Ford SYNC Question

"Vimto" (smudgey) 01/23/2015 at 22:07 • Filed to: None

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So Oppo, I'm going to get a new phone next week and I'm trying to decide on what to buy. If anyone is aware of which phones are fully supported by SYNC (bluetooth media streaming, reading your text messages, etc.) that would really help me narrow it down.

I looked on Ford's website, but the page seems slightly broken because it says "here is a list of compatible devices" and then it's just blank.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 22:11

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I know iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5s are compatible. I'd say almost everything is.

Vimto > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/23/2015 at 22:13

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Does the iPhone 6 support the text message function and such? Right now I have a Jamaican knockoff of a Galaxy S4 (lol) and it pairs with SYNC and will stream sometimes but doesn't support anything else.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 22:15

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It does. I can do everything Sync can do.

Vimto > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/23/2015 at 22:18

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Sweet. I'll be going on a 600 mile drive to visit my parents Sunday so I'll be able to get an idea of the mileage I'm getting, but so far I haven't seen less than 25 mpg and when I took a 40 mile trip to Foley I easily got the trip computer up to the highway rating (33). So I'm hoping for at least 30 mpg.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 22:19

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Ours really needs to hit that magical 5,000 mile mark where it starts getting the right MPGs. It's nearly halfway there (2,148 miles)

jariten1781 > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 22:46

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LG G3 and HTC One (m8) both have full functionality with mine.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 23:38

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I would suggest looking at Windows Phones, but even though MS helped develop Sync, they don't support their own damn phones on it. Sometimes you have to wonder if they understand how this all works at all...

Anyway, I very much like my Lumia 920, but I will admit that despite WP having an excellent interface, it does lack support for a great many things. Google especially does not want WP to succeed and has been actively campaigning against it.

Give it an honest look. If you decide that iOS or Android are better options for your daily routine that's fine. But at least consider the 3rd option.

citizennick > Vimto 01/23/2015 at 23:59

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I haven't got my 6 to work yet for reading texts but haven't tried again, but I know there are guys that can with the iPhone 6. Pretty much any new highline smartphone should be able to do anything you ask for from Sync.

thedevilinside > Vimto 01/24/2015 at 00:13

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Probably not looking at them, but my Galaxy S3 doesn't connect through USB. It charges but says it isn't supported.

boxrocket > Vimto 01/24/2015 at 09:06

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A Nokia (or Microsoft, same phones) Lumia will be your absolute best bet. Not only does it do full sync (get it?), the phone can enter car mode when within range of the car, AND the voice search function and personal assistant Cortana work as well. More recent Lumias (1520 and newer, essentially, except Verizon offerings, and even the $50 ones) currently offer the wake-up command of "Hey Cortana" and then input your request ("text my wife: I'm on my way home after getting groceries") or search query. All Lumias will have that functionality with Windows 10 later this year.

Added bonus: Lumias have the best cameras in a phone, which can be very handy if you don't have a full-fledged DSLR handy all the time.

Vimto > boxrocket 01/24/2015 at 17:06

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I'm on Verizon, so which Lumia should I be looking for exactly? I've never had a Windows phone but I'm intrigued by this. I've had Palm OS, Android & iOS so I'm not exactly "loyal" to one.

boxrocket > Vimto 01/24/2015 at 20:29

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Well, for better or worse, Verizon offers/has offered some great Windows Phones, but suuuuuucks at giving them proper support, leading to some disenchanted users, so Microsoft itself has offered some temporary (and long-term) solutions, which I'll touch on later.

So, first, which phone? I'd recommend the Lumia Icon (also known as the Lumia 930 on other carriers outside the U.S.). It's the newest from Microsoft/Nokia, though Verizon hasn't ordered any more for inventory, so you may have to order them online if your local stores don't have any on hand. Alternately, the HTC One (M8) for Windows is basically the Windows Phone version of the Android-running HTC One (M8), so it shares the same excellent design and build quality, though the camera isn't as good as the Nokia's. ( http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/… ) Samsung also offers the Ativ SE, but it's not on the same level as the other two. Any of them should work with your car.

As for the support, well, Verizon is slow with software updates for almost all its phones (or maybe even all of them, I couldn't say for certain). Thankfully for Windows Phones, as I touched on at the top, Microsoft offers their Developer aka Insider program, which is free to join and use: http://dev.windows.com/en-us . It allows for users to download updates from Microsoft directly rather than waiting for the carrier to send them to users (though carriers do send out updates if their own every so often). It's like having a Nexus device in the Android world, but on any modern Windows Phone. Additionally, and perhaps most critically, all or almost all current Windows Phones (those running 8 and 8.1) will be updated to the recently-announced Windows 10 later this year.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Vimto 02/02/2015 at 09:55

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I had a couple of rental fords last year with SYNC in them. The Bluetooth connection worked fine for calls and music on my low-end Samsung android phone. But the text messages and contacts would not read. Same for my girlfriend's Samsung S3 android. I think as long as you get a phone that is a current, popular phone (S5, Iphone 6, HTC M8, etc) that should be supported fully. I imagine there is a thread on a ford forum somewhere that lists the supported devices for sure.