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Cars > Tech

Very soon, your car’s cockpit will be this high-tech

Samsung showcases the possibilities with its Digital Cockpit 2021

Samsung’s idea of a car cockpit is Spotify, Netflix, Google, Zoom, Waze and social media rolled into one. IMAGE FROM SAMSUNG

There was a time when I was very excited about the CD player sitting on the dashboard. This coincided with the start of my modest CD collection, you see, so the sight of an in-car audio system sans the previously ubiquitous cassette player was truly delightful to me.

More than two decades later and here we are: Cars don’t even have a CD player anymore. What our vehicles have now are ports. And not really to connect our phones to the music system—we have Bluetooth for that—but just to recharge our mobile devices as we use them to stream our favorite Taylor Swift album on Spotify.

Thanks to mobile apps and much-robust Internet connection, the car’s interior looks like a nerd-pleasing museum that aims to entertain passengers on the road in a way your father never thought possible. And now, Samsung is taking things further with its Digital Cockpit 2021.

It boasts a 49-inch QLED display and a surround sound system courtesy of Harman. Oh yes, the system works with 5G technology, which should let you seamlessly follow your favorite series on Netflix without distracting the driver (hopefully). And apparently, it’s also easy to hold video conferences in this cockpit. So yeah, why not endure a terrifying staredown with your boss while also trying to avoid a reckless motorcyclist?

It also incorporates the Samsung Health service that is already on the South Korean tech company’s smartphones and TVs. In here, passengers badly in need of medical attention will be taken care of. Stressed with soaring blood pressure? Let the system adjust the lighting or the scent to help you relax.

And there’s a Floating Window to show the driver just what exactly is going on outside. Want assistance in noticing traffic signals, road signs or pedestrians? Here you go. The system will even let you communicate with foot travelers by displaying short messages—like “STOP TEXTING WHILE WALKING” or “YOUR BOYFRIEND DOESN’T LOOK TRUSTWORTHY” (our words, not Samsung’s)—on a front-mounted screen.

Futuristic enough for you? Question is: Will this be more advanced than the cockpit of the much-awaited Apple car? Place your bet.



Vernon B. Sarne

Vernon is the founder and editor-in-chief of VISOR. He has been an automotive journalist since July 1995. He became one by serendipity, walking into the office of a small publishing company and applying for a position he had no idea was for a local car magazine. God has watched over him throughout his humble journey. He writes the ‘Spoiler’ column.



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