There hasn’t been an automaker that has fully integrated Waze into its infotainment system — until today.
Ford announced at CES 2018 that it will soon offer Waze integration on its Sync 3 infotainment system. Instead of having to check your phone to use Waze, you’ll be able to plug in your phone and run the app directly through the infotainment screen.
And it’s not limited to navigation, either. Users will get the full monty, whether it’s warnings from other users or newer features like HOV route support or Talk to Waze, which lets you operate the app with just voice controls.
Another reason to ignore your phone while driving? Sign me up.
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This is a pretty big deal, because up until now, using Waze required using your phone. Sure, you could work around the issue by mirroring your smartphone apps via Android Auto (Waze isn’t available on Apple CarPlay), but this integration is just a bit slicker.
So how can you get it in your car? When it’s made available to the public, owners of 2018 model year Fords won’t have to update their software, but pre-2018 owners with Sync 3 will need to update their infotainment system using either an over-the-air update or a more traditional USB-based solution.
Ford’s not stopping with Waze. The automaker also previewed integrations of iHeartRadio and WebEx. If you’re not familiar with the latter, consider yourself lucky — it’s a web conferencing platform, so WebEx integration gives you even fewer reasons to skip out on that upcoming conference call.
CES 2018: CNET’s complete coverage of tech’s biggest show.
Update, 10:17 a.m. Pacific: This article has been updated to reflect which vehicles are eligible for Waze integration.
