General Motors will integrate optional USB ports into upcoming radios, according to information surfacing over the weekend.
The ports will allow users to interact with their devices using dashboard controls, a step-up from simple audio jack inputs. According to the Associated Press, the optional enhancement will initially be available on the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR, as well as the Pontiac G5.
By the middle of the 2009 model year, the capabilities will extend to the Pontiac G6 and Solstice; Saturn Sky and Aura; and Chevrolet Malibu. The option will eventually roll to the broader lineup, part of a steadily-evolving auto dashboard.
That means greater ease-of-use for music fans, though other automakers already offer the capability. That includes American archrival Ford, which offers the ports through its Microsoft-powered Sync dashboard system. Volkswagen has also been offering optional USB compatibility for years, and a broad range of automakers deliver easy, iPod plug-in capabilities