Ingram Micro's V7 brand is not exactly a very well-known manufacturer of GPS devices, but it would seem that things are about to change, as the company has just announced the release of two new GPS-enabled personal navigation devices, which provide a relatively large number of navigation and multimedia features at a very affordable price tags.

According to the company's statement, the NAV730 and NAV740 GPS PNDs are targeted at value-conscious GPS consumers and commercial fleets. Both are portable navigation devices featuring V7 Navigation Software with turn-by-turn, text-to-speech capabilities that allow users to see and hear where they are and how to get to their destination.

The NAV730 and NAV740 come with many features which we generally encounter in the case of higher-end priced models, including a 3.5-inch 320x240 TFT-LCD high resolution display (NAV730) or 4.3-inch 480x272 TFT-LCD high resolution display (NAV740). Both models are touch-screen enabled with an easy-to-use, intuitive graphical user interface and turn-by-turn voice instruction including text-to-speech.

Furthermore, the new V7 NAV730 and NAV740 feature 400MHz CPUs for faster map redraws and enhanced AV capabilities, SD card technology for expandable storage, preloaded maps, and a built-in high performance multimedia (audio and video) player that supports the most popular audio, video, and digital picture formats (MP3, WMA, OGG, MPEG4, AVI, WMV, GIF, JPG, TIFF). Moreover, the PNDs use SiRF Star III 20-channel high-sensitivity GPS chipsets (WAAS enabled) and are powered by rechargeable Li-Polymer batteries (1600 mA and 1250 mA respectively), which provide up to 3.5 hours of continuous navigation time.

"The ultra-slim NAV730 and NAV740 are perfect solutions for consumers as well as commercial fleets who demand a feature-rich product at a value price point," said Rainer Kozlik, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's Global V7 Private Label Group. "These products are part of V7's commitment to offer innovative, reliable products at an attractive price-performance ratio to resellers worldwide."

Although the claims regarding the quality of the two new PNDs from V7 can obviously be proved only by practical tests, one thing's for sure: the company's not kidding around when talking about its very low prices, as the NAV730 will retail for just around $199, while the NAV740 will have a $299 price tag, thus providing a very good features-per-price ratio, at least by comparison to other similar products available on the market.

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