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Navigon Reveals More Details on iPhone Car Kit at IFA

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Apr 12, 2001
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iFun.de, a German iPhone news site, reports [Google translation] that Navigon has officially announced its own car mount for the iPhone. The mount comes with a car charger and will be available in October at a price of "under 40 Euros" (approximately US$57). A subsequent model with its own GPS chip may be offered also. Navigon made this announcement at IFA, a consumer electronics convention currently taking place in Berlin.

134921-navigon-mount-hi-res.jpg

Yesterday, we reported on information from Navigon indicating that an iPhone car kit to accompany its turn-by-turn navigation software was in the works. This information came to light via a wall post on Navigon's Facebook page, though no other information had been provided by Navigon through any other medium up until now.

Navigon was one of the first turn-by-turn navigation apps available for the iPhone earlier this summer, beating one of its major competitors, TomTom, to the App Store. Now that the release of TomTom's car kit for the iPhone has been pushed back to October, Navigon has another opportunity to be first-to-market with a major iPhone accessory.

UPDATE: A correction has been made to note that the car kit to be released first will not have its own GPS chip, though subsequent models released may have one.

Article Link: Navigon Reveals More Details on iPhone Car Kit at IFA
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/04/navigon-reveals-more-details-on-iphone-car-kit-at-ifa/
If they can make that car kit handle phones that are in cases, it would be a slam dunk for Navigon. We know the TomTom kit won't.
 
now here is a company that knows how to create a buzz and FOLLOW THROUGH and deliver on their statements

Tom tom you should take notes!!
 
Ouch!
If true, Navigon just kicked TomTom in the... well... where it hurts the most.
 
MacRumors said:
The mount will have its own GPS chip and will be available in October with a price of "under 40 Euros"
Click to expand...

This is just *wrong*. The article states, that there probably *will* be a version with GPS chip in the future. So the 40 Euro mount will definately *not* have a GPS chip. :(
 
Navigon FTW! Screw TomTom...

Disclaimer: I don't use either of these products, but I make my claim based on following the drama about release dates/price points for both software and hardware from both companies.
 
I've been holding out on a navigation app. This may sway my decision towards Navigon. I had originally planned on getting Tom Tom before I knew about Navigon. Now with all this BS where Tom Tom was late with their app, no info about the car kit, now info on a approx. release date for the kit, but still no price, I am kind of tired of it. Navigon released their software first, they already announced plans for improvements in future versions, announced a car kit with price. Plus, MobileNavigator is Navigon's only product. That should make them more competitive since it is what the business is based on. The Tom Tom app is more like a side project. If it has success, Tom Tom may get more serious with it. If it fails, they always have their navigation units.
 
nilo said:
This is just *wrong*. The article states, that there probably *will* be a version with GPS chip in the future. So the 40 Euro mount will definately *not* have a GPS chip. :(
Click to expand...

Thank you for pointing this out. The article has been corrected.
 
BryanLyle said:
If they can make that car kit handle phones that are in cases, it would be a slam dunk for Navigon. We know the TomTom kit won't.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how this is possible? Cases come in all different shapes and sizes. Some have hooks for belts, others dont. Some are made of leather, some cloth, some of plastic. To accomodate the plethora of cases for the iPhone would seem unrealistic.

:confused:
 
macslayer118 said:
I don't understand how this is possible? Cases come in all different shapes and sizes. Some have hooks for belts, others dont. Some are made of leather, some cloth, some of plastic. To accomodate the plethora of cases for the iPhone would seem unrealistic.

:confused:
Click to expand...


Orly? Put a plug at the bottom of this mount and it fits my phone with a case on it, and just about any case for that matter. It works great.
car-mt-ken.jpg
 
bbotte said:
Orly? Put a plug at the bottom of this mount and it fits my phone with a case on it, and just about any case for that matter. It works great.
car-mt-ken.jpg
Click to expand...

Then why buy the Navigon mount if this one does the same thing?

The Navigon mount could accomodate this kind of thing more-so than the TomTom mount, since the TomTom one has a connector built in, while the Navigon one is just another cable.

While I am leaning more towards the Navigon app right now (due to TomTom really dropping the ball on this whole thing), I'm really seeing Navigon's "Car Kit" as just another mount, while the TomTom Car Kit actually adds functionality (Enchanced GPS, Speaker, Mic, Bluetooth, etc).
 
Does anyone know of ANY comparison article anywhere across the interwebs comparing all the current navigation apps on the iPhone (Navigon, TomTom, CoPilot, etc.)? I haven't purchased one yet and I am looking to make as informed a decision as possible.....
 
bbotte said:
Orly? Put a plug at the bottom of this mount and it fits my phone with a case on it, and just about any case for that matter. It works great.
car-mt-ken.jpg
Click to expand...

I have this mount and like it very much. I use it with the LiquidAUX and it is a great combo. While I'm glad Navigon is coming out with a mount it will have to have a GPS chip for me to consider changing.
 
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Won't come with a gps chip?! Not very business savy to enter a very staurated market of car mounts/chargers in all shapes and colors without adressing the specific needs of your OWN product. TomTom wins this up front. Navigon might sell you the app but TomTom will be selling the essential hardware that makes it practical. Dumb move Navigon.
 
We'll see. If the TT car kit costa a hundred, then this GPS-less Navigon kit is a smart move. But if the TT kit is 50, then Navigon has failed...
 
JKColo22 said:
Won't come with a gps chip?! Not very business savy to enter a very staurated market of car mounts/chargers in all shapes and colors without adressing the specific needs of your OWN product. TomTom wins this up front. Navigon might sell you the app but TomTom will be selling the essential hardware that makes it practical. Dumb move Navigon.
Click to expand...

Practical? My Navigon has worked flawlessly without the need of an additional GPS chip AFTER I mounted it near the top of my dashboard. It didn't work too well when sitting in a cup holder in the center console though.
 
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