Mach-E streaming?

[jhalkias]

Why? Our phones have unlimited data. Why do I want to pay $9.99 a month more just so the car can do it? I seldom or never forget to have my phone with me.
Also, I am new to CarPlay as I just installed the new USB hub in my 2016 Escape, but pretty sure you can’t send Netflix or YouTube to the car screen. Those don’t appear in the supported apps on my screen. Anyone know better. All the rest of you seem to be Androids. ?

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[ChasingCoral]

In one of the early demos they showed an app screen that was filled with icons (I'm sure it was all dummyied up).

Isn't copying Tesla not kind of the point: To be better than someone you have to innovate and come up with new/better ideas, not merely copy them.

Ah yeah here it is: AccuWeather, Pandora, etc.

I don't think Ford is trying to out-Tesla Tesla. Tesla is an IT and technological innovation company that is making cars. Ford is a car company moving into innovation. I expect the quality of the construction, the design, the feel of the ride, and the integration to be what sets the Mustang Mach E apart from the Tesla Y. I'm really glad Ford is using Apple Car Play, just as those of you with Android phones are glad they are using Android Auto as well. The fact that it does both is great for user flexibility and thus sales numbers. I expect the electronics to be solidly delivered and an incremental step forward but I'm not really anticipating technology innovation in the Sync 4A to be the selling point of the vehicle -- and that's just fine. I really don't need Ford to come up with the next killer auto party feature to surpass the fart soundtrack or dance the doors and lights to the TSO.

 

[micstriit]

having a native app store for sure would be the best thing, no question. I'm using Android Auto for the last years for everything and because I always have my phone with me, that is not a big problem. only problem is that I need to plug in the phone, what will not be necessary with the MME.
BTW one big reason i decided against the ModelY is the limitation of the system. for example the only map Software is the "Google light" that comes with the Tesla os where I not even can sync with my user. I want to decide what navigation and entertainment software I use in my car, not Tesla.

 

[timbop]

I'm not sure an App store is really a good idea for safety reasons, nor is it likely all of your favorite app developers will bother to port their apps to whatever the sync 4a's native OS is. Using AA or carplay to expose your phone's apps feels like a pretty reasonable solution even though it does mean you are using your data. A way around that could be to add a wifi hotspot capability to the car, but I doubt Ford wants to do that without charging you - which means you might as well just pay for the data on your existing phone plan anyway. If like many you already have unlimited data, it doesn't actually cost you anything more.

 

[dbsb3233]

I want the option of the phone doing it too though. I don't spend enough time in the car to justify another perpetual subscription fee for that, when my phone will do it for free.

 

[JamieGeek]

I would expect Sync4a to simply be the next generation of Sync (with a few additions because its an EV):

• Sync 3 had both Android Auto and Apple Carplay but they were wired--Ford has said S4a both will be functional via bluetooth--an improvement
• Navigation: Sounds like it will have better nav in it than S3 simply because its cloud based; hoping it will have an option to download maps if you're going somewhere outside of connectivity
• Nav 2: As for routing it sounds like it will have some sort of EV routing capability (perhaps like ABRP or Plugshare does)
• Other features: The profile feature sounds interesting: Each driver will have their own--so what if both are sitting in the car at the same time? Who's does it pick? (The closest thing other Ford's have to this is Valet and/or Teen mode)
• Simply with all that screen real estate and better processors this UI will be much better

I agree that they shouldn't be attempting to better Tesla on the IT front, more like just make a better car.

 

[jhalkias]

Yes, mine and my wife's.
We have an ATT plan with unlimited data, so why would I pay more for a plan I don't need? If you have a data plan with limitations I get it. For the few times a year we might want to stream video on our car screen while we are at a charger - not worth it. Although it might be nice to eat lunch in my car and watch a video, I can always take my iPad Pro too.

 

[dbsb3233]

I don't think Ford is trying to out-Tesla Tesla.

Yeah, I get a little tired of the "copying Tesla" thing. When cars advance to the point where they're computers on wheels, lots of things are just obvious. Like OTA updates. Tesla didn't "invent" that. Cell phones and tablets have been using OTA updates since they were invented. Tesla just did the obvious when they decided to put a tablet with internet connectivity in their cars. Ford and everyone else is too.

I give Tesla credit for being the first to integrate some of these things into cars, but that doesn't mean they invented most of it. Most of it is just other things that now became possible to use when cars started having internet connectivity.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Why do you say Ford can't do this?

Also, all along, Ford's told us that using the car as a mobile hotspot is supported through an optional AT&T vehicle data subscription.

My 2013 Fiesta can be a WiFi access point or be a WiFi client. I've no reason to do that, but it does work. And I've no reason to assume Mach-E can't, either.

In fact, Ford's already told us that it can get vehicle updates over mobile or wifi.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Ok that's cool. My preference is different. Will have to wait and see what we'll really be offered later this year and ongoing.

I hope Ford could add support for Chromecast while in park. I think it'd be nice to watch YouTube or whatever on the car display, but my preference would be to minimize the implementation details on the vehicle side since I expect my phone apps and tech to progress more quickly than my car, especially over the longer number of years of ownership.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I definitely disagree on that one. When you establish your own software and system, you are outdated on delivery. Even with OTA, it may lock you into an old technology and will definitely lock you into being expected to continually update the code. By connecting seamlessly to Apple and Android it not only allows users to feel comfortable right off the bat (and switch with drivers) but it mean someone else is responsible for developing and updating all of the external apps. You don't see Apple or Google updating every app they carry in their stores, do you?

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