iOS 7? How's it with MFT

[boltsfan17]

I have an iPhone 5s with the latest iOS update and everything continues to work fine for me. Good news today for us iPhone users as Apple announced Ford is a partner with supporting Apple's new CarPlay integration.

 

[Wildcat_1]

Bolt, thats good news on both accounts. Mine unfortunately still not working, may try a master reset and see if that helps. On the carplay piece, haven't read the announcement yet but was hoping Ford would go this way as I DO NOT like the slow sync system. Any mention of what vehicles it will be featured on and what model year ?

I have an iPhone 5s with the latest iOS update and everything continues to work fine for me. Good news today for us iPhone users as Apple announced Ford is a partner with supporting Apple's new CarPlay integration.

 

[13Sport]

I have an iPhone 5s with the latest iOS update and everything continues to work fine for me. Good news today for us iPhone users as Apple announced Ford is a partner with supporting Apple's new CarPlay integration.

It does however say "On future models"... so I doubt Sync2/MFT will get a retro update... would be nice though.

 

[Wildcat_1]

If this video of the upcoming XC90 running Carplay is anything to go by should be good:

http://9to5mac.com/2014/03/03/volvo...suv-says-wi-fi-connections-coming-soon-video/

The Mercedes gallery looks nice too

 

[Sgt1411]

Thats we should have had back in 2011 when MFD (My Ford Disappointment) was released.

Very nice UI, no command hesitation or screen change delays.

This article on the same topic shows an interesting Matrix of automakers and their software relationships.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2014/03/03/apple-volvo-mercedes-carplay/

 

[13Sport]

Thats we should have had back in 2011 when MFD (My Ford Disappointment) was released.

Very nice UI, no command hesitation or screen change delays.

Well the iOS stuff is not actually running on the deck.. it's running on the iOS device. It's just using the deck for touch screen input, and display output. Not that I disagree w/ you, but this video doesn't show at all how the actual volvo system runs aside from the iOS CarPlay display.

MFT is perfectly capable of this same thing, I hope they implement it for us early adopters. It'll be unfortunate of CarPlay is only available on new vehicles (though I suspect it will be only available on new vehicles)

 

[anonymous]

Still looks like temp is controlled via the touch. I prefer a simple knob.

The responsiveness is nice.

13, not sure it's running on the phone. If it is, what does it do when you have an android device?

 

[Lewisra]

what does it do when you have an android device?

It offers you a $50 discount to "upgrade" to iOS.

 

[anonymous]

it offers you a $50 discount to "upgrade" to ios.

lol

 

[Sgt1411]

It offers you a $50 discount to "upgrade" to iOS.

LMAO!

And it offers you your first free sip of the Apple KoolAid.

 

[boltsfan17]

It does however say "On future models"... so I doubt Sync2/MFT will get a retro update... would be nice though.

I imagine it should be available on 2015 models when Ford rolls out the new QNX software by Blackberry.

 

[anonymous]

I imagine it should be available on 2015 models when Ford rolls out the new QNX software by Blackberry.

No way will it will be out next year.... IF it's ever available it will be years. Ford still has not committed to dropping MS.

 

[boltsfan17]

No way will it will be out next year.... IF it's ever available it will be years. Ford still has not committed to dropping MS.

It will be in vehicles in 2016. QNX has been around a while so they have a pretty good track record. Ford won't readily admit it's dumping MS, but it's happening. At this stage in development for the next gen sync, Ford will be sending out the required specs and what it wants to companies like Blackberry and Apple. But from what I'm hearing, Ford favors the QNX OS. They can't officially say that yet because of legal and contract issues.

EDIT: Previous post was a typo. I meant 2016 vehicles.

 

[13Sport]

... At this stage in development for the next gen sync, Ford will be sending out the required specs and what it wants to companies like Blackberry and Apple. But from what I'm hearing, Ford favors the QNX OS. They can't officially say that yet because of legal and contract issues.

Since the existing cars supporting Apple's CarPlay are all QNX, and Ford is listed under the "future models from these committed partners." list on the Apple CarPlay site. QNX seems like the obvious direction.

 

[anonymous]

I just looked on the carplay site... It seems no support at all for any other phone.

That would be a HUGE mistake IMO for any OEM to limit the functionality of their infotainment system to a specific manufacturer's device.

 

[13Sport]

I just looked on the carplay site... It seems no support at all for any other phone.

That would be a HUGE mistake IMO for any OEM to limit the functionality of their infotainment system to a specific manufacturer's device.

they aren't.. CarPlay is just added functionality to existing OEM infotainment systems. It's not replacing the entire infotainment. The unit will have it's own UI, features, functionality, it will just also be able to handle Apple's CarPlay...

CarPlay is just the ability to stream Apple's CarPlay UI, and apps to the deck, it's not a replacement for the in-car system. I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about what CarPlay is or how it works. You have to have an iPhone to use CarPlay, but you don't have to use CarPlay to use the car

Think of CarPlay as an App running on MFT... MFT is still there (all same functionality, maps, etc), there's just an app that lets you stream the Apple UI to the screen if you want.

 

[anonymous]

they aren't.. CarPlay is just added functionality to existing OEM infotainment systems. It's not replacing the entire infotainment. The unit will have it's own UI, features, functionality, it will just also be able to handle Apple's CarPlay...

CarPlay is just the ability to stream Apple's CarPlay UI, and apps to the deck, it's not a replacement for the in-car system. I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about what CarPlay is or how it works. You have to have an iPhone to use CarPlay, but you don't have to use CarPlay to use the car

I see.. thanks for the clarification.

I still hate the whole OS specific functionality. Why not simply make the head unit mirror the phones display and be nothing more than a dumb terminal that controls the phone.... It should be phone/OS agnostic.

Just come up with a standard way to connect them and send the commands... done, then the auto manufacturer doesn't have to worry about updates etc...

 

[13Sport]

I see.. thanks for the clarification.

I still hate the whole OS specific functionality. Why not simply make the head unit mirror the phones display and be nothing more than a dumb terminal that controls the phone.... It should be phone/OS agnostic.

Just come up with a standard way to connect them and send the commands... done, then the auto manufacturer doesn't have to worry about updates etc...

It kind of is... there is nothing to stop them from also building in App Radio support (3rd party app support available on a lot of aftermarket systems) as well. Unless maybe Apple has contractually banned them from supporting other App based systems on CarPlay enabled radios (which isn't beyond Apple).

 

[boltsfan17]

I see.. thanks for the clarification.

I still hate the whole OS specific functionality. Why not simply make the head unit mirror the phones display and be nothing more than a dumb terminal that controls the phone.... It should be phone/OS agnostic.

Just come up with a standard way to connect them and send the commands... done, then the auto manufacturer doesn't have to worry about updates etc...

It would make it easier for the consumer that way, but that's much easier said than done. Although Carplay is like Airplay, it's much more complex than just mirroring your phone to the in vehicle display. Auto manufacturers supporting Carplay actually have to install hardware in the vehicle during manufacturing to use Apple's Carplay.

 

[anonymous]

For me as a manufacturer, I would be pushing for a standard to send video and commands to control a phone way before I would lock myself into another contract with a vendor that I had to maintain their software installs.

It's not that hard.... most phones have HDMI out now. Simply connect that or even better over a wi-fi network to transmit the video and then BT commands to control the phone from the vehicles head unit.

Pioneer is essentially doing this with their head units, except they lock them down to specific applications, but there are ways around that currently.