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Smartphones

Chevrolet Unveils An Air Vent For Your Smartphone

An "industry-first technology," also known as an air vent.

Credit: Chevrolet
Daniel Wroclawski
Written by Daniel Wroclawski

July 6, 2015

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What would cars be without gimmicky features? It seems like car manufacturers are always unveiling some mildly impressive feature that hardly improves the driving experience.

The latest gimmick comes from Chevrolet and it's called Active Phone Cooling. Chevy just announced this "industry-first technology" to keep your phone cool while it's busy streaming Spotify or displaying Google Maps.

If only it were an actual "industry-first technology" instead of an air vent for your phone.

If only it were an actual "industry-first technology" instead of, you know, an air conditioning vent for your phone. The vent channels into a designated charging bin for your phone, helping to keep your phone cool while it charges via wireless charging.

To be fair, excessive heat is bad for the lifespan of any mobile device (particularly the battery), but it's hard to see this little contraption making a huge contribution to the user experience—be it for cars or smartphones.

According to Chevy, Active Phone Cooling will be available in 2016 Cruze, Impala, Malibu, and Volt models that have wireless charging. The Impala and Malibu models will also allow you to connect your smartphone to Chevy's MyLink radio, giving you access to streaming music, steering wheel controls, and hands-free voice commands.

It's unclear if the 2016 Cruze and Volt will have MyLink radio, but at least your phone will stay cool and fully charged.

{{brightcove '4017455374001'}}