CES 2018: Ford announces partnership with Waze navigation app for SYNC3
Ford has just announced that any 2018 vehicle, equipped with SYNC 3 version 3.0 or greater, will be able to run navigation app Waze on its touch screen, thanks to a new integration with Ford SYNC AppLink.
The news is especially welcome for iPhone owners, as AppLink will enable iOS users to use Waze with the in-car touch screen. Ford customers simply plug their Waze-equipped smartphone into the USB port of their vehicle, and once plugged in, Waze will project onto its touch screen. This allows users to access the app’s features conveniently on a larger display and with their vehicle’s own sound system.
All the features Waze users have come to know will be accessible through Ford’s integration of the software.Waze recently launched a new version of its app, bringing a raft of new features, including Talk to Waze which allows you to control the app with voice commands, and HOV route support, which provides additional navigation options and arrival times based on high-occupancy-vehicle lanes (carpool lanes).
Says Don Butler, Ford executive director, Connected Vehicle and Services.
“Our goal is to bring a human-centred approach to technology in the vehicle, making it as easy as possible for people to integrate the tools that matter most to them, With the flexibility of our SYNC 3 software and AppLink, customers can easily use Waze to get all the traffic and navigation help they need – on a big screen and without having to fiddle around with their phones while driving.”
Adds Jens Baron, product lead for B2B and in-car applications at Waze:
“Since announcing the partnership between Waze and Ford at Mobile World Congress 2017, we’ve been working hard to optimize and evolve the experience for the driver community. We are happy to showcase our partnership with Ford through AppLink SDL on iOS – a seamless in-car navigation experience that connects Waze navigation to your car’s console.”
Ford is also featuring its recently released Ford+Alexa app at CES. The app gives customers access to all 25,000 of Amazon’s Alexa skills, including the ability to play music, check news reports and add items to shopping lists.
Waze, which saw its UK user base grow by over a million users in 2017, is a community-based traffic and navigation app helping millions of drivers avoid traffic, save time and money. The company is a subsidiary of Google.
