Nokia - 50% of Mobile Phones to have GPS by 2010
Nokia is a powerhouse of a mobile phone maker, and with the move to acquire map maker NAVTEQ, they set in motion the wheels to make sure that they are a key player in location based services, and navigation. According to a recent interview, Michael Halbherr, the head of Nokia's location based activities, said that they are set to hit their goal of having half of their handsets GPS enabled by 2010-2012.
I have no idea if that means the death of the GPS stand alone device or not, but I am leaning more and more towards not these days. When GPS units cost $400 for an entry model, I could see the attraction of a small screen, phone based navigator that was essentially free (already had the phone and an extra $10 a month is pretty cheap).
With the drop in GPS prices, entry level units are going to be under $100 and that's not even a splurge item for many folks. Unless the connectedness of the mobile phone can offer a significantly better user experience, I think that the spread of mobile phone GPS will only spur demand for a better and not too expensive stand alone GPS device.
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Posted by Scott Martin at May 14, 2008 6:19 AM
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