NEW YORK — Escort sped into CE Week (all puns intended) with new detectors and an update to its notification-sharing network, as well as a special bundle for Apple Stores.
Under its Beltronics brand, Escort said it was replacing the Pro series with five new models. Detectors will range in price from $169 to $499, and as the price goes up, so do the detectors’ range improvement. Most of the models are compatible with the Escort Live notification-sharing network. They were scheduled to begin shipping in June.
The STi Magnum ($499) will feature the company’s SmartCord (which provides access to the Escort Live), Autoscan technology, the ability to select radar bands, three city modes, and a reported 40 percent improved sensitivity on the K and Ka bands. It’s designed for professional over-the-road drivers and “is RF/electrically invisible, i.e., it cannot be detected by RF sniffers,” an Escort spokesman told TWICE.
The Pro 500 ($399) replaces the Gx65 and has a 40 percent increase in range. It features True Lock, which is the ability to locate and then lock out false-alert sources (True Lock).
The Pro 300 ($299) replaces the V995/Rx65, and also has the 40 percent improved sensitivity on the K and Ka bands. The Pro 200 ($199) replaces the V955. It does not feature selectable radar bands. Both can be used with the SmartCord.
The Pro 100 ($169) has just two city modes. It does not include a SmartCord or have the Autoscan technology or selectable radar bands.
Escort also updated its Escort Live app, with version 2.0 being accessible to users without radar detectors.
Drivers can access alerts for speed traps and traffic cameras with the free version of the app, as well as use the company’s Mark Location feature to receive automatic reminders for previously marked threats.
Consumers can gain access to all of the features in the Escort Live app — such radar and laser alerts, the ability to share notifications, and time-sensitive warnings — by purchasing a subscription for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Finally, Escort announced it has created a SmartRadar bundle specifically for Apple Stores. The Apple Pack, as the company called it, sells for $399 and includes the SmartRadar detector, which was first announced at International CES in January; two connection cords to give a user the choice of powering via the cigarette lighter or a powered rearview mirror; and mounts for both the detector and the iPhone or iPod Touch. The iPhone can charge via a USB port on the cigarette lighter cord.
All functions are displayed on the iPhone screen. Non- Apple users can also purchase a SmartRadar bundle that includes a small display screen for an extra $50.
