Today, via a press release, German-based navigation company NAVIGON announced the release of its MobileNavigator product on the Android platform. Touting the software as the “first on-board navigation app from a major navigation company,” the company is hoping that some of the software’s extras — on-device maps, live traffic, real traffic-sign displays and red light camera locations — will help it to compete with the free Google Maps Navigation option. One leg-up MobileNavigator does have on said alternative is that it will run on devices running Android 1.5 or higher — Google Maps Navigation has a baseline of Android 2.0. The software requires 1.5GB of storage space and, after a free 30-day trial period, it will be priced at $39.99 for the next two weeks, or $59.99 thereafter. MobileNavigator is available in the Android Market starting today.
NAVIGON Launches On-Board Navigation App for Android Smartphones
Provides Premium, All Inclusive Experience with On-Board Map Material, Industry First Reality Scanner and Traffic Live
Hamburg, Germany October 27, 2010—NAVIGON AG, a leading provider of mobile on-board navigation, today announced the release of the US version of its award winning MobileNavigator for the Android platform. The first on-board navigation app of a major navigation company to launch on the Android platform, MobileNavigator brings premium navigation to the growing Android user base. Among many signature functions, the app includes the industry-first feature Reality Scanner that identifies points of interest by showing them in a live camera view. MobileNavigator is available now from the Android Market and includes Traffic Live and without an additional cost.
MobileNavigator brings first-class developments in GPS navigation technology and real-time travel information to the Android platform. “For almost two decades NAVIGON brings preeminent navigation technology; this long standing experience enables us to deliver sophisticated navigation solutions that transform smartphones into navigation solutions comparable to standalone devices,” said Gerhard Mayr, NAVIGON vice-president worldwide mobile phones and new markets. “Other than free navigation apps for the Android platform, NAVIGON’s app provides on-board premium maps and driving related features that go beyond providing simple directions, helping to make driving a more relaxed experience.”
Reality Scanner is an industry first feature for the Android platform. Utilizing the phone’s build-in camera, positioning, and compass components together with NAVIGON’S extensive POI database to project POI (points of interest) icons directly on the camera’s image. Users can point the device and instantly identify POIs in or around the location. Other premium features include, Reality View Pro, displaying photo-realistic 3D views of actual road, highway/interstate, signs and exits, and lane guide markers for easy driving decisions. Traffic Live uses real-time data from over a million drivers to route around traffic. NAVIGON MyRoutes analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each (a comprehensive list of features is below). The NAVIGON Red Light Cameras feature provides drivers an advanced visual warning for most red light and speed cameras.
MobileNavigator relies on the devices’ GPS receiver as well as the pre-loaded NAVTEQ® maps, providing full function navigation capabilities when a cell signal is not available. Off-board navigation, in comparison, is dependent on a cell phone connection to download map and routing data. Therefore, no cell signal renders navigation useless or interrupted until a connection is re-established. “MobileNavigator addresses the concerns of savvy consumers who are dissatisfied with the inconsistent performance of off-board turn-by-turn navigation solutions using lower quality data that has recently entered the market. NAVTEQ maps are a key differentiator and part of NAVIGON’S overall strategic vision for enabling a more sophisticated navigation experience for consumers,” said Jeff Mize, executive vice president, Global Sales, NAVTEQ. “The superiority of NAVTEQ® maps is defined by its verified accuracy, richness of content and its breadth of coverage data. Equipped with proprietary data collection tools and state-of-the-art technologies, NAVTEQ’S Geographic Analysts continually drive the roads to collect, verify and update over 260 attributes, many of which can only be captured through direct field collection. This in-depth “human factor” delivers data consistent with real world conditions and is one of the most robust and accurate geographic databases in the world.”
In addition to the benefits of an on-board solution, NAVIGON’S hallmark navigation capabilities and third party partnerships come together in MobileNavigator customized and developed for the Android platform.
The extensive set of features and capabilities include:
• Reality View™ Pro clearly displays photo-realistic 3D views of actual road, highway/interstate, signs and exits, and lane guide markers for easy driving decisions.
• Traffic Live The most precise traffic information available today, using real-time speed data from over a million drivers including commercial fleets such as trucks and taxis and non-commercial drivers with GPS capabilities.
• Reality Scanner helps finding points of interest by showing them in a live camera view.
• Lane Assistant Pro prepares drivers to make an upcoming exit or turn with a lane map complete with arrows and actual road geometry.
• Speed Assistant Adjustable audio-visual warning alerts drivers of speed and can be turned on or off.
• Text-to-Speech Complementing turn-by-turn directions; informs the driver of both the street name and the direction to turn.
• NAVIGON MyRoutes analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.
• Day & Night Mode for map display.
• Direct Access to Contacts Allows navigation to contacts saved in the phone’s address book.
• Route Planning
• Branded POIs and POIs along the route and in Reality Scanner.
• 2D and 3D map view
• Coordinate Input Employ longitude and latitude coordinates as a destination as an alternative to traditional input like an address or POI by name. Email geographical coordinates for precise location identification.
• Automatic Portrait or Landscape
• Intelligent address entry for quick text entry and lookup results.
• Real Street and Hwy sign display
• Directly call POIs
• Pedestrian Navigation
• Google Local Search Connected instant search of local points of interest.
• Red Light Cameras provides drivers an advanced visual warning for most red light and speed cameras.
Pricing and Availability
MobileNavigator is available now in the Android Market and Google Checkout for *$39.99 for two-weeks. Post promotion the app retails for a one-time fee of *$59.99. The price includes the Traffic Live services. MobileNavigator is equipped with maps of the U.S.A. from NAVTEQ®.
*NOTE: Price subject to slight variations based on exchange rates between Euros and US Dollars.
Compatibility
NAVIGON MobileNavigator is compatible with most Android phones and runs with Android 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2. The application requires a minimum of 30 MB of free RAM and about 1.5 GB storage space for maps, voices etc. Supported screen resolutions are 320×240, 480×320, 800×480, 850×480 and vice versa.
