How To Sync Iphone To Ford Fusion +picture
(Ford)
If you’ve apprenticed a 2011 or newer Ford, you’ve apparently acclimated the company’s Sync with MyFord Touch infotainment system. And affairs are you begin it frustrating.
Its interface is bulky and difficult to cross at artery speeds, and argument is way too small. What’s more, the huge cardinal of options accessible onscreen makes the accomplished affair feel overwhelming.
But the company’s accessible cartage will be different, acknowledgment to Ford’s next-generation in-dash system, Sync 3. Unveiled today, Sync 3 is meant to accommodate a cleaner, faster, added automatic infotainment arrangement for Ford customers. And afterwards spending a abrupt bulk of time with a Sync 3 analysis unit, it looks like Ford has hit the mark.
A cleaner lookI’ve spent added time than I would accept admired appliance Ford’s accepted Sync with MyFord Touch system. My parents own a Ford Fusion with it. It’s boxy to use. At aboriginal blush, the system, which break up the touchscreen into four quadrants for Entertainment, Navigation, Climate, and Phone, seems like it would assignment able-bodied for best drivers.
Behind the wheel, it’s addition story. Things are difficult to find, argument is too small, and onscreen buttons aren’t about big enough.
View photos
Ford Sync 3 arrangement assuming Pandora app
(Daniel Howley/ Yahoo Tech)
In the new Sync 3, the quadrants are gone, replaced by a added acceptable home awning burst up amid a ample map for aeronautics on one bisected of the screen, a allocation that shows what you’re alert to, and advice about your phone. It sounds like a lot, but it works well.
At the basal of the awning are a alternation of ample buttons that point to the Audio, Climate, Phone, Nav, Apps, and Settings menus. Argument on the awning is cleaner and bigger. What’s more, the home screen’s accomplishments blush is brighter and easier to see in ablaze light, admitting the accepted Sync arrangement uses a darker background, which reflects sunlight and shows fingerprints.
Putting apps firstBeyond its cleaner design, Sync 3 additionally does a acceptable accord to advice accord drivers easier admission to Sync apps. Sync automatically detects what apps on your iPhone or Android accessory are Sync-compatible, and automatically puts a adjustment to them in the Sync Apps menu.
View photos
Ford Sync 3 app offerings
(Ford)
That’s a huge benefit, as it agency your apps are appropriate there area you charge them, back you charge them. So far, there are about 60 apps that assignment with its Sync system, with added on the way. During my demo, I saw alone Pandora and NPR running, though, both looked admirable and included huge buttons and argument that should be accessible to read.
Story Continues
Better still, iPhone owners can now run two apps with Sync at the aforementioned time, article Android owners accept already been able to do. So now, if you’re alert to Spotify, you can still cross to your Weather app after Spotify automatically closing. You don’t get to see two apps on the awning at once, but it’s absolutely an upgrade.
Strangely, Ford still doesn’t action Apple’s CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto apps. CarPlay is an app that runs on your infotainment arrangement and, back opened, mirrors your iPhone’s home screen, acceptance you to collaborate with apps aloof like you do on your phone. Of course, there are limitations as to what apps you can use for assurance reasons.
View photos
Apple CarPlay. (Apple)
Android Auto, on the added hand, is an app that, like CarPlay, runs on your car’s infotainment system. But instead of apery your phone’s home screen, it provides you with an Android-style interface.
View photos
Google Android Auto. (Google)
Siri eyes-freeSync 3 additionally brings with it Apple’s Siri Eyes-Free mode, which lets you admission Apple’s articulation abettor by acute and captivation the articulation aeronautics button on your car’s council wheel.
View photos
(Daniel Howley/ Yahoo Tech)
With Siri, you’ll be able to do things like behest argument letters and accomplish simple articulation searches. Currently, Android owners who accept argument letters can alone use Ford’s Sync articulation commands to acknowledgment with a canned response.
My alone botheration with Siri’s appliance in the car is that Ford doesn’t accurately accompaniment that the articulation abettor can’t ascendancy vehicle-specific appearance like the radio or navigation. I’m accommodating to bet that there are some drivers who will apprehend that to work, and after Ford adage it won’t, they’ll be disappointed.
The outlookIt seems as admitting Ford has absolutely abstruse from the issues that fabricated its Sync with MyFord Touch arrangement so awkward and difficult to use. The aggregation says it took suggestions from some 20,000 drivers and approved to apparatus as abundant of their acknowledgment as possible.
View photos
(Daniel Howley/ Yahoo Tech)
Based on what I saw, Sync 3 will be a above advance over the automaker’s accepted system. But, to be honest, there isn’t absolutely abundant actuality that assault you away. It’s absolutely better, but it’s not annihilation like Apple’s CarPlay app, nor Google’s aggressive Android Auto.
Nonetheless, the improvements to Sync will accomplish new Fords nicer to alive with. Everything is easier to accept and use, and the app surfacing affection is wonderful. Now if they could aloof get on that accomplished aerial car thing.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; chase him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google here.
