SYNC's Eight- And 4.2-Inch Displays
The centerpiece of SYNC is an eight-inch resistive touch-screen display. Ford doesn’t explicitly give away its resolution, but does recommend 800x378 for custom background images, which leads us to believe the actual resolution is 800x480 (typical for eight-inch displays). Naturally, the resulting output isn't going to be as crisp as the high-definition screens used on the latest tablets. But Ford's GUI is definitely optimized for the space available, the result looks good enough from the driver's seat.
Ford divides its home screen into quadrants that relay quick status summaries for your phone, navigation system, music, and climate controls. When you don't have a destination set, the navigation box contains a compass.
SYNC with MyFord Touch accepts four user inputs, including voice, the touch-screen, physical buttons, and another set of buttons on the steering wheel. You can mix and match the way you direct the infotainment system, switching between voice and touch controls at will.
A second 4.2-inch LCD in the gauge cluster displays vehicle information, including average fuel mileage, outside temperature, a compass, an odometer, and a trip odometer. When a navigation destination is set, the auxiliary display shows upcoming directions on the right side of the screen, near the speedometer, in order to minimize driving distractions.
Although the 2012 Ford Focus only employs a single auxiliary display, larger vehicles (such as the upcoming 2013 Ford Fusion, Edge, Flex, Explorer, and Lincolns) include two gauge cluster-mounted 4.2-inch displays for greater customization, catering to the driver's need for easily-accessible information.