Car makers are going the extra mile with new “smart systems” technology

There was a time when so-called “smart” systems only worked when one high-end software technology was linked to another within a single technology vendor’s product. (Think Nest, Amazon Echo, and Google Home, among other products).

Compatibility was the key and if a smart home product didn’t have that compatibility with an approved product and an approved vendor, the consumer was usually out of luck.

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Those days may be fading away with the latest CarPlay apps from Honda and Acura, two of the largest auto brands in the world.

Now, both companies are offering drivers more flexibility in using CarPlay’s smart garage door opener.

In the past, CarPlay had to integrate with HomeKit to operate garage door features, otherwise, app users couldn't properly open and close their garage doors inside their vehicles.

With the upgraded CarPlay app, Honda and Acura vehicle owners who previously didn’t run HomeKit and were unable to operate the app’s garage door openers now can do so, even if their garage door openers aren’t Home Kit compatible.

That means approximately 6 million Honda and Acura vehicle owners can “open, close and monitor compatible garage doors through vehicles' in-dash displays,” Acura noted in an October 3, 2023 statement. The new technology is compatible with the vast majority of garage door openers on the market, “including many existing openers that are not already Wi-Fi enabled.”

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The synch-up relies on Chamberlain Group's myQ Connected Garage in-vehicle service to operate the vehicle’s garage door openers that aren’t connected with HomeKit. 

The feature is available as a free 30-day demo subscription through the HondaLink and AcuraLink vehicle apps. Acura states the O Connected Garage “is the first vehicle-integrated cloud-based solution for garage control that requires no new vehicle hardware to be installed within the vehicle.”

For Honda and Acura drivers whose garage door opener isn’t myQ-enabled, the process is straightforward. All the vehicle owner needs to do is upgrade to the myQ Smart Control device. Honda, for example, is offering “older style” vehicle owners access to a free upgrade for a 30-day demo trial through its “smart services subscription.

After the 30-day period is up, the vehicle owner has the option to keep the service for $129 for three years and $179 for five years.

Honda says the new garage door opener system will be available for all 2023 and 2024 models.

“Millions of older Honda and Acura models supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto” also have compatibility with this new software experience.,” the carmaker stated.

The garage door operator system access should make life easier for Honda and Acura owners.

“Today, whether you use a remote garage controller clipped to your visor or one that's built into your vehicle, drivers are limited by the ability to only open and close the garage door within line of sight of the door," said Chamberlain Group senior vice president Jim Trainor. "myQ Connected Garage is enhancing that well-known experience by offering drivers a more convenient way to check, open and close the garage door from anywhere with mobile data service.”

“What's great about myQ Connected Garage is you'll never have to turn the car around to check if the garage door was closed,” Trainer added.

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