American SatNav manufacturer Garmin is releasing a number of new in-car navigational aids. Three new models will be added to the existing nüvi 2x5 series, and a new, three model, 7x5 series will be introduced.nüvi 7x5
Garmin will release their new nüvi 7x5 series in the fourth quarter of this year. This series consists of three models, the 755, the 765T and the 775T. These SatNavs contain a lot of new features, some of them firsts for the US manufacturer, like the lane travel assistant, reality view when approaching an intersection, 3D city view, GPS Hotfix and photo navigation. These new features make sure motorists receive a better view of what they can expect on the route. This should make navigating easier and safer.Garmin also improved their SatNav software. E.g. the route calculation is now quicker and the map itself also redraws faster. This last novelty is especially handy when (un)zooming maps. A number of Point of Interest have been sorted by brand name, which means you can now search for BP petrol stations or McDonalds hamburger restaurants.
Bluetooth
The existing nüvi 2x5 series is expanded with three new devices which all feature Bluetooth. The existing series in the range don't contain a Bluetooth module. This new feature allows these entry level models to do handsfree phoning. The cheapest version the nüvi 215 will be sold for ¤ 169. For thirty euro more this model can be had with an RDS/TMC antenna.Apart from the nüvi 215, there will be also a 265 and 275. The difference between these models is largely determined by the Navteq maps that are supplied with it, but there are also hardware differences: the 265 ships in four different versions: with or without wide-screen, and with or without RDS/TMC antenna. The nüvi 265 will sell for between ¤ 249 and ¤ 299. The nüvi 275, which ships with European, American and Canadian maps installed, will ship for ¤ 299.
Photo navigation
Just like competitor Navman, Garmin now introduces photo navigation. On their website you can download millions of photos containing geographical information which can help you plot out a route to your destination. The first batch of photos is sourced from Google's popular Panoramio community.It's still not possible to take snapshots with a nüvi device though, but chances are that Garmin will release SatNavs with built-in cameras in the future.
The new GPS Hotfix enables an even quicker satellite fix after turning on the device. Data on the location of the GPS satellites is stored in the nüvi, which results in a speedier localisation. The 7x5 models all feature a Bluetooth module for handsfree phoning, an MP3 player, maps with millions of Points of Interest, an SD card slot for the storage of your own files and recent data on safety cams. The new owner of one of these systems is also offered a free 30 day subscription to the safety cam updates. An annual subscription will cost ¤ 29.99 after that.
