Ford is switching to Android in 2023

[Drew Toner]

Sony the worlds leader in consumer/pro technology, uses the Android platform. The existing system Sync 3 is based on Blackberry, which is very highly rated by the automotive industry and CR mag. Ford tends to do the right thing like partnering with JBL and Sony.

And B&O!

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[THLONE]

Ford sync told me that I would have to agree to their new terms to log in. I didnt. bybe bybe Ford sync.

 

[Fawnbuster]

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/02/ford-is-switching-to-android-os-for-infotainment-in-2023/

At least isn't over priced Apple...

 

[OFC Ranger]

At least isn't over priced Apple...

I'll say this however, for me at least, I find iOS and Siri way more user friendly than Android and Google Assistant. Android has more capabilities and freedoms app-wise for those hardcore users, but I ain't one so...

GA understanding my commands has like a 20% failure rate of doing what I wanted it to do. Siri on the other hand was more like 1% failure rate at understanding me.

 

[slowmachine]

At least isn't over priced Apple...

You can make a good argument (and many have) that the cost for equivalent performance is about the same. I have a house full of both Apple and other gear, running several operating systems. Apple sells premium gear at a premium price, but you can get very capable used Apple gear that will still out-perform anything that Google or their partners offer for no more cost. Bleeding-edge performance has always cost more, and I wouldn’t expect that to change.

 

[sal33n]

I'll say this however, for me at least, I find iOS and Siri way more user friendly than Android and Google Assistant. Android has more capabilities and freedoms app-wise for those hardcore users, but I ain't one so...

GA understanding my commands has like a 20% failure rate of doing what I wanted it to do. Siri on the other hand was more like 1% failure rate at understanding me.

Are you referring to commands in a car or just general "hey Google" commands? Siri may understand your commands better but Google has more correct results, at least that's my findings.

At least we have the option of both and don't need to pay (at least for now) like BMW owners.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/02/ford-is-switching-to-android-os-for-infotainment-in-2023/

Just wonderful... Another place for Google AdSense to be injected into.

The last thing we need is the infotainment system having Google AdSense linked in and it displays some adult oriented ad with my wife and kids in the truck. Or when there's a hi-jacked scare ware ad that states our trucks are "infected".

 

[Fawnbuster]

I'll say this however, for me at least, I find iOS and Siri way more user friendly than Android and Google Assistant. Android has more capabilities and freedoms app-wise for those hardcore users, but I ain't one so...

GA understanding my commands has like a 20% failure rate of doing what I wanted it to do. Siri on the other hand was more like 1% failure rate at understanding me.

i hear ya, i dont use the google assistant, at all, i may use google voice search on a rare occasion..I started out with a blackberry and garmin gps and that thing often didnt understand me asking for an address while i was driving to a call mush less with a siren going, all the wind noise made it fruitless, so i just got used to typing in the address into the gps and hit the button before i started driving or when i got relatively close to the area. i also did a ton of copy and paste from our cad addressing to google maps, right before i retired we integrated the mapping software into the cad so that helped too. I only used android auto a few times via a wire in my durango and i didnt like having my phone tied up along with a mapping system, being a road supervisor i often times had to pull over and have a phone in each ear, work phone and personal all work related. My wife uses her synch to make calls but mostly i just type it in before i hit the road since synch locks you out of typing settings while moving. My F150 didnt have navigation so i just used it to answer calls.

I am old school, dont put all my eggs in one basket and always know a backup plan.

as an FTO i would not allow a rookie to use a gps of any kind until they knew their way around the county with a map first, GPS is a crutch at that point and not a tool. If i am getting shot at and your gps device died, you become a useless backup if you cant find me. Folks forget that the Govt owns the gps system and they can shut if off if need be. Know your area first then use the gps to ASSIST.

 

[Fawnbuster]

You can make a good argument (and many have) that the cost for equivalent performance is about the same. I have a house full of both Apple and other gear, running several operating systems. Apple sells premium gear at a premium price, but you can get very capable used Apple gear that will still out-perform anything that Google or their partners offer for no more cost. Bleeding-edge performance has always cost more, and I wouldn’t expect that to change.

I agree, i am just not one to pay for a name. Plus Apple security was/is very anti police when it comes to helping on cases even with a valid search warrant. When time and lives matter i want someone to work with me not against me. When i switched from blackberry to android it was pretty seamless for me. I used blackberry to type my report narratives out and email them to our secure server and cut and paste. Plus it automatically does spell and grammar checks!

 

[Mpro2]

Sorry, Android fan here..... I approve this message.

 

[slowmachine]

Just wonderful... Another place for Google AdSense to be injected into.

The last thing we need is the infotainment system having Google AdSense linked in and it displays some adult oriented ad with my wife and kids in the truck. Or when there's a hi-jacked scare ware ad that states our trucks are "infected".

There are a lot of Android head units available, and I’ve never heard of ads appearing on the display. The creator/maintainer of the system would have to create that functionality. Security is a valid concern, though. As with other systems, the larger the installed base, the more widespread the damage can be when (not if) exploits are discovered. From where I sit, the greatest risk seems to be system integrators (Ford, in this case) that fail to push security updates in a timely manner.

 

[slowmachine]

I agree, i am just not one to pay for a name. Plus Apple security was/is very anti police when it comes to helping on cases even with a valid search warrant. When time and lives matter i want someone to work with me not against me. When i switched from blackberry to android it was pretty seamless for me. I used blackberry to type my report narratives out and email them to our secure server and cut and paste. Plus it automatically does spell and grammar checks!

I think it is a mistake to say that Apple is “anti police” when they push back against search warrants. The government (including the police) has to adequately justify their actions against citizens. Like any huge corporation, Apple has battalions of lawyers to help them decide how to comply with relevant laws. It SHOULD be difficult for the government to seize the private records of citizens. Apple is not perfect, but you’ll never convince me that anyone holding the private information of American citizens should just roll over and comply with every government request without assessing whether the government request is justified at the level of scrutiny for the particular request. The burden of proof is on the government.

 

[Zaph]

I unplugged my Amazon Echo.....I'm done with that Alexa b@#$%tch spying on me. She went off on a couple of rants during the holidays and no one every said "Alexa"

I was in a Teams meeting at work and I got a co-worker's Alexa to play Metallica and initiate an order of 50 lbs of marshmallows just by yelling it over Teams through his laptop. We almost had to cancel the meeting from the others in it laughing so hard.

 

[MoatCarp]

If their implementation is anything like Honda's was on my 2020 Civic, this could be a very cool thing. "Honda Hack" by a third party lets you get root access over your infotainment screen with just a few easy steps, simple enough for anyone and very safe (at least I never had any issues). This allows you to install Android apps via .apk and had some other useful features like automatically dismissing a safety prompt that appeared on the screen every time you started your car.

A few of the things I could do...

• Watch Youtube
• Watch Netflix
• Watch downloaded video files from a USB stick via a media player app
• Play NES emulator (a USB controller works natively 100% when plugged into the car's USB port!)
• Display custom gauges that received data from an OBD2 port dongle that was paired to the infotainment Android via BT
• Plus other Android'y stuff

Playing Punch-Out on your car screen with a controller isn't something I did all the time, but just knowing I could do it made me happy? lol. Just something to goof around with and show friends. A fun party trick I guess. The other stuff was more useful.

And because I'm sure someone will say something , I never messed with any of the above while the car was moving except for having the gauges sometimes to look at boost and IATs.

 

[Langwilliams]

grumpy old "get off my lawn" guy here I guess. I have no desire to have any voice command devices in my house. I know my iPhone has one, but I've only used it while driving to get directions maybe twice.

Maybe I just have trust issues. Two divorces could do that to you I guess. I was on android phones since they came out an switched to iPhone is 2018 after seeing stuff like this:

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/android-privacy-vs-iphone,news-27856.html

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