Ford has launched Sync 3, its new in-dash communications and entertainment system, stating it “is faster, more intuitive and easier to use with enhanced response to driver commands”.Sync 3 will begin arriving in new vehicles from next year, with Ford stating it has drawn on customer feedback, research clinics, market surveys and tech industry benchmarking in its development.
According to a USA Today report, the system will run on BlackBerry’s QNX software, with Ford, which has also dropped the MyFord Touch name, opting for BlackBerry in favour of its previous partnership with Microsoft.
Featuring a new touchscreen, Sync 3 has been designed to deliver an experience similar to a smartphone or tablet.
“Quicker response to touch as well as voice commands and smartphone-like gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swipe are central to Sync 3, along with crisp, modern graphics,” Ford states.
The home screen features three zone choices: Navigation, Audio and Phone. Tile-like icons dominate the screen, while a quick access function tray along the bottom is designed to aid in “a more straightforward user experience”.
“We considered all the modern smartphones and mobile operating systems and created something familiar but unique,” commented Parrish Hanna, Ford global director of Human Machine Interface.
Hanna added that reduction of “the number of things on-screen also makes control easier and is designed to limit the number of times a driver has to glance at the screen”.
Ford has additionally fine-tuned the Sync system’s voice-activation technology, with the number of steps needed to carry out a command reduced, while, when connected to an Apple iPhone, Sync 3 also provides integration with Siri Eyes Free.
AppLink, meanwhile, allows users to connect their smartphone to their vehicle and control their compatible apps using voice commands or buttons on the vehicle display screen.
“Overall, AppLink is faster, more responsive and easier to find your apps,” commented Julius Marchwicki, Ford global product manager, AppLink. “The overall design of Sync 3 allows for better integration with smartphones – resulting in a more user-friendly experience.”
Sync 3 also features a new ability to update software via Wi-Fi, with a vehicle able to access a home Wi-Fi network from a driveway or garage capable of automatically downloading updates.
