phone help, as it relates to the mach e

c max

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Hi all.....first of all I am embarrassed to ask these questions (although none of you know me, haha).....I DO NOT have a smartphone......my cell is a flip phone, hardly ever used......I have a select mach e on order and I am wondering what I will miss out on without the smartphone (obviously "phone as a key" is one).....I do not do social media, take pictures etc.....my tech IQ is probably grade 2 or 3 as it relates to phones.....just so you don't think I am helpless, I do have strengths, gardening, homemade wine, cooking, woodwork, etc, just not tech so much.....
.........some questions:
-do I need the smartphone for the mach e?......why?
-do I need the phone for Ford Pass?.....why?
-if YES, I need the phone, what operating sys., how much data and memory do I need as it relates to the mach e?
- will NAV work without the phone?
You get it I need help!!.....Any info would be GREATLY appreciated.....I am sure I'd get better info here that my dealer......any questions, I may not have asked, those answers would be great too.......my tech needs are simpler than most of you, but I don't want to miss out on all the good stuff.....thanking you all in advance.....thanks
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I will give your questions a shot - others may have different opinions . . .

Do you need a smartphone? No. But it would make life easier and give you more options. However, if you don't want one, you would absolutely not need one.

Do you need a phone for Fordpass? For the app - YES. You can sign into Ford owner from a computer, but, I don't know if with the Mach E you can access charging options and times, etc. and other functionality from the computer website.

You will get lots of opinions on phone type. Do you use a tablet? Like an iPad? If you do, I would get an iPhone. If you use an android tablet, get an Android phone. If you are new to smartphones and not as technically advanced, I would just buy an "entry level" phone. You don't need the most expensive bells and whistles phone. A more important consideration is what do friends or family have who can help you? I'm and iPhone user, and would tell family to buy an iPhone SE with 64GB of storage. I couldn't help someone if they got an Android.

Yes, Nav will work without a phone. The Mach E is a connected car and has its own built in Nav and connection to the internet.

Hope this helps. Good luck!
 

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Hi all.....first of all I am embarrassed to ask these questions (although none of you know me, haha).....I DO NOT have a smartphone......my cell is a flip phone, hardly ever used......I have a select mach e on order and I am wondering what I will miss out on without the smartphone (obviously "phone as a key" is one).....I do not do social media, take pictures etc.....my tech IQ is probably grade 2 or 3 as it relates to phones.....just so you don't think I am helpless, I do have strengths, gardening, homemade wine, cooking, woodwork, etc, just not tech so much.....
.........some questions:
-do I need the smartphone for the mach e?......why?
-do I need the phone for Ford Pass?.....why?
-if YES, I need the phone, what operating sys., how much data and memory do I need as it relates to the mach e?
- will NAV work without the phone?
You get it I need help!!.....Any info would be GREATLY appreciated.....I am sure I'd get better info here that my dealer......any questions, I may not have asked, those answers would be great too.......my tech needs are simpler than most of you, but I don't want to miss out on all the good stuff.....thanking you all in advance.....thanks
Just my initial crack at this: FIRST: You're probably better off with a flip phone....less advertising and tech company surveillance/tracking...good job :)

For your questions:
Do you need a smartphone: NO! The car will still run without the 'phone as a key' feature. You could use the included key fob, or punch in a pin code on the screen. You'd be missing out on the ability for the car to integrate into your daily routine. You wouldn't be able to make charging schedules via your phone, you wouldn't be able to 'find your car' while it's parked somewhere (if you forgot where you parked it), you wouldn't be able to pre-condition your car for climate before you arrived, you wouldn't be able to find charging locations with your phone, you wouldn't be able to be make a navigation route and then send that route to your car, you wouldn't be able to listen to music, podcasts, audio books etc via bluetooth. You also wouldn't be able to use the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto integration (see/access phone features on the screen whie you're driving). Those types of things.

You DONT need the phone for FordPass, as you could make an account and access via a computer. However, to do some of the things listed above, you would use the FordPass app on a smartphone, but it's not necessary to run the car. An important feature of the FordPass app on your phone will be the ability to pay/use the different types of electric car charging stations. I'm not sure how you would pay for some of them without a phone...maybe you could just swipe a credit card.

If you do get a smart phone, you could get away with ordering a cheaper/older version of iPhone or Android (maybe Samsung). You don't need a lot of storage size for your use. Don't worry about memory--whatever comes with the phones will work for you (stick with any phone made in the past 3 or 4 years and you'll be fine I think.

Yes, Nav will work without your phone. You could enter destinations via the screen/voice and it will use the car's GPS antenna to route you. It doesn't need your phone for that.

Hope that little bit helps.
 

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Going to drop a recommended phone here: The best value for a phone right now (if buying a new phone) is the iPhone SE at $399. Also, if you've never had a smartphone, iPhone's can't be beat for simplicity.

The SE has all the "guts" of the more expensive iPhone's for a fraction of the price.

All of that coming from an Android phone user ;)
 

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Going to drop a recommended phone here: The best value for a phone right now (if buying a new phone) is the iPhone SE at $399. Also, if you've never had a smartphone, iPhone's can't be beat for simplicity.

The SE has all the "guts" of the more expensive iPhone's for a fraction of the price.

All of that coming from an Android phone user ;)
Same suggestion I made above. Great value, but, I would still pick a droid if all of their "tech support" does not use iPhones.
 


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Use a fob as most new cars have now. The smartphone is NOT mandatory to survive in this world as many seniors still live well without it. I will NOT use my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S10+) as a key because I travel without it., and I can live without it. It is idiotic for anyone to depend solely on their smartphone. I still prefer a mechanical backup (physical key) for all my cars, but I can use the fob as it is smaller and lighter to carry, and a replacement is much cheaper than a smartphone.
 

Raymondjram

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Going to drop a recommended phone here: The best value for a phone right now (if buying a new phone) is the iPhone SE at $399. Also, if you've never had a smartphone, iPhone's can't be beat for simplicity.

The SE has all the "guts" of the more expensive iPhone's for a fraction of the price.

All of that coming from an Android phone user ;)
You can get a Samsung Galaxy S8 for much less than $200, and it complies with every app, including FordPass. Android phones are more common, cost less, and are easier to repair or even replace than any equivalent iPhone (I repair smartphones as a hobby).

Edit: You can back up your phone contents to a microSD card inside, or use an external adapter to a SD card. For Samsung phones, you can use Smart Switch to back up to another phone or to save to a laptop or home computer, too. And if you use either Google Drive. Microsoft OneDrive, or Samsung Cloud Drive, you can save Android data offsite to the Web.
 
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You can get a Samsung Galaxy S8 for much less than $200, and it complies with every app, including FordPass. Android phones are more common, cost less, and are easier to repair or even replace than any equivalent iPhone (I repair smartphones as a hobby).

Edit: You can back up your phone contents to a microSD card inside, or use an external adapter to a SD card. For Samsung phones, you can use Smart Switch to back up to another phone or to save to a laptop or home computer, too. And if you use either Google Drive. Microsoft OneDrive, or Samsung Cloud Drive, you can save Android data offsite to the Web.
The smartphone anyone who's never used them should get is the same general family, Android or iPhone, as their family members or whoever is going to help them have. Both the iPhone mentioned above and the Samsung you cite are good candidates.
 
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c max

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Just my initial crack at this: FIRST: You're probably better off with a flip phone....less advertising and tech company surveillance/tracking...good job :)

For your questions:
Do you need a smartphone: NO! The car will still run without the 'phone as a key' feature. You could use the included key fob, or punch in a pin code on the screen. You'd be missing out on the ability for the car to integrate into your daily routine. You wouldn't be able to make charging schedules via your phone, you wouldn't be able to 'find your car' while it's parked somewhere (if you forgot where you parked it), you wouldn't be able to pre-condition your car for climate before you arrived, you wouldn't be able to find charging locations with your phone, you wouldn't be able to be make a navigation route and then send that route to your car, you wouldn't be able to listen to music, podcasts, audio books etc via bluetooth. You also wouldn't be able to use the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto integration (see/access phone features on the screen whie you're driving). Those types of things.

You DONT need the phone for FordPass, as you could make an account and access via a computer. However, to do some of the things listed above, you would use the FordPass app on a smartphone, but it's not necessary to run the car. An important feature of the FordPass app on your phone will be the ability to pay/use the different types of electric car charging stations. I'm not sure how you would pay for some of them without a phone...maybe you could just swipe a credit card.

If you do get a smart phone, you could get away with ordering a cheaper/older version of iPhone or Android (maybe Samsung). You don't need a lot of storage size for your use. Don't worry about memory--whatever comes with the phones will work for you (stick with any phone made in the past 3 or 4 years and you'll be fine I think.

Yes, Nav will work without your phone. You could enter destinations via the screen/voice and it will use the car's GPS antenna to route you. It doesn't need your phone for that.

Hope that little bit helps.
Thanks to all of you who have responded......you have given me great info......I really do not need a lot of the bells and whistles that come with our cars to be.....my 2013 c max energi, I plug in when I need a charge, period......I don't do any of the pre conditioning or other extras.......my driving and lifestyle is such that I'll probably never charge except from home (c max for long trips)......living in bergen cty, N. Jersey is a curse and a gift.....within 5 miles of home I can get anything I want or need, so I don't think I have to worry about outside charging....we have a laptop but not tablets.....being retired, some days I don't even use our car, so music etc not so important, I usually put on the radio to the local classical station, or the classic rock station......if I ever enter the 21 century, your info on some phones is helpful, thanks again to all......any other info, greatly appreciated......
 

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Thanks to all of you who have responded......you have given me great info......I really do not need a lot of the bells and whistles that come with our cars to be.....my 2013 c max energi, I plug in when I need a charge, period......I don't do any of the pre conditioning or other extras.......my driving and lifestyle is such that I'll probably never charge except from home (c max for long trips)......living in bergen cty, N. Jersey is a curse and a gift.....within 5 miles of home I can get anything I want or need, so I don't think I have to worry about outside charging....we have a laptop but not tablets.....being retired, some days I don't even use our car, so music etc not so important, I usually put on the radio to the local classical station, or the classic rock station......if I ever enter the 21 century, your info on some phones is helpful, thanks again to all......any other info, greatly appreciated......
Cool, reach out if you have any other questions.
 
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c max

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Cool, reach out if you have any other questions.
Oh, one thing, is the amount of data in any particular phone plan important, as it relates to the mach e??.....remember I most likely not use aa new phone for much other than how it relates to the car....thanks again
 

jhalkias

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Oh, one thing, is the amount of data in any particular phone plan important, as it relates to the mach e??.....remember I most likely not use aa new phone for much other than how it relates to the car....thanks again
As it relates ONLY to the Mach E and FordPass? Probably any reasonable data plan is enough. But if and when you get that phone depends More on whatever else you decide to do with it, and how often that will be out of WiFi range.
One thing we didn’t mention - you could get a tablet or an iPod touch and load the FordPass app. Use all the functionality as long as you have WiFi to connect to without giving up your flip. And I’m not sure if the Mach E can use its modem as a hotspot - I am guessing it will for a fee. Then you could use the tablet or iPod in the car too- even for talking if you got a google voice account - but I don’t want to confuse you too much.
 

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Oh, one thing, is the amount of data in any particular phone plan important, as it relates to the mach e??.....remember I most likely not use aa new phone for much other than how it relates to the car....thanks again
For your use, you wouldn't require an "unlimited" data plan. A simple 10-15GB a month should be PLENTY.
 

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I'm going to make a couple of other suggestions:

1) If you buy a smart phone, make sure it meets operating requirements for the FordPass app, including both phone hardware and the operating system you will be able to run. Don't run out to buy a smartphone to run this one app only to learn the phone is too old/early a model to do the job. I don't think any of us really know what those minimum specs are yet as we don't have our phones connected to the Mach E part of the FordPass app yet -- Mach E features may require a higher OS than base ForPass does.

2) Do you use a tablet or iPad? You may be able to use that for many of the features by running the app on the tablet. That won't help in your pocket but it will allow you to talk to the Mach E from inside your house.
 

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Thanks to all of you who have responded......you have given me great info......I really do not need a lot of the bells and whistles that come with our cars to be.....my 2013 c max energi, I plug in when I need a charge, period......I don't do any of the pre conditioning or other extras.......my driving and lifestyle is such that I'll probably never charge except from home (c max for long trips)......living in bergen cty, N. Jersey is a curse and a gift.....within 5 miles of home I can get anything I want or need, so I don't think I have to worry about outside charging....we have a laptop but not tablets.....being retired, some days I don't even use our car, so music etc not so important, I usually put on the radio to the local classical station, or the classic rock station......if I ever enter the 21 century, your info on some phones is helpful, thanks again to all......any other info, greatly appreciated......
Don't get a smart phone you don't need it.

Just enjoy the car. If you want to get a smart phone later because you feel like your missing out on something you can. iPhone SE or Pixel 4a would be the best. Cheap, solid, and well supported phones.
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