Nokia Enters U.S. PND Market

By Amy Gilroy On Sep 3 2007 - 6:00am

Nokia will launch its first personal navigation device (PND) in the United States by the end of the year.

The company will deliver a Nokia 500 dedicated auto GPS with turn-by-turn directions by the fourth quarter in Europe and said the unit will be offered in North America by the end of the year, according to a spokesman.

The 500 will sell in Europe for the equivalent of $400 but no U.S. price has been set.

The 500 offers real-time traffic (in the European version) and doubles as a Bluetooth hands-free device for use with a cellphone.

It also acts as a PMP, with the ability to watch videos and playback music through the car's sound system via a built-in FM transmitter.

Nokia began shipping a model 300 PND to Europe exclusively last year and has offered GPS add-on capability for cellphones in the United States for several years.