NOKIA 500 - a New PND's

Here we go...

Nokia, on its GPS world issue october 2007, has signaled that it intends to be a dominant player in the location based services (LBS)

Nokia is making its presence felt in the personal navigation market and the new Nokia 500 Auto Navigation is another addition to its lineup. The first handsfree PND from Nokia, it is geared towards in-car navigation and communication. The navigation device doubles up as your Bluetooth handsfree kit for compatible mobile phones. The Nokia 500 Auto Navigation features a 4.3" wide color screen, which is convenient to view not only maps but also your contacts. Nothing out of the ordinary, it features turn-by-turn voice directions, but as an added bonus, it features text-to-speech for speaking out street and city names. POIs and the like are the usual lot on pre-installed maps, which will be based on the target market.

An interesting and useful feature is the integration between the device's navigation and communication features allowing you to receive contact details for the POIs that are en route to your destination - this lets you call in advance and make a reservation, for example.

The Nokia 500 Auto Navigation also supports Traffic Message Channel service letting you avoid jams. The useful split screen interface on the device gives additional info to aid you in navigation.

The device does not fall short on entertainnment, and comes equipped with an integrated FM transmitter. Targeted for a Q4 2007 release in Europe, the Nokia 500 Auto Navigation is expected to retail at € 300 (excluding taxes). It should hit the US and other markets after that - which may mean a holiday season release or an early 2008 release