Ford SYNC3: Third Time’s A Charm!
I've never been a fan of Ford's SYNC system—I found it unintuitive, needlessly complex and, most importantly, it forced me to take my eyes off the road far too often. The first generation showed promise, but it irritated me to the 'nth degree. The second generation's voice commands were much improved, but that still wasn't enough to convince me of its relevance. Clearly, I must not have been the only one to complain because the Dearborn-based manufacturer has just announced a complete overhaul of its SYNC platform. The third generation will be available on several new models coming over the course of 2015.
Instead of merely tweaking the existing model, Ford has completely redesigned the interface and management with a brand-new screen. The display is simpler, the buttons are bigger and it’s easy to get your bearings. The first SYNC developed with Microsoft was so complicated you almost wonder whether it was that way on purpose. Now, the third generation aims to give clients more of what they want and everything has been simplified to maximize efficiency.
Tablets and smartphones
After being severely criticized from every direction (not just by me), Ford took a long, hard look at the situation and then came to the conclusion that people use tablets and cell phones day in and day out. This observation influenced the development of SYNC 3, which is essentially a tablet mounted on the dashboard.
There are three categories to choose from: Navigation, Audio and Telephone. To navigate from one menu to another, just tap the screen. Note that the screen colour was specially chosen to better hide finger marks.
During the unveiling of SYNC3, I had the chance to familiarize myself with the new system and, contrary to what happened with the previous editions, I navigated it with ease. I didn’t find myself running into any of those electronic dead ends that drive me up the wall.
It gets better: the new SYNC is equipped with AppLink to help connect your cell phone to the embedded system and automatically recognize any applications you have on it. You can even operate both using voice commands. Finally, as with a tablet or a cell, you can move elements around by sliding your finger, and you can adjust the zoom using the finger pinch.
Last but not least, SYNC, with the help of the telephone’s Bluetooth connectivity, can automatically dial 911 in case of an accident.
Looking for partners
In an effort to develop new mobile technology for motor vehicles, Ford has teamed up with Magna Corporation and Verizon to found “Techstars Mobility, driven by Detroit,” a technology development accelerator program dedicated to automobiles. Startups the world over are asked to submit projects and 10 of them will be invited to come and set up shop in Detroit to develop new technologies. The idea is to improve automotive connectivity and communication between vehicles. It’s the automobile world’s version of the Techstars company founded in 2006 by a group of businessmen from Boulder, Colorado.
The program should last three years and, when all is said and done, 30 new companies will be established. Verizon and Magna are the financial backers while Ford will act as mentor.