By now, most people have been exposed to the smartphone
revolution. While it certainly won’t come as a shock that we’re going to see
increasing levels of integration with these devices and our daily lives, you
may still be surprised at how quickly the next generation of changes is coming
about, particularly in the travel industry. When you find yourself renting a
car in the near future, here are 3 ways your smartphone will help improve the experience:
Rental Keys Will Be Downloaded Directly To Your Smartphone
No more massive lines and lengthy delays at the rental desk:
a developing app from Continental will allow you to download an electronic key
to your smartphone immediately after your car is booked. The key app will allow
you to find your rental on the lot, unlock the doors, and start the engine
(thanks to a receiver that will be implanted in the car’s windshield).
Improved Hands-Free Commands Will Make Your Smartphone Safer To
Use While Driving
Battling your way through the dense traffic of an unfamiliar
city, especially with a temporary vehicle you’re not used to, is a prime recipe
for an accident. Advanced voice-activated commands and vehicle integration will
allow you to use many of your smartphone’s features without taking your eyes of
the road or your hands off the wheel, allowing you to safely make calls, look
up directions, change music, and more.
Augmented Reality Features On Your Phone Will Improve Your
Safety And Help Protect Your Claim If An Accident Occurs
We’re finally dipping our technological toes into the realm
of direct reality features—allowing your phone to scan the environment with its
camera and provide detailed information. Taking a picture of something will
actually let your phone analyze it, automatically offer info on it through the
Internet, and interact with it via various apps.
This kind of integration will make it far easier for someone
to immediately document pre-existing damage on a rental car, communicate with
the rental agency if a problem develops on the road, get detailed directions
that involve physical landmarks around a location in addition to a standard GPS
map, and much more. Several gadgets are expected to jump headfirst into the
arena of augmented reality in the near future—Google Glass possibly being the
most famous example—but you can definitely plan on the newest batch of
smartphones developing this feature as well.
Author bio:
John is a blogger who is still impressed on a daily basis
with having constant Internet access in a pocket-sized computer. He writes for Protect Your
Bubble, an Internet insurer that can provide excellent car rental insurance
when you need it, no matter how fast and futuristic the process may be.
