Chevy Spark and Sonic Are First Cars to Get Siri 'Eyes Free'

MacRumors · Feb 13, 2013, 03:57 PM

As promised late last year, Chevrolet is the first company to deliver Siri 'Eyes Free' to consumers. 2013 Chevy Spark and Sonic cars allow owners to perform a number of tasks via Siri using the car's built-in entertainment system.

Quote:

In the 2013 Spark and Sonic vehicles equipped with MyLink, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

- Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
- Play songs in their iTunes libraries, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
- Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
- Access Calendar and add appointments
- Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays

Chevrolet doesn't specify exactly when new Sonic and Spark cars will get 'Eyes Free' support, but the company says existing 2013 owners will be able to upgrade their MyLink radios with Siri capability beginning in March.

Honda has promised that the Accord and the Acura RDX and ILX cars will get 'Eyes Free' later in 2013, with some current 2013 Accord owners getting to beta test the service ahead of a wider rollout.

Article Link: Chevy Spark and Sonic Are First Cars to Get Siri 'Eyes Free'

Ingot · Feb 13, 2013, 03:58 PM

awww... What about FORD?

Fatalbert · Feb 13, 2013, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingot

awww... What about FORD?

Ford gets Microsoft Sync. Sounds like a lot of fun. /s

PracticalMac · Feb 14, 2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingot

awww... What about FORD?

Microsoft has them in its pocket with "Sync".
Works, but like Windows tells you a lot of useless information.

JayDude132 · Feb 14, 2013, 09:35 AM

Of course this didn't appear on last year's Sonic, since I purchased one.. Although maybe it's just me, but I hardly every use Siri anyway.

To all of you concerned about these vehicles, as far as the Sonic goes. It is a great car. One day I happened to go on Chevy's website, saw the Sonic, and decided to go for a test drive just to see what it was like.

I ended up trading in my Lexus for the Sonic later that week, and the car has been great! These cars are built much more solid than previous subcompacts by Chevy *cough* Aveo *cough*. I can't speak for the Spark, but I would assume it is built on-par with the Sonic.

AustinIllini · Feb 14, 2013, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayDude132

I ended up trading in my Lexus for the Sonic later that week, and the car has been great! These cars are built much more solid than previous subcompacts by Chevy *cough* Aveo *cough*. I can't speak for the Spark, but I would assume it is built on-par with the Sonic.

Wait until it breaks down. You'll take it to the shop and it will...

...GET FIXED? For just a fraction of the price of any competitor? Really?

Great post. GM cars are far better than they were ten short years ago.

jav6454 · Feb 13, 2013, 03:58 PM

Whats the MSRP of said vehicles? Although I am waiting for either Toyota or Ford models to include it.

webbuzz · Feb 13, 2013, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jav6454

Whats the MSRP of said vehicles? Although I am waiting for either Toyota or Ford models to include it.

Spark $12,185 - $16,895
Sonic $14,185 -$23,205

The sedans are slightly higher.

GermanyChris · Feb 13, 2013, 04:01 PM

Yay a car company integrating a proprietary beta technology

mouser45 · Feb 13, 2013, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webbuzz

Spark $12,185 - $16,895
Sonic $14,185 -$23,205

The sedans are slightly higher.

wait, I thought apple was a premium company?

Eduardo1971 · Feb 13, 2013, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mouser45

wait, I thought apple was a premium company?

A shame we can't 'down-vote' these type of remarks.

Eduardo1971 · 04:14 PM

That's a pretty ugly interior-there's a lot of inexpensive-loooking plastic; but then this again this is an lower-tier price range auto. You get what you paid for.

I wonder when BMW and Audi automobiles will finally street with 'Eyes Free'?

phillipduran · 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eduardo1971

A shame we can't 'down-vote' these type of remarks.

I really miss the down vote option. So many forums are going away from that.
I want my down boats back!

The problem you have now, is you might see a comment with 20 upvotes, but not realize this thread had MASSIVE traffic. You'll think 20 upvotes, seems like this guys comment is well received. Well, you didn't know the thread got 200,000 thousand views and if you had down votes it might have been a comment with 89,000 down votes and only 20 upvotes. But you just see the upvotes and don't know squat about what the community thinks about the particular comment.

Now you have to get a snapshot of the whole thread and compare it to the other upvotes for all comments to be able to gauge if the comment you're reading was well received.

TLDR: only having upvotes is pointless. Might as well just remove voting all together.

rmwebs · Feb 13, 2013, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mouser45

wait, I thought apple was a premium company?

No not really. Apple are about as mainstream as it gets these days. The premium days are long, long gone.

AustinIllini · Feb 13, 2013, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmwebs

No not really. Apple are about as mainstream as it gets these days. The premium days are long, long gone.

You act like this is a problem.

Larry-K · Feb 13, 2013, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmwebs

No not really. Apple are about as mainstream as it gets these days. The premium days are long, long gone.

They just charge premium prices these days.

Larry-K · Feb 13, 2013, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mouser45

wait, I thought apple was a premium company?

They supposedly are, but Chevy definitely isn't. Still, if they can sell iPhones at WalMart, it points out how artificial the distinctions are.

Small White Car · Feb 13, 2013, 04:40 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing the auto-makers have to do here is add a button that tells the iPhone to launch Siri. Is that right?

I just find it odd that they're talking about this like its some new complicated technology that the car makers had to figure out. Heck, it seems like a simple firmware update could add this to any current car that has Bluetooth.

But nah, we'll just milk it by "rolling it out" in select models as a premium feature over the next 5 years.

Chupa Chupa · Feb 13, 2013, 04:04 PM

Don't count on Siri being in a Ford anytime soon. Ford is wedded to MSFT.

rjohnstone · Feb 13, 2013, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

Don't count on Siri being in a Ford anytime soon. Ford is wedded to MSFT.

So is Toyota, their Entune system is made by Microsoft as well.

Windows Embedded Automotive is used by a lot of car companies.
Ford, Fiat, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, etc... they just rebrand them.

tdar · Feb 13, 2013, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

Don't count on Siri being in a Ford anytime soon. Ford is wedded to MSFT.

Has nothing to do with if Fords get SEF or not. Paying Apple the $'s has more to do with it.

winston1236 · Feb 14, 2013, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webbuzz

Spark $12,185 - $16,895
Sonic $14,185 -$23,205

The sedans are slightly higher.

Lol i guess this will be the end of the "apple is like a ferrari" comments.

MacDav · Feb 14, 2013, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jav6454

Whats the MSRP of said vehicles? Although I am waiting for either Toyota or Ford models to include it.

Why wait? Honda makes a nice car.

iLoveMyApple · Feb 13, 2013, 04:03 PM

I don't think we'll ever see it on Ford. Since SYNC is powered by Microsoft. Who knows though. Maybe Ford will eventually ditch Microsoft one day.

rcread · Feb 13, 2013, 04:07 PM

I would rather walk 12 miles through a snow storm than drive either of those cars.

Feb 13, 2013, 03:58 PM	#7
jav6454 macrumors G5 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: 1 Geostationary Tower Plaza	Whats the MSRP of said vehicles? Although I am waiting for either Toyota or Ford models to include it. __________________ Al MacBook 2.4GHz Late '08 \| Macross Click Me
	0

Feb 13, 2013, 04:01 PM	#9
GermanyChris macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Here	Yay a car company integrating a proprietary beta technology __________________ Mac Pro\|W3570\|48GB\|GTX 570\|Agility3 +15TB\|30"ACD 17" MacBook Pro\|2.8\|8GB\|240GB Vertex +
	13

Feb 13, 2013, 04:08 PM	#12
Eduardo1971 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lost Angeles, Ca. usa	That's a pretty ugly interior-there's a lot of inexpensive-loooking plastic; but then this again this is an lower-tier price range auto. You get what you paid for. I wonder when BMW and Audi automobiles will finally street with 'Eyes Free'? __________________ Mid-2011 27 inch, 3.4 Ghz, 12GB RAM, i7 iMac Fight On! Last edited by Eduardo1971; Feb 13, 2013 at 04:14 PM.
	2

Feb 13, 2013, 04:04 PM	#19
Chupa Chupa macrumors 604 Join Date: Jul 2002	Don't count on Siri being in a Ford anytime soon. Ford is wedded to MSFT. __________________ Walled Garden ≠ Prison: "People who use Apple products considered their options, and chose Apple. If they regret their decision, they can dump it at any time." -- Harry McCracken, Technologizer.com
	2

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Feb 13, 2013, 03:58 PM	#2
Ingot macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2010	awww... What about FORD?
	3

Feb 14, 2013, 09:35 AM	#5
JayDude132 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2010	Of course this didn't appear on last year's Sonic, since I purchased one.. Although maybe it's just me, but I hardly every use Siri anyway. To all of you concerned about these vehicles, as far as the Sonic goes. It is a great car. One day I happened to go on Chevy's website, saw the Sonic, and decided to go for a test drive just to see what it was like. I ended up trading in my Lexus for the Sonic later that week, and the car has been great! These cars are built much more solid than previous subcompacts by Chevy cough Aveo cough. I can't speak for the Spark, but I would assume it is built on-par with the Sonic.
	1

Feb 13, 2013, 04:40 PM	#18
Small White Car macrumors G3 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Washington DC	Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing the auto-makers have to do here is add a button that tells the iPhone to launch Siri. Is that right? I just find it odd that they're talking about this like its some new complicated technology that the car makers had to figure out. Heck, it seems like a simple firmware update could add this to any current car that has Bluetooth. But nah, we'll just milk it by "rolling it out" in select models as a premium feature over the next 5 years.
	3

Feb 13, 2013, 04:03 PM	#24
iLoveMyApple macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southern California	I don't think we'll ever see it on Ford. Since SYNC is powered by Microsoft. Who knows though. Maybe Ford will eventually ditch Microsoft one day.
	4

Feb 13, 2013, 04:07 PM	#25
rcread macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2006	I would rather walk 12 miles through a snow storm than drive either of those cars.
	7