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April 17, 2007
GPS price war ... and piracy
There's nothing we like better than when manufacturers start fighting over market share. We've got one battle going on in the hard disk industry, for instance, that has just seen Seagate announce a drop in profits. Now it seems the GPS industry is at each other's throats.
Today we got a press release from Navman announcing its entry-level F20 has been reduced from $629 to $499. The better-featured N series range has also been slashed. The N40i is $699 (from $849) and the N60i $899 ($1099). And Sensis WhereIs has joined the party with a $50 cash-back offer on all GPS devices sold in April and May.
On April 1, TomTom announced a price cut on its range. The TomTom ONE is now $499, the TomTom GO 710 $699, and the Go 910 $899.
Can there be any link, we wonder, with the fact that mobile phones and PDAs are increasingly including GPS capability, and despite authentication safeguards, a lot of people are ripping off TomTom software, which seems to be regarded as fair game these days, because - according to one retailer we spoke to - it's no longer being sold in Australia. In fact, according to a TomTom spokesman, iIt has only been available in Australia as part of a package for the HP iPAQ, as part of a global deal.
Update: And today TomTom announced a new model:
Sydney, 17 April 2007 – TomTom, the world’s largest navigation solutions provider, today reveals the new TomTom ONE XL with a super-sized 4.3 inch high-quality touch screen and a sleek new design. The 4.3 inch screen guarantees drivers a clear view of the screen, whilst ensuring a stress free and safer journey on the road. Thanks to the enlarged screen drivers will have a better overview of the road ahead with more streets and information on display.
Posted by cw at April 17, 2007 03:08 PM
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After surveying opinions of GPS on the forum and keeping an eye on the price reduction frenzy, I finally got a TomTom One - you can get this or the Navman F20 at lower than AUD 499 if you have a close shop around. I was initially interested in a combo PDA / GPS like the Mio 550 (Bluetooth, Wifi) or the Mio 350 (no wireless anything) but they come with MioMap and although they are Windows Mobile 5.0, I could not find Australian retail of TomTom software the the PDA - there was an eBay.au listing that got pulled for some unknown reason. So, with some web reviews saying that combo PDA/GPS are a little fiddly, I got the simple TomTom One. And a John Cleese sound alike voice telling me where to go. I think GPS prices are more driven by the proliferation of models and brands - the makers from Garmin, Uniden, even a house brand JB Hifi model for AUD 350.
Posted by: anandasim ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://bleedingedge.com.au/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 17, 2007 04:08 PM
Hmm, they had better price the One XL higher than the One I purchased over the weekend! Other than the typical geek more-is-better gut reaction, the XL with the bigger screen may not be that useful even for those multi-focal afflicted people like moi. Firstly, these units should not be left in the car - you do want to carry it with you. Currently the Tom Tom One is quite small and fits in a pouch. A bigger one may be good for the eyes but not for carrying around. Secondly, if the software takes advantage of the bigger screen (is this more pixels or just bigger in size?), then will there be more detail in the maps or will it just be coarser grained? I noticed the Mio 350 with Miomap at Computers and Parts Land - their device showed the road name inset in the road, whilst Tom Tom Software shows the road names (arbitrarily chosen) upright, outside of the road line. I haven't figured out how the software picks one road name to show out of other roads as you drive. More importantly, your eyes should be on the real road and your eyes listening to instructions, rather than peering into an LCD when you drive.
Posted by: anandasim at April 18, 2007 01:39 AM