July 1, 2014—The number of in-vehicle applications is expected to reach 269 million in the next four years, according to a report by Juniper Research, a hi-tech communications sector research and analysis group.
The projected rise represents a fivefold increase from app use in 2013.
The report, Connected Cars: Consumer & Commercial Telematics and Infotainment 2014-2018, found that widespread smartphone tethering and in-vehicle apps would drive down the price of vehicle manufacturers’ embedded telematics services.
“By 2018 most new vehicles will come with integrated apps as standard,” said Anthony Cox, the report’s author. “Aftermarket app integration will also be commonplace, as head-unit manufacturers launch increasingly sophisticated devices.”
The biggest factors for the projected growth include applications like Apple’s CarPlay, and the Car Connectivity Consortium’s MirrorLink, which can integrate iPhone features directly onto a car’s normal display for newer cars.
