All-New Digital Experience Coming to Ford, Lincoln Vehicles
Now more than ever, people want to stay connected with their digital lives and have easy access to information and entertainment. Automakers are therefore multiplying efforts to accommodate them.
Over at Ford and its luxury brand Lincoln, an all-new Digital Experience—with capital letters—is about to debut, offering more content and more functionality, faster and in more personalized ways. This goes through a next-generation native infotainment system that aims to render Apple CarPlay and Android Auto irrelevant (though the latter are still included).
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The brand new, Chinese-built 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, featuring an 48-inch panoramic display in addition to an 11-inch touchscreen, is kicking things off.
A Digital World of Possibilities
Preferred apps and services are displayed more prominently so drivers have an easier time finding them. They can be moved in the desired spot on the touchscreen or panoramic display for more convenient use. Widgets on each side of the screen are available for further personalization. Speaking of which, each driver can create their own profile with their various preferences and settings.
Similar to a growing number of car companies, Ford’s new system is Google-based, meaning it incorporates the Google Assistant for voice control as well as Google Maps for navigation. There’s also Google Play for downloading all sorts of popular apps and video games (including a Ford-exclusive version of Asphalt Nitro 2) when the vehicle is parked. Surfing the web is possible using the available Vivaldi browser or else Google Chrome coming later.
Alexa Built-In is available, too, as an alternative for in-vehicle controls such as to set cabin temperature, search information, find and set a destination and request a specific broadcast or satellite radio station. It can also help with making calls, sending texts, setting a meeting or controlling connected home devices.
A Much Faster System
This new Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience is enabled by an operating system that is capable of more than five times faster main processing, nearly 14 times faster graphics processing and features four times the memory and eight times the storage compared to current infotainment systems in Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
Not only that, but it also boasts 5G wireless technology and will improve over time with OTA software update capability. The automaker says customers will be offered a Premium Connectivity plan with a paid subscription to enjoy the best possible in-vehicle experience.
As mentioned earlier, the Lincoln Digital Experience is available on the redesigned 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, which is on sale now. The first Ford vehicle integration has yet to be announced.