Navigon has done a few surveys and are letting us know that there really are a lot of people out there hurting from the impact of traffic. On average, these commuters spend 18 minutes stuck in traffic each morning, or a whopping 78 hours a year. With 85% of drivers admitting that they have gotten lost and 91% have missed an exit. Come on folks, get a GPS!
OK - so a GPS isn't going to eliminate all traffic, they can help let you know how bad it will be and let you know if you need to get around it. Just ask Navigon, they have traffic on their new models....
More data on the woes of our driving..... after the jump.
Navigon 8100T - 3-D Terrain on an Auto GPS; 4.8-inch Screen
Navigon is launching a pretty wild looking unit, the Navigon 8100T - a unit with a 4.8-inch display, and a 3D view that allows you to see not only roads, but terrain height data which shows rolling hills and digital elevations. If this isn't a reason to keep the unit in a 3-D view and out of the bird's-eye view, I don't know what is. The Navigon 8100T also comes with lifetime traffic, voice destination entry, and Bluetooth handsfree.
Navigon announced a pair of models that will be exclusively available at Radio Shack and will include Navigon's FreshMaps - a two year subscription to updates their maps Quarterly so that your GPS has the most up to date maps available. The 5100 MAX has a lot going for it; widescreen, traffic updates, text-to-speech, Bluetooth Handsfree, reality view of the road ahead at tricky intersections and the ability to find the nearest help with the touch of a button. The Navigon 2090S is based on a 3.5-inch standard screen and offers text-to speech, reality view, direct help button, but not the traffic updates.
The Navigon 5100Max with FreshMaps included will be list priced at $299, and the Navigon 2090S with FreshMaps included will be list priced at $199.
Do you need lifetime traffic for your Navigon? Well, try out the code above and get 50% off the Traffic Subscription for your Navigon 2100 unit. Lifetime subscription for less than a year's worth elsewhere. Use Promo Code TRAFFIC50 at checkout.
Navigon is announcing the new Navigon 2000S entry level model with some higher level features that you might now find on other entry level devices, including Lane Assist PRO and Reality View PRO - enhanced capabilities over its previous generation Navigon units. The Navigon 2000S comes with a fast satellite acquisition capability, and text to speech. THe unit is expected to hit store shelves by October and carries a suggeted price of $199.
Navigon 2200T - Lifetime Traffic in Entry Level GPS
Navigon announced that they are launching the Navigon 2200T - a new standard screen model that will come with Lifetime Traffic subscription. Following up on their well known Navigon 2100, and the recent announcement that they will be offering Lifetime Traffic on all models, the Navigon 2200T is the entry level model that has a long list of features and traffic available from the start.
Navigon is making news with their own announcement that they are now offering their product line with lifetime traffic included across all of their products. NAVIGON's traffic feature will work out of the box, no subscription, no extra hardware required, no strings attached. Using real-time traffic information delivered via an FM receiver built into each device, NAVIGON's newest generation of products will let 200,000,000 consumers in 95 North American markets route around traffic. The offer will span from Navigon's entry level products up to its top end.
Navigon has announced the new Navigon 7200T, a more advanced widescreen unit that has lifetime traffic subscription. The Navigon 7200T includes voice command for address entry and the start of 3-D buildings with a 3-D landmark view. The voice navigation capabilities are quickly becoming a high end feature that may be a must have; and the 3-D landmark view will be something we are seeing more and more as the data and views come available from map suppliers. Garmin has topographic shading in certain situations, and may bring to show a version in a 3-D point of view also. The drive here is to better represent on the GPS what you are seeing in the real world as it lays out in front of you. The concern of course is that when your right turn is behind that hill, you may not be able to see it.
The Navigon 7200T has a whole host of features that continue to build on their offerings in the market. The full press release below walks through them.
Navigon announced today that they are launching the Navigon Fresh, a desktop software that offers a map subscription. Over the course of three years, you can download up to 12 updates to keep your device full of current maps that have been verified by NAVTEQ with millions of updates each month. At $79, the Navigon Fresh Maps service is pretty fair considering each one-time map update from other GPS makers costs about $60 with discounts. Also available in the desktop software, your Navigon can be kept up to date with the latest software version. The company also talk about exclusive content available to Navigon users through the Navigon Fresh software - who knows what that will bring, but we've seen custom POI sets from other makers; maybe an easy and cheap offering here too. One can only imagine.
Navigon has the Navigon 8110 out in the UK and it comes with new 3-D maps that allow you to see the contour of the roads and landscape around you. I assume they've figured out how to show you what's n the other side of that hill when you are coming up to its peak.
I wouldn't be surprised to see this come out on a Garmin device here soon. The recent introductions including the Garmin Colorado handheld and the Nuvi 500/550 series announced yesterday they are showing the basic components of this: 3-D views on the Colorado, that allow you to see what lies ahead in a similar point of view. While the Nuvi 500/550 has the normal 2-D topographical maps, it sets the stage for other offerings and map options that must have Garmin playing with alternative representations of how you would like to drive down the road.
If you were one of the cold souls who waited out for a Black Friday deal and got an early Navigon unit, you may be ready for a software upgrade. If you haven't, and you regeistered your unit, you probably got an email like the image above that urges you to get the map upgrade.
The software upgrade to Version 1.2 includes:
Free Map Update (through 7/31)
Improved Routing
Revised Voice Prompts
Improved ETA estimates
Updated Zagat's information if you have this on your device already
The Navigon 2100 MAX is is a widescreen entry level GPS that adds might to the value end of the Navigon offerings. The GPS market is getting crowded in the value end, as more competitors come to the market, while the big guys continue to innovate in this arena to stay competitive. The 2100 MAX is of course the follow-up to the blitzing Navigon 2100 (See my Navigon 2100 Full Review) that vaulted onto the market in the holiday period with $99 sales and lifetime traffic deals. The standard screen (3.5-inch) Navigon 2100 did well, and got a lot of attention for its innovative interface design and their overall design aesthetic. They also got some unwanted attention for some rough spots on their interface and what I would call "Cultural Adaptations" that didn't translate from the native German design to the American expectations. Navigon showed that they were in the game in a serious way and have brought software updates and launched the FreshMaps (after market map subscription), which shows that they are serious about the US market.
The Navigon 2100 MAX adds the 4.3-inch screen to the entry level where a lot of people are interested in a sub-$250 widescreen unit. The Navigon 2100 comes with 48-state maps, Text-to-Speech, and the ability to create multi-destination routes. With a fairly robust POI database, and branded POI listings, how's the new widescreen from Navigon do?
Navigon is working hard to get a better experience in the hands of its users. The new Version 1.2 software release does a lot to get them ahead in the quality game.
It's a pretty impressive list of upgrades. While you might say that Garmin doesn't let go a press release when they update their unit software, but I think at least for this newcomer, Navigon needs to show that they are keeping the consumer front and center, and that updates are taking care of some strong criticism when the unit was launched.
Updated Features:
Enhanced routing performance to get you to your destination easier and quicker than ever before
Better handling of HOV and carpool lanes to exclude restricted lanes for normal routing
Updated ZAGAT POI data
Updated user interface
New highway icons for Canadian highways on relevant products
Improved performance when navigating between menu screens
Simplified main screen, larger state selection buttons, revised text strings and better recognizable menu icons
Easier to use ZAGAT POI screens make it simple to find your top rated destination
Added street names to 3D maps by default
Revised voice prompts for highway entrance and exit ramps
More precise Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
Complimentary new map
Head to Navigon's Website and login to MyNavigon to register your device and download your update.
Navigon Claims #2 Spot in Feb. for Hot Navigon 2100
Navigon has claimed the #4 overall GPS Brand spot and the #2 spot behind the sales of the popular Navigon 2100. Clearly they have captured the attention of bargain hunters with the Navigon 2100, as it has been seen retailing for some pretty low prices. While some may think of it as buying marketshare, others I am sure think it a shrewd move to make their brand name well known. The interface is refined, and has a look and feel that shows that they know what they are doing and aren't satisfied to churn out yet another plain old interface that is unremarkable. On the downside, I still found some issues with the ease of use, that I would expect them to iterate on the next improvement round. See my Full Review on the Navigon 2100 for more information.
Navigon Details the Woes of the American Driver
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