September 24, 2007

Mio C320 Announced

Mio announced availability of the new Mio DigiWalker C320 portable GPS navigation device, exclusively offered at nearly 4,500 RadioShack stores nationwide and online at www.RadioShack.com. The unit is based on a Mio C520 that has the same chassis, and some similar features. The C320 boasts a prominent 4.3-inch widescreen anti-glare display and preloaded U.S. maps (including Alaska and Hawaii), allowing users to quickly and easily navigate to virtually any address in the U.S. with full voice-guided directions.

The Mio C320 has an MSRP of $299.95. When moving up to the Mio C520 from the Mio C320 you add Bluetooth capabilities, Canadian Maps (along with a lot of Points of Interest), and Text-to-speech.

I had the chance to check out the Mio C320 for the last few weeks ahead of this announcement, see my review that is also posted today.

RadioShack Merchandising Vice President Doug Lane said the new Mio DigiWalker C320 helps the consumer electronics retailer deliver on its brand promise of being the neighbor who helps people get the most out of their technology and achieve great outcomes.

“We pride ourselves on introducing innovative technology to customers in an easy-to-digest format,” said Lane. “We have featured Mio DigiWalker GPS devices in our stores since April. Previous models received a tremendous response because of their great price and ease of use, and we expect nothing less from the sleek C320. Combine this great line of products from a leading worldwide supplier of portable GPS devices with our knowledgeable sales associates, and it’s easy to understand why RadioShack has emerged as the leading retailer of this exciting new technology.”

To ensure ease of use, the C320 features a wide touch-screen display. It can navigate in either full-screen or split-screen map view, which allows users to display additional route information such as upcoming turns and intersections. The split-screen map view can also display lists of nearby destinations from the C320’s point of interest menu, which includes 1.7 million gas stations, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in the U.S.

“With our shared goal of delivering affordable, yet cutting-edge products to tech-savvy consumers, Mio Technology and RadioShack are a perfect fit – we’re thrilled to partner with them for the launch of this important new product,” said Kiyoshi Hamai, North American sales director, Mio Technology USA, Ltd. “The C320 is especially appropriate for this national rollout because of its appeal to both first-time users and GPS veterans.”