The Blue Link technology, which was first announced by Hyundai at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in January, is finally available to users. The Blue Link smartwatch app is now ready for download on the Google Play Store.
Using the smartwatch companion app for Blue Link, Hyundai owners will no longer need to take out their smartphones to initiate commands, such as remote start or lock/unlock their Blue Link-enabled cars. Owners will also no longer need to rely on their smartphone to locate their vehicle in a crowded parking lot.
The latest update for the Blue Link app includes the smartwatch companion app for devices running on Android Wear, decreasing the reliance on smartphones for the technology. A version of the Blue Link app for smartwatches will also be made available for the Apple Watch once the device hits the market.
"Blue Link subscribers and gadget lovers will appreciate a more convenient way to interact with their Hyundai vehicles," said Hyundai Motor America executive VP for customer satisfaction Frank Ferrara, further expanding the devices that Hyundai car owners can use to remote start their vehicles to include smartwatches.
The cloud-based platform of Hyundai's Blue Link technology allows for features such as remotely starting the car and accessing service information through smartphones and now, also smartwatches. The smartwatch companion app for Blue Link looks to be very simple to use, with taps on icons or voice commands allowing the user to launch remote functions.
The voice commands can be initiated by tapping on the mic icon, which will understand orders such as "Find my car," "Lock my car" and "Start my car." Other commands that can be launched include having the car flash its lights or honk its horn, or call for roadside assistance.
The Blue Link app for smartwatches is required to be paired through a Bluetooth connection with the smartphone of the owner, which should also have the Blue Link app installed. Remote functions for the owner's Hyundai car can then be launched from almost any location in the United States, as long as the smartphone of the Hyundai owner is connected to the Internet or is on a cellular network.
The smartwatch app will work for both first-generation and second-generation Blue Link technology in Hyundai vehicles. The first generation of the technology was launched in the 2012 Sonata and was included in vehicle released until 2013. Second-generation Blue Link was introduced in models such as the 2015 versions of the Sonata, Genesis and Azera.
