San Diego — Sony announced GPS devices that will include MP3 players, video or photo viewers in four units that are expected to ship in September, as well as its first portable GPS.
The top-of-the-line model also has a large 4.8-inch screen and includes a real time traffic receiver built-in to the GPS cradle. It accepts memory stick and has stereo Bluetooth for streaming music to compatible car radios and for hands free dialing.
The model NV-U94T also announces street names for upcoming turns and adds, for the first time from Sony, a 3D intersection feature for better views of complex highway intersections.
It includes maps of the 50 states plus Canada and Puerto Rico and has nearly 5 million points of interest. It also carries over from earlier lines, assisted GPS that adds an acceleration sensor, pressure sensor and a gyro sensor to help calculate the vehicle’s position even when a satellite signal is temporarily lost (such as heading through a tunnel). It also allows certain touch screen “finger swipe” commands for a one-touch short cut for navigating home, zoom in and out and other features. Suggested price is $400.
A second model NV-U84 offers a 4.8-inch screen with street name guidance, photo viewer and the “finger swipe” or “gesture” commands at a suggested $350.
An NV-U74 has a traffic receiver built into the actual PND and 4.3 inch screen with street name pronunciation, Bluetooth hands free dialing, photo viewer and the gesture command at $350.
The new budget model NV-U44 has a 3.5-inch screen, street name guidance, photo viewer and gesture command at $250.