14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that not a day goes by without a new GPS-related announcement, since the manufacturers of such devices keep throwing newer and improved models on this already over-crowded segment of the consumer electronics market. And the company to come up with such a product is Delphi, a well-known manufacturer of in-car entertainment and navigation systems, who has just announced the release of its latest GPS-enabled Personal Navigation Device, the NAV300.
One thing's for sure in the case of the Delphi's PND: it comes with all the navigation features one might want from such a device. Thus, the NAV300 works with the very accurate Navteq maps and also provides Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality that announces street names and provides turn-by-turn directions while navigating for maximum safety, not to mention the fact that the driving signs are displayed directly on the screen. Moreover, the NAV300 allows drivers to store favorite locations and even to assign voice commands through its My Favorites feature, but also to find very easily certain locations by city, street or ZIP.
The device from Delphi also provides a very advanced Points of Interest feature, which uses reviews from the ZAGATSurvey guides and allows the users to locate restaurants, hotels, local attractions and favorite chains or franchises along their driving route. Moreover, the NAV300 also offers the optional traffic information service via Clear Channel, using RDS-TMC (Radio Data System-Traffic Message Channel) technology to deliver real-time traffic and weather reports. On NAV300's easy-to-read touchscreen, this information is displayed to the driver and is updated instantly as NAV300 adapts its recommended route to help drivers bypass traffic jams, road closures and extreme weather.
In addition to its advanced navigational capabilities, the Delphi NAV300 offers a few very interesting entertainment features, including a movie player, picture viewer and a new matching game that can be used when not in navigation mode. Moreover, it includes a Bluetooth module, which allows the users to take calls or view messages directly via the device.
"The Delphi NAV200 has been extremely well-received by consumers," said Max Rogers, Delphi's vice president of Consumer Electronics. "In keeping with Delphi's proud heritage of innovation, we're continually seeking ways to enhance our offerings and provide our customers with the best possible products that deliver outstanding quality and value." "Based on our many years of experience providing in-vehicle navigation systems for many leading original equipment manufacturers, Delphi can offer superior technologies and functionality in a portable design that's accessible to all consumers, no matter what vehicle they drive", he added.
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, the Delphi NAV300 has a MSRP of around $399.99. However, should the users opt for the Lifetime Traffic feature (namely, a subscription to the real-time traffic reporting systems for the entire life of the product), the device's price tag will go up to around 500 US dollars.
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