Ford SYNC System Will Integrate With Both CarPlay and Android Auto

While Apple and Google are competing to become the infotainment center in new cars, Ford has said that it won’t be choosing between the two.

The company has announced its plans to provide support for both Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, explaining that the operating systems will work as a secondary interface to the company’s own SYNC infotainment system. Ford CEO Mark Fields explained in an interview with Re/code that the company doesn’t want to end up as the handset business, by which he means that it doesn’t want to simply offer hardware with other operating systems.

Although Fields indicated that he understands the importance of using the latest technologies in cars, the company will not be making a decision between Apple and Google, and will continue to offer its own SYNC in-car solution in all of its vehicles.

Ford CTO Raj Nair says that the company wants to give consumers as much choice as possible, and doesn’t want anyone to make decisions about what car to buy based on the smartphone that they use. “We want to make sure you are not pushed into a decision on a $40,000 car based on your $200 smartphone,” said Nair.

The automaker sees its SYNC infotainment system as a key selling point, and plans to look into methods to integrate it more closely with both the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems. Nair has stated that, for example, a driver will have the ability to use Google Maps but also listen to Sirius radio using SYNC.

This summer, the company will release the latest version of SYNC, which replaces Microsoft’s operating system with BlackBerry’s QNX. The new SYNC 3 system will also include new apps, a more modern touch screen and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to get future updates over Wi-Fi, as opposed to having to use the OBD-II port or USB.

Fields also stated that Ford is moving to add cellular capabilities to its cars, although he didn’t provide a specific timeline. At this point, cellular is limited to the automaker’s plug-in electric cars and some of its Lincoln models, but the CEO says that additional cellular-equipped cars will be coming at some point.

“You will see that propagate, so we can have all of our vehicles have that capability,” said Fields.

How about the company’s plans for a future of autonomous and semi-autonomous driving?

Fields feels that Ford has been a leader in bringing assisted driving capabilities to the masses, although certainly Google and some other automakers have been getting the most credit for recent advancements in self-driving and assisted driving technologies.

“It’s not just for very rich people,” said Fields, while discussing some of the capabilities that are available in affordable models such as the Fiesta. “That goes to our history as a company of making technology accessible to everyone. I think we are making good progress.”