Why your next car could be decided on your smartphone choice

The great iPhone vs Android debate couldn't be any tighter at the moment, but it could finally be decided after claims that the personal smartphone preference could dictate the car choice of younger buyers.

Rupert Pontin, Head of Valuations at Glass's suggests that with new car models becoming ever more closely integrated with mobile devices it provides drivers with more information and access to apps such as music, e-mails and satellite navigation systems.

"Smartphone and tablet technology is something that is already integral to the lives of younger buyers in a way that is more rarely the case for older people" says Rupert Pontin.

Motor manufacturers and software giants Apple and Google are already working on next generation systems that would allow smartphone functions to become a part of the dashboard display and functionality.

However, with the rivalry between Apple and Android so competitive, Rupert Pontin says: "these two are unlikely to be cross compatible and here is where the problem lies.

"If you are a car manufacturer that has chosen to go with Android, can you still sell your car to a committed Apple smartphone user?

"This is something that might make older car buyers roll their eyes but for many people in their late teens and early twenties it is a genuine issue."

A decision on which side to take is a difficult one for car manufacturers to make, as it could potentially see the models lose their appeal to buyers as well as their residual values suffer.

With the increasing demand for connectivity from young buyers entering the market, Rupert Pontin suggests that compromises surrounding operating systems being installed in vehicles are needed to be made in order to stop manufacturers and owners losing out.