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November 28, 2012

GM: Chevrolet Spark and Sonic to Integrate Apple's Siri Personal Assistant

By Daniel Brecht
Contributing Writer

Perhaps to compete with the Google Voice Search function introduced on Android, and to look for an iPhone application that would be easy to use in cars for voice control, General Motors (News - Alert) has announced that it will integrate Apple's voice-activated software, Siri, an intelligent voice-command system, into its Chevy MyLink smartphone-based infotainment system early next year, for two of their cars: the 2013 Chevrolet Spark 1LT and 2LT models and the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS and LTZ models.

Chevy believes Spark and Sonic vehicle owners can benefit from using Siri, a voice management technology and speech recognition system, to allow them to perform various tasks via voice commands, or take control of a wide range of built-in infotainment apps at their fingertips on the MyLink color touchscreen display.

Through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink radio via Bluetooth, Siri will provide Spark and Sonic vehicle owners who have a compatible iPhone (News - Alert) running iOS 6 – either the iPhone 4S or its successor, the iPhone 5 – in the Eyes Free mode, the possibility to direct Siri to either use the steering wheel voice activation button, or use the steering wheel-mounted controls to perform a number of tasks hands-free, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel at all times. 

2013 Chevrolet Spark. Image via Shutterstock

With MyLink, pairing their compatible smartphone and the use of Bluetooth, GM car drivers will be able to safely drive their Spark or Sonic model and have use of the Siri to make voice-activated phone calls or answer them, select radio stations, play songs from an iTunes library or listen to music from their iPhone or iPod (when in iPod mode), dictate to write an iMessage, and send text messages to a phone number or anyone saved as a contacts.

Siri’s “Eyes Free” capability is an example of the evolution of voice recognition and management technology that provides drivers many benefits – from hands-free and voice control command functionality to addressing key safety and security concerns on the road.

GM customers, for now, will find (in 2013) the Siri technology from Nuance (News - Alert) to control their iPhone on only the Spark and Sonic models with the plan to have its installed in GM luxury vehicles in the near future.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.

Edited by Braden Becker