Magellan's new car kit for iPhones and iPod touches is meant to work in conjunction with many of the nav applications currently available in the App Store. However, it isn't just a dumb cradle for putting the device within arm's reach. It has a powerful speaker, its own GPS antenna and Bluetooth capabilities, all of which enable its use with an iPod touch and lets it double as a hands-free car kit.
In recent months, portable auto GPS navigation systems have been challenged in their market by smartphone applications that mirror much of the functionality of the standalone units. Now an attack is being launched from another vector, thanks to a new iPod gadget announced by a major player in the take-it-with-you auto nav arena.
The gadget, made by Magellan, which is a subsidiary of the MiTAC International, is a device for the second-generation iPod touch or iPhone that mounts on the dash or windshield of a vehicle and contains a GPS receiver, amplified speaker and noise-canceling speakerphone. Called the "Magellan Premium Car Kit" and expected to go on sale this week for US$129.99, the mount also supports Bluetooth, so its speakerphone can be used for hands-free gabbing with any mobile with that technology, and it work with most turn-by-turn navigation apps that run on the iPhone or iPod touch, including Magellan's RoadMate application. 
Better Antenna Since the iPod touch doesn't have a built-in GPS receiver, the car kit enables the media player to act as an auto navigation system.
There are also advantages to iPhone users who forgo their mobile's built-in GPS receiver. "It has a bigger antenna than the one that's built into the iPhone so you get better GPS performance when you plug into our car kit," Charlie Quong, Magellan's product manager for mobile products, told MacNewsWorld.
"The antenna in our car kit is the same as what you'd find inside one of our portable navigation devices," he added.
Another feature that enhances the experience of using an iPod or iPhone as a navigation device is the car kit's amplified speaker, which has volume output comparable to a standalone nav unit. "Without the amplified speaker, you'd have to use the iPhone's speaker, which isn't very loud," Quong explained.
Yak and Navigate Concurrently By supporting Bluetooth, the car kit transcends being just a navigation device. Any phone that supports the technology can be paired with the unit, which is good news for iPod users who don't own an iPhone.
Used in tandem with the unit's noise and echo-canceling microphone, incoming calls can be answered with a tap of a button on the car kit. Double tapping the button will redial a number or terminate a call. "The microphone is optimized to work hand-in-hand with the large speaker in the car kit," Quong added.
Unlike some mobile-based navigation systems, phone and navigation tasks can be performed simultaneously with the car kit. With the iPhone, however, the navigation app must be relaunched after a call is connected.
"The navigation app will run while you're talking on the phone," Quong said. "I can be on my iPhone talking to you and driving around with my navigation app on and giving me directions at the same time."
Accepts Skins A line-out jack is also incorporated into the car kit, which music lovers will find appealing. It permits the car kit to be popped into auto audio systems with aux input through a 3.5mm plug.
"You can play navigation and music through your car stereo when you use the line output," Quong observed. "Our application has a music player built into it so you can control your music from within our application."
Unlike some multi-purpose mounts, like the product announced by Dual at CES this month, Magellan's car kit will accommodate most cases and skins designed for Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) mobile devices.
"There are a lot of people out there that prefer to have an iPhone in some kind of protective shell or skin to protect its finish," Quong noted. "Our device is made to allow most of them to remain on the phone without removing them."
Challenge to Dedicated Units Since the arrival of smartphone nav apps, standalone makers have moved to beef up their platforms. One way they've done that is by adding wireless capabilities to their products. "The [wireless] connectivity adds to the equation a very important thing," Michael Morgan, a mobile devices analyst with ABI Research, told MacNewsWorld. "It keeps the maps updated."
That updating service can usually be purchased for a one-time fee, which makes it a sweeter deal than purchasing navigational services from cellphone carriers who typically charge monthly for them.
The game changer in that scenario, though, may be cellphones based on Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android technology, which offers free turn-by-turn services. "It removes that pay-one-time for your information advantage that the pure play guys have," Morgan maintained.
At this stage of development, though, mobile carriers are still looking for the honeyspot for their navigation offerings.
"They're still trying to learn how to deliver an experience that's equivalent to a dedicated device, while getting people to pay for the service." Morgan asserted. "There's a lot of GPS capable phones, but not everyone is spending the extra nine, 10 bucks a month on top of their 40, 50 dollars a month for data just to have turn-by-turn directions."
(from internet)
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