TomTom has launched their HD Traffic module in the Netherlands where they have users sharing their location in a network of GPS units acting as traffic probes; you help me and I help you. The FCC Site is showing the test results for the TomTom HD unit clearing the way for the module to be launched here. Usually by the time these are posted and publicly available, a launch is imminent. My hunch is an announcement soon with shipping for the holidays.
The TomTom HD Traffic Module is a cellular tranceiver that sends and receives traffic information so that you have the most up to date data available. Not only will it get information that is readily available to units with a TMC receiver, but it will also share the peer based information that other users of the TomTom HD system generate. So, if another user is stuck in a traffic jam up ahead, your unit will be aware of the jam and give you better route timing or routing options. This is similar to the Dash Express offering and how it works. Dash indicated that they needed about 2,000 units per metro area to get high quality coverage; I would imagine a similar number would be needed for TomTom also.
The TomTom HD module will be working on the GSM 850 and PCS 1900 bands and will most likely carry a monthly fee.
Garmin is teaming up with uLocate to roll out Peer to Peer tracking with the ability to share your location with friends and see where they are on your GPS. Sounds like a great application for the Nuvifone. The deal here with uLocate is that it will interface with social networking sites like Facebook. Not a new idea, as Garmin has rolled this type of business based service out for tracking your own fleet, and TomTom has had the TomTom Work capability for fleet tracking too. The Buddy Beacon is a nice reapplication of a good idea. Now you just have to get past the privacy concerns.
The Garmin Oregon family of Touchscreen handlheld GPS devices were announced just a few weeks ago, and I have been fortunate enough to be playing before they were available to the public (The Oregon line is expected to ship in the 3rd quarter of 2008). The unit offers the breakthrough of a touchscreen interface on a rugged handheld that can be taken into the woods, rained on and still give you directions to the cabin, the geocache or just back to the car. The Oregon line sits firmly at the top of the Garmin handheld series with a set of features that are pretty strong, and for some units, wireless capabilities to make it possible to communicate between units and accessories (Heart rate monitor for instance). The base model, the Garmin Oregon 200 offers the same touchscreen interface, a smaller amount of memory, and no preloaded maps. The Garmin Oregon 300 adds the wireless features, and electronic compass, a barometric altimeter as well as some more memory onboard. Finally when you get into the Garmin Oregon 400t, 400i, and 400c, you keep the wireless capabilities, but also add either Topo, Inland water ways, or Coastal waterway maps respectively; hence the t/i/c designator.
The Oregon line uses a high sensitivity GPS chipset, has a 3-inch touchscreen and is HotFix capable, which is to say that it can remember where satellites SHOULD be in the future, so start up time (the time it usually spends looking for those same satellites) is minimized. The interface, while touchscreen enabled, is very much a carry-over from the recently released Colorado series (See my review: Garmin Colorado 400t Full Review). I already have a pretty good idea of the functionality from using my Colorado 400t. The Oregon is also an inch shorter than the Colorado due to the antenna sticking out the top of the Colorado.
The big questions in my mind were going to be around visibility of the touchscreen, and the overall usability of the touchscreen interface.
Shipments of Personal Navigation Devices (PND) doubled in the second quarter of the year versus year ago, according to Canalys, an independent research firm. This growth comes despite the tough economy, but probably because prices continue to fall on GPS units at the stores. With the advent of the $150 entry level unit from a top brand name, you can pretty much assume most people interested in a unit will be able to go out and get one.
In the US market for the second quarter, Garmin maintained a 47% market share, while TomTom came in second at 25%, Magellan at 11%, Mio at 4.5% and Navigon at 3.6%. In the remaining "Other" category, Nextar was mentioned as an up and comer. I have hands on reviews on a lot of models from these brands check out the Reviews page.
Garmin Nuvi 270 & 370 - Pre-Loaded European + North American Maps
I know that a lot of people are heading to Europe for the end of the summer and beginning of the Fall; have you heard of Octoberfest? Yea, I thought so.
So, if you are looking to get a GPS with pre-loaded maps of both the US and Europe, one of the ones that is inexpensive right now is the Garmin Nuvi 370. At about $280, it's a pretty good deal for a unit pre-loaded with both sets of maps. The big deal is that the Nuvi 370 has Text to Speech; it says street names, which may be GREAT when you are driving in a strange place.
Don't need text to speech? Try the Nuvi 270 - a very affordable unit that at $219, is a great buy.
The new TomTom ONE 130 and ONE 130S come to the market at a time of intense competition and high expectations for the major GPS makers as they vie to marketshare and the attention of the millions of shoppers who are discovering the wonders of not getting lost and actually getting to where you want to go without stopping, backtracking or imagine that, asking for directions at a gas station. The TomTom ONE 130/130S are the refreshed face of the TomTom ONE line that continues to bring big player GPS features and quality to the market at entry level prices. The units slim down in 2008 with an ultra thin look, and an innovative mount, dubbed the EasyPort. Fold flat profile and a twist to adhere suction mount make the EasyPort different in the GPS world. With the addition of the "S" designator, you get a nice bump with Text to Speech on this unit, something that I continue to advocate for if you can afford it.
The new TomTom ONE XL 330 and ONE XL 330S come to the market at a time of intense competition and high expectations for the major GPS makers as they vie to market share and the attention of the millions of shoppers who are discovering the wonders of not getting lost. When you can afford it, there are some nice bonuses to having a widescreen GPS which include a better overall view of where you are going, easier input of data (i.e. your destination's address), and just pure readability of the whole interface. I'll explore the advantages below. I recommend widescreen GPS units if you can afford it.
The TomTom ONE XL 330/330S are the refreshed face of the TomTom ONE line that continues to bring big player GPS features and quality to the market at entry level prices. The units slim down in 2008 with an ultra thin look, and an innovative mount, dubbed the EasyPort. Fold flat profile and a twist to adhere suction mount make the EasyPort different in the GPS world. So, while a widescreen GPS may take up some more room, you won't be penalized too much considering the thin profile of the unit.
With the addition of the "S" designator, you get a nice bump with Text to Speech on this unit, something that I continue to advocate for if you can afford it.
Pink, Blue, Red Garmin Nuvis - Color Coordinated Navigation
Garmin may have hit upon something here with some special colored editions of Nuvi navigators. Sure they can cost more, but after seeing a few of these in person, the colored units are cool, and hey just different enough to stand out in a crowd.
Pink Nuvi 200 - The basic Garmin Nuvi that has Maps of the 48 states, and a dead simple interface.
Red Nuvi 205W & Blue Nuvi 205W - Widescreen upgrades that have an updated interface and maps of the 48 states. The units also boast a faster satellite acquisition time and the ability to navigate to geotagged photos that you have loaded up.
TomTom is continuing their Map Upgrade sale to encourage folks to get on the right pathway to enlightenment, or something like that. THe Maps are updated both through TomTom Mapshare changes and organic changes that TeleAtlas adds; millions monthly.
Maps of the US are only $59, Maps of US+Canada, $79.
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.
Garmin is launching a specialized version of the Garmin Zumo - the Road Tech Zumo, a Garmin that is Harley customized; no not with chrome pipes, but with all the Harley Davidson dealerships pre-loaded and a special program to share rides at Harley-Davidson website. The Zumo of course allows riders to not only get from here to there, but also plan, swap and share rides online where the idea isn't to get from point A to B on the fastest route, but maybe the one with the most sweeping curves and vistas available.
Garmin has started several communities centered around their units, and this is a nice outgrowth of the Zumo Connect site where ride sharing is taking off with 1000's of rides uploaded.
You can find the latest Garmin Zumo - the Road Tech Zumo at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally going on this week in SD.
It's the middle of the driving season with people driving to save money instead of flying, or even taking the "Stay-cation" to hang close to home. Either way, a GPS can help keep things on track. Here are a few of the stories we hit this month.
It's looking like Back to School time, and some deals are hitting the stores and online.
"New College; New Town - Need a GPS?" is the cry of the marketers; I just see some good deals. Pretty much everywhere has the new line of TomTom's on sale.
Circuit City is our Price Pig this week offering big deals on some GPS units at prices that are a lot higher than online. To be fair, their prices are about the same on TomTom's this week versus online.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
Garmin Nuvi 200 at Amazon - $150 - Best Seller today at Amazon. No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps, solid interface and routing. See My Full Review - Nuvi 200 for more info.
Garmin Nuvi 350 - Still $199 this week; very hot prices point for this unit. North American Maps, Text to Speech, and 5+ Million Points of Interest. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for a few bucks more at - $224
TomTom ONE 3rd ed. - $142 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $208 ($249 at Best Buy) Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech.
WidescreenModels
Nuvi 760 - $370 - New thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning, adds Bluetooth handsfree and built-in TMC traffic. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 760.
Nuvi 750 - $329, down $25 in the last 3 weeks - New thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning. Doesn't have the Bluetooth, or the Traffic capability that the 760 has. (Also available at Circuit City for $399 this week!)
Garmin Nuvi 780 - from $449- Down $50 since last week. Has MSN Direct 2, with traffic and gas prices sent to your GPS. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 780 for more information. (Also available at Circuit City for $699 this week!)
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $261 at Amazon; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 650 at Amazon $256. Text to Speech, North American Maps, See My Full Review - Nuvi 660, which is the same model with the addition of the TMC Traffic, which is the main feature not included on the Nuvi 650.
Nuvi 660 at Amazon $299; still best seller at Amazon - Down $30 in recent weeks - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL 330 - $202 - Is the new Basic Widescreen for the TomTom line, Maps of North America, new Easy Port fold flat mount, and no text to speech - Move up to the TomTom ONE XL 330S for Text to Speech at $299
TomTom GO 730 - $399 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
TomTom 920 - $315 - great value for the money. The recent upgrade allows TomTom to offer the older GO 920 for low money. Text to speech, maps of North America, and more - See my Full Review of the TomTom GO 920
Fitness stuff - get out and exercise! The Forerunner 405 is still very hot, and Garmin announced recently that this reinvigorated Fitness line grew sales by 50% over year ago.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available now at $349. - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $203 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $146 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Garmin dropped some good news and some not so good news this week. The Good news was that their earnings are still up despite the poor economy, and lackluster sales on a whole range of things at the stores these days. The bad news is that lowered expectations for the year citing macroeconomic issues.
The big winners were in a few segments:
Auto Revenue - up 24%
Outdoor/Fitness Revenue up 54% on the back of a successful Forerunner 405 and Edge 605/705 launch
North American Revenue up 27%
European Revenue up 19%
From CEO Min Kao:
"Despite the challenging macro economic conditions, Garmin experienced another quarter of growth in 2008 and continues to demonstrate our solid leadership position in the industry. Our strength in the automotive/mobile segment in the face of a slowing economy demonstrated that our products continue to be well-positioned to take advantage of the ongoing demand for portable navigation devices. The latest nüvi 2x5 products delivered during the second quarter provide yet more features for cost-conscious consumers including picture navigation and compatibility with MSN Direct's real time content service. We also delivered the high-end nüvi 800 series in the second quarter which offers industry-leading speech recognition in the personal navigation sector. Our nüvi product offerings continue to support our strategy of extensive market segmentation, drawing in customers with compelling, competitive features, and useful content integrated into easy-to-use products at many attractive price points. We believe this approach will continue to garner growing market share and drive strong results throughout the remainder of 2008. Although we continue to earn industry-leading market share, the sector is not growing as rapidly as earlier anticipated and consumers appear to be more cost-conscious than ever; therefore, we will be lowering our full year revenue growth expectations."
Full Press Release can be found here at the Garmin Site
Garmin drops Outlook and Delays Nuvifone - Stock Hurt
Garmin announced today that they needed to lower their outlook for the rest of the year on sales and earnings, while also announcing that they are delaying their much touted Nuvifone. For me the Nuvifone represented their move into the connected device market; maybe they will still jump into that market with a Nuvi 900 series or something. They remain the only major manufacturer without an overt and major announcement on a connected GPS navigator.
The revenue outlook really killed them today as they announced an expected $3.9 billion in revenue, down from $4.5 billion that they previously talked about. Apparently, teh Nuvifone only accounted for about $100 million of that drop; the rest is just hard times for the economy slowing down the sales.
Their stock was down 22% today to $35.19, a long way off the 52-week high of $125.
Garmin Nuvi 270 & 370 - Pre-Loaded European + North American Maps
Garmin Oregon 400t Handheld GPS Full Review
TomTom HD Traffic Module Headed for US
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