Ford today took the wraps off Sync 3, its next-generation, in-car technology package that is, as you’d expect, faster, sleeker and much improved over the old one. It’s also more intuitive and easier on the eyes, and integrates smartphone apps better. But the biggest change is under the hood: Sync 3 is powered by QNX instead of Microsoft Auto.
When Ford first launched the Sync prior to the recession, it was novel in the infotainment space. The platform announced today, several years after version 2.0, is Ford’s third go at infotainment, and from my limited experience with the Sync 3, it’s dramatically better than its predecessors.
Previous versions of Sync are a mess. Most lately seen in the MyFord Touch variation, it combined a touchscreen interface with smartphone capabilities. It was a mishmash of colors, features and control schemes. Worse yet, it is slow. There was a notable amount of lag. Consumer Reports advised readers not to buy a new Ford or Lincoln because of MyFord Touch. It’s that bad.
MyFord Touch and Sync needed a complete overhaul.
Speaking to a small group of journalists deep in a Ford compound, Raj Nair, VP and CTO of Ford, said this new platform was the most researched product in Ford’s history. They received feedback from 22,000 consumers and Ford owners. It took 18 months to develop the infotainmenet system and nearly everything is different from the previous version.
Gone is the Microsoft Auto platform of old and in its place is a QNX operating system running on Texas Instruments hardware. Sadly, since the new Sync runs on a totally different hardware, vehicles that shipped with the old version will not get the new hotness.
The change in platform is noticeable. Sync 3 is now snappy and responsive. The hint of lag is gone. It’s clean and cohesive. Switching between screens and menu options is a smooth task and reminiscent of modern mobile devices — which is apparently what Ford was going to.
Nair explained that Ford engineers and designers benchmarked the user experience against smartphones and tablets. Sync provides similar functionality, including pinch-to-zoom, smooth scrolling and, most noticeably, a persistent menu bar located at the bottom of the screen.
Up until now Sync used a novel but convoluted menu scheme. To access the four different parts of the system, the menu buttons were located in the four corners. It made selecting these options easy while not looking. Want the radio? Hit somewhere in the bottom left of the screen. But the controls were not intuitive. I couldn’t figure it out the first time I used it, and for an automaker courting buyers from 19 to 91, everything needs to be trendy but obvious.
The new Sync now works like a tablet. There are six buttons at the bottom of the screen. Hit one and go. They’re always visible except when navigating, when they sink into the bottom of the screen to reveal more of the map.
The control scheme is reminiscent of Chrysler’s Uconnect, but Ford’s design is more understated. For better or worse, it’s cleaner and less flashy bordering on boring. But it works, and that’s the most important thing.
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