Olathe, Kan. — Garmin International announced its first portable GPS devices with navigation for use by both pedestrians and drivers.
The 1200 and 1300 series are lighter and thinner than current nuvi models so they are easily carried in a pocket.
They may also be used with optional CityXplorer maps that are available for tourist destinations in North America and Europe. These maps may be downloaded to a PC and then to the nuvi via USB cable at prices ranging from $10 to $15, depending on the city.
In addition, the devices allow not only pedestrian directions but they include bus, train, subway and other public transportation information.
“The personal navigation device (PND) is no longer just for the car,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin VP worldwide sales claiming that the devices may now be taken “wherever you go.”
Some of the models in the nuvi 1200 and 1300 series also include free traffic updates for the lifetime of the product and lane assistance to help with upcoming turns in complex intersections. All models offer text-to-speech pronunciation of street names.
The nuvi 1300 series models have 4.3-inch touchscreens and they are available with different map configurations. The 1350 includes maps of North America while the 1300 excludes Alaska and Canada. The 1370T has maps of Europe and North America as well as free traffic and Bluetooth, and the 1390T has maps of North America, free traffic, Bluetooth and it adds views of road signs. The nuvi 1200 series offers similar configurations with 3.5-inch screens.
The devices also include Garmin’s ecoRoute feature, announced earlier this year, which can help users plan the route that uses the least fuel.
Prices on the 1200 series range from $199 for the nuvi 1200 to $299. for the 1260T and prices on the 1300 series range from $249 to $449.
