Espoo, Finland — Nokia will launch its first personal navigation device (PND) in the United States by the end of the year.
The company announced today it 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 cellular phones in the United States for several years.
