After sorting out using Siri whilst walking.. See here.. I decided to turn my attention to the car..
Sure, there are various solutions that enable you to do simlar things in the car, but they’re all quite expensive.
I wanted to use Siri, be able to do hands free voice calls BUT have my music go through my head unit. The best of both worlds basically.
After trying various combinations, I’ve found this way that works perfectly.. and is once again courtesy of our friends at MobileFun
I tried a Bluetooth visor by Sony Ericsson (the HCB-108) which kind of worked, but the microphone performance was poor and couldn’t deal with road / engine noise. Siri couldn’t understand most of what I said on the move.
So I tried the Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit from Mobilefun. This unit is £19-99 and I can honestly say is worth every penny.
Pairing is extremely easy, speaker and microphone performance is terrific. I tested it driving around town, telling Siri what songs / playlists to play, reading and replying to text messages, and calling friends, all working terrificly well.
Even though my iPhone is paired via Bluetooth with the visor speaker, music continued to output via the 3.5mm headphone jack, which plugs straight into my car stereo head unit.
Siri is activated by pressing the middle button on the unit, so no leaning over to press buttons on the phone.
Handsfree calling, texting, music at the best quality, and all without having to remove my eyes from the road. Terrific.
Now as much as this article focuses on Siri, obviously this unit will work with most smartphones – compatibility details are included on MobileFun’s website.
If anyone is thinking about how to integrate Siri in their car without spending hundreds of pounds, I can heartily recommend this unit.