The Sygic Car Navigation app for Android and iOS will become the first GPS app to gain touchscreen compatibility with Ford's Sync 3 AppLink when it launches for 2018 Ford vehicles.
I'm sure that a number of drivers stopped paying attention to Ford's AppLink the moment that Sync 3 started supporting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Fortunately for those who aren't the biggest fans of Google Maps or Apple Maps, Ford hasn't given up on its own app connectivity technology and has continued to form new partnerships, such as this one with Sygic.
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Photo by Ford Motor Co.
When a smartphone running the Sygic app is connected to a compatible Ford Sync 3 vehicle via USB, the app is able to project its map and navigation interface onto the car's larger touchscreen in the dashboard. In addition to touch controls, the Sygic app gains access to the vehicle's voice controls.
Meanwhile, the smartphone's display locks on a splash screen, which reduces the temptation to fiddle with the handset and helps the driver keep their eyes on the road. Most app-projection technologies work in this way.
You may not have heard of Sygic, but the navigation app boasts some 150 million users worldwide. (I first learned of the app from a previous integration with Chevrolet's MyLink infotainment.) Choice is good, and Ford owners can only benefit from a fourth navigation option joining Google Maps, Apple Maps and Sync 3's available onboard navigation software.
Expect the Sygic and AppLink compatibility to roll out later this year on 2018 model year Ford vehicles running Sync 3.
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-vehicles-gain-sygic-navigation-option-via-sync-3-applink-ces-2017/