Ford has now shared more details about Digital Experience, its newest entertainment system, which was first shown at the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. People who own smartphones can mirror them and also use the Google Play store to add apps like Waze and Spotify to the phone’s built-in entertainment system. With a Bluetooth controller, you can also play video games on the gadget and watch YouTube or Amazon Prime Video without moving. The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus came out in the spring of last year with a huge 48-inch screen that took up most of the panel. The striking screen is only one part of a brand-new infotainment system that is meant to make it easier for people to use famous digital services. Ford has shared more information about the “Digital Experience,” a new system based on Android Automotive, and what to expect from entertainment systems in Ford and Lincoln cars this decade. A lot of apps Ford’s new plan is to make it easy for customers to connect their electronic devices to their cars, adding another connected thing to the owner’s “digital ecosystem.” The company says that the average American home has sixteen devices that are all linked and drive for more than an hour every day. The best way to make people feel at home is to add well-known apps to the built-in system. Users of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can still mirror their phones, but owners of Ford and Lincoln cars can also add apps like Spotify and Waze straight from the Google Play store. Once a driver has checked in, they can always get to their accounts on these sites, even if their phone is not in the car. One of the main navigation tools on the device already has Google Maps installed. If the owner parks their car, they can use apps like Amazon Prime Video and YouTube to stream videos to the lower tablet. We checked this out on a pre-production Nautilus by watching the most recent video on Car and Driver’s YouTube account during a press event. The audio levels could be changed with the same knobs and dials that were used to change the radio sound, and the video loaded quickly. The driving game Asphalt Nitro 2 could be played on a test device after a Bluetooth controller was linked to the Google Play store. Along with the built-in Vivaldi web browser, Google Chrome will soon be available as well, and Ford hopes to add video conferencing tools. Adaptive Panoramic Screen The lower tablet controls the Nautilus’ 48-inch panoramic screen. This is said to be the highest-resolution display Lincoln has ever made. Ford says that drivers can quickly learn important information while keeping their eyes on the road if the screen is placed just below eye level. Some “critical” information, like speed and BlueCruise status, is right in front of the driver on the widescreen display. Other important “supportive” information, like navigation, is in the middle, and “glanceable” information, like tire pressure and weather, is in front of the passenger seat. It has three gadget areas that make up the “glanceable” part of the panoramic screen. To change the icons, drag and drop different apps into each spot on the touchscreen. When we used the demonstration machine in real life, we saw that the system was responsive and easy to use. Right now, there aren’t many apps to choose from, but that will change soon since Ford has hinted that games and videos could eventually show up on the panoramic screen. When you press the “Calm” button, the widescreen shows only the most important information. A Ford infotainment system prototype had a touchscreen that was used to handle a smaller digital gauge cluster that would be mounted behind the steering wheel. This was revealed at a press event. Ford says that all users, even those who aren’t used to touchscreens, will be able to get to the services they need if voice control is built into the system. Alexa can be used instead of Google Assistant for things like navigation and temperature control in the car. When you use CarPlay, Siri can turn on the right features. Ford says that using a voice helper while driving is safer than tapping a screen, and driver profiles already meet many setup requirements because they load pre-configured settings for apps, favorite places, and how the seats and mirrors are set up when each driver gets into the car. An even stronger base The Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience is the fastest system that either brand has ever made. Its core processing is five times faster, and its visual processing is over fourteen times faster. Ford also says that the new Ford Sync 4 system has eight times as much saving space and four times as much memory as the old one. Over-the-air software updates, 5G wireless connectivity, and an open Wi-Fi hotspot will all be possible with this setup. Even though the system is based on the Android Automotive architecture, the car company says it is making more software in-house to speed up updates. The change from two different modules for the infotainment and gauge clusters to a single, all-encompassing module that controls the whole system is another benefit. The 2024 Nautilus is the first car to have the new Digital Experience screen that fills the whole screen. Ford said that the wide display is only available on Lincoln models right now, but it could be used in more expensive Ford cars in the future. Most Fords should be set up more simply. The company says that the first Ford car with the new Digital Experience system will be on sale soon. This will give people a better idea of how the system will work without the widescreen.
