For many years, portable navigation devices have been most used for its efficiency and practicality. These stand-alone devices render maps, turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, among other advanced features. Users are thankful for the GPS in their automobiles for they have rendered driving in familiar and new locations a breeze.
Then here comes the smartphone, blasting its way to being the most sought-after gadget. As the camera, camcorder and web browser are all rolled powerfully into just one handy device, smartphone has quickly displaced the traditional GPS. More so that it also comes with a music player and laptop features zooming its way to being the most preferred gadget by most.
Most smartphones produced by leading manufacturers like Nokia, TomTom and Garmin, are developed smartly with touch-sensitive screens, improved audio and intuitive menus. Now, pressing GPS even lower, smartphones now have the most advanced navigation applications, and are always connected for purposes of showing real-time traffic updates, directions and contacts in the phone’s address book. Even with noticeable shortcomings over the GPS, there is a fast increase still of smartphone purchases.
Everybody likes everything to be within reach, and smartphones have it all. Everyone cannot live without their mobile phones, and because satnavs are already integrated into the device, the more people find it indispensable.
It’s really no surprise now why GPS companies are scrambling to expand to the smartphone market. But still, their moves are a bit too late, with shipments of portable navigation devices seeing a continued fall since the third quarter of 2008 to date. On the other hand, sales and shipments of smartphones with integrated GPS doubled for the same period and have already hit 10.4 million to date. GPS manufacturers seemed to have also conceded, saying the volume of their PNDs being shipped and activated for smartphones have surpassed 11% of the total GPS smartphone total. They see the GPS built-in to smartphones move as the major reason for PNDs continuing dwindle in users.
For more infromation, click here PC World
More related details can be found here as well. rin.org.uk
Tags: GPS, in-car-sat-nav, phone-apps, phone-gps, Sat Nav, smartphone-apps, Smartphones