Microsoft Sync system, Ford, and Windows Phones

[cre8tivspirit]

So I was looking at a possible new car purchase and since I'm a Ford fan as well as a Microsoft fan and lover of my Windows Phone, I thought it would be a good match. Imagine my surprise when I went to the Ford Sync site, Ford SYNC | SYNC Support, Phone Compatibility, Updates, Manuals, Voice Guides, Instructions & More | Ford.com, to check phone compatibility and discovered that the Windows Phone is listed. Seriously? Microsoft's own car system isn't compatible with their own phone OS? What the **** is wrong here?

 

[palandri]

Here's a couple of threads to look at:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...uestion-how-well-does-wp8-work-ford-sync.html

http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/204733-any-one-paired-ford-sync.html

 

[lancguy]

I have no problems with my 920 and my 2012 focus

 

[cre8tivspirit]

Based on what I read, i seems to be hit/miss depending upon which particular Ford Sync system your vehicle has.

 

[lancguy]

Considering the model year was out before the phone I'm not surprised. Ford will probably send out an update

 

[FredW3]

My 2010 Ford Escape syncs flawlessly to my Nolia 920.

 

[Simon Tupper]

Siri is going to be installed in GM's cars(Buick, Chevrolet...) Honda, Dodge and Toyota. As long as you have an iPhone otherwise you don't get the benefits from having a car with such a system in it... And yet people say that Microsoft is in bad position... hey Microsoft offers service to consumer even if they don't have a windows phone... how kind is that!

 

[Ruined]

If you buy a Ford with MyFordTouch + Sync you'll be fine. If you buy an older one with the 1st gen sync (no myfordtouch) it may have problems like Bluetooth disconnecting as Ford has been really bad about updating the first gen system.

 

[jhoff80]

The problem though is that you can only use A2DP. There's no Ford Sync app for WP like there is for other platforms, and I'm not sure if you can do voice control of the music on your phone (connected via USB); it might be possible in WP8 which allows it to be seen as mass storage, but definitely wasn't possible for WP7. It is kind of ridiculous that the Microsoft-based Sync system doesn't work as well with their phone platform as it does with other platforms though.

 

[vedichymn]

The problem though is that you can only use A2DP. There's no Ford Sync app for WP like there is for other platforms, and I'm not sure if you can do voice control of the music on your phone (connected via USB); it might be possible in WP8 which allows it to be seen as mass storage, but definitely wasn't possible for WP7. It is kind of ridiculous that the Microsoft-based Sync system doesn't work as well with their phone platform as it does with other platforms though.

Sadly, it's not possible to use WP8 as a USB device with sync (or any other car based audio system it seems). WP7 and sync always worked fine for me (albeit over Bluetooth only), WP8 so far has been fairly spotty, but that's primarily been related to the Bluetooth issues WP8 currently has.

 

[derek533]

I use my Trophy (WP7) with my 2012 Escape for phone calls and texts only. I use a thumb drive for my music. Works perfectly.

As long as phone and text work ok, I couldn't care less about the music side of it since high capacity thumbdrives are cheap and the Sync system seems to read them the fastest.

 

[jfa1]

My wife has a 2011 Ford Escape it was paired and worked well with her iphone 4 and now her iphone 5 and it is working just fine with my Lumia 900 Dont have a 920 (yet) so cant say how it would work but as long as I delete the sharing with the 900 I would expect it to work fin. She had to delete the 4 before the5 would work.

 

[S_C_B]

My 920 works with my 2009 Focus just fine.

 

[vedichymn]

Sadly, it's not possible to use WP8 as a USB device with sync (or any other car based audio system it seems). WP7 and sync always worked fine for me (albeit over Bluetooth only), WP8 so far has been fairly spotty, but that's primarily been related to the Bluetooth issues WP8 currently has.

Actually, I mis-spoke here. It looks like with the latest Sync update I applied to my car, I can get USB sort of working, assuming I plug the phone in when it's unlocked.

Indexing is quite a bit slower than iOS devices, (it didn't finish indexing roughly 1500 songs in a 30 minute drive), and overall it's pretty flaky, but it's actually better than the bluetooth options.

 

[Robholden]

interesting that you got indexing to work... on mine it only ever found one song and then when browsing device it said there was nothing there.... not even the one song it was playing on repeat