer reading, VIN, and OnStar account number will also be readily accessible through the apps. The diagnostic details displayed in the apps are current as of last vehicle start.
At the end of the day, these apps no longer require the driver to be within a requisite distance or even have the keys with them to control the vehicle. And just in case an OnStar subscriber needs assistance with something that the mobile apps don’t provide, they will be able to call a trained OnStar advisor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – all at the touch of a single button within the app.
Moreover, GM’s press release says that the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC mobile apps will offer other brand-specific features that will be revealed as the the apps come to market in the coming months. It may very well be that the first functioning app of this kind will be the already-announced app for the Chevrolet Volt.
This is yet another exclusive feature of the latest GM products that should increase the amount of conquest buyers deflecting to our favorite automaker. Do you see Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, or Nissan offering this kind of technology? The answer, my friends, is a straightforward “no.”
