Ford has updated its Sync in-dash infotainment platform, and that’s bad news for Microsoft. The auto maker announced today that it has picked BlackBerry’s QNX technology as the base for its next generation of car experiences, and that means Microsoft’s Windows Embedded solution is out the window.
Sync 3 comes with a variety of improvements over its predecessor, including support for requesting directions by speaking an address. The system will integrate with apps on both Android and iOS, as well. Unfortunately, existing car owners won’t be able to upgrade – the new platform will only be available in 2015 on 2016 model year cars.
The new system is driven by a 1.7 GHz OMAP 5 System-on-a-Chip from Texas Instruments. Ford engineers told CNET that the company wanted to make its in-dash navigation experience as responsive as using a modern smartphone – something that past iterations of Sync weren’t always able to achieve.
The announcement comes as both Apple and Google are developing and pushing their own connected car platforms. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are each an attempt to create a seamless ecosystem on a user’s dashboard that connects to their mobile device of choice. Ford doesn’t support either of those systems at the moment, but that functionality is in the works.
