While some of the beauty of having a smartphone is being able to take it everywhere, it looks like one company is placing the smartphone in the car. That company is Accel Telecom and they have introduced what they are calling the “first standalone connected car smartphone.” The handset is called the VOYAGER and it is being touted as a device that can be easily installed in any car.
Perhaps key here though, the VOYAGER is designed to be a handset that offers a “safer and superior” connected car experience. This comes by way of features to include voice activation and a dedicated Waze launcher key for easy navigation. The VOYAGER also has what is described as being a “driver centric design” along with dedicated hard keys and car centric apps to include an in-car 3G Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity.
Another car related feature for the VOYAGER is the ability to hook up to the on-board diagnostics (OBD) which will allow for access to diagnostics and more. While we are not entirely sure the average person will need quite this much in terms of car focused features, this handset could have some nice perks for those who spend majority of their time driving. Aside from the car friendly features, the VOYAGER will be running Android and is noted as having integration with Google and Exchange.
So far we have yet to see anything in terms of a release date or pricing, however Accel CEO Marc Seelenfreund has said that they “expect strong demand” in both the US and European markets. Lastly, for those worried about having yet another connected device with a bill, the VOYAGER will have a twin-SIM system which will allow it to operate on an existing phone number.
[via PR Newswire]
