Your phone may become far more advanced than your vehicle

By Gary S. Vasilash

Here’s something not to look forward to, according to Tom Blackie, founder and CEO of VNC Automotive, a Cambridge, UK-based car connectivity and telematics software developer for OEMs:

“Our customers are experiencing serious supply issues, with some making big long-term commitments in order to get any kind of guaranteed supply, and the implications are much higher costs.”

But here’s the dropping of the proverbial other shoe:

“This will ultimately impact consumers, who will be left with stagnated systems or, in extreme cases, retrograde technology as manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers are forced to hobble systems to work with less advanced semiconductor designs. . . . [W]e’re concerned that it will lead to a generation of cars that will become quickly incompatible with future mobile phones and connectivity technology.”

Swell.