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Mio Launching Flavoured Milk? New Moov Satnav Range
Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:12 AM on August 6, 2008
Mio has come out all guns blazing with the release of three new satnavsfor the Australian market. They all look exactly like the Moov 380 we saw from the US back in June, although none of these local models have a built-in SIM card slot to let you make calls from the device.
All the new models are using Navteq maps, which (I believe) is a first for a dedicated device in Australia (I'm sure you'll let me know if I'm wrong). There's also a cool tech called instant GPS fix, which recalibrates the expected position of the satellites in the sky every three days to get your position quicker. Plus, each of the new models has a 2 year warranty.
The entry level Moov 300, which will have an RRP of $349, has a large, 4.3-inch widescreen display. They've rejigged the interface as well, so you get large icons (like TomTom and Garmin devices). There's text to speech (so it reads out street names for you), which is a nice addition to an entry level unit.
But it's the mid and high-range units that make the new Moov range interesting.
All the new models are using Navteq maps, which (I believe) is a first for a dedicated device in Australia (I'm sure you'll let me know if I'm wrong). There's also a cool tech called instant GPS fix, which recalibrates the expected position of the satellites in the sky every three days to get your position quicker. Plus, each of the new models has a 2 year warranty.
The entry level Moov 300, which will have an RRP of $349, has a large, 4.3-inch widescreen display. They've rejigged the interface as well, so you get large icons (like TomTom and Garmin devices). There's text to speech (so it reads out street names for you), which is a nice addition to an entry level unit.
But it's the mid and high-range units that make the new Moov range interesting.
The Moov 360 (RRP - $429) throws Bluetooth into the mix for handsfree calling. Not that exciting in itself, but Mio has also partnered with Truelocal for "Live POIs" which will search TrueLocal's database for nearby businesses, adding thousands of points of interest to your device. There is a mobile data connection fee involved with this feature, although how much data is transmitted is yet to be determined. The 360 also has 3D landmarks (thanks to Navteq), so places like the MCG can be viewed in 3D detail on screen for a more accurate representation of the place you're trying to visit.
The Moov 370, the top-end model, adds to the 360 by including the TMC traffic receiver in the box with a lifetime subscription. It will use the SUNA traffic channel, which is launching in Sydney and Brisbane next week, and will let you moonitor (and avoid) traffic congestion in your daily commutes. For just $549, that's a pretty good deal, price-wise.
The units themselves don't have the same sort of style that devices like TomTom and Garmin provide, but in terms of functionality vs price, they seem pretty competitive. Another boon for the new series is the inclusion of Navpix, thanks to Mio's acquisition of Navman last year. There's no camera in these models, but any photo with GPS coordinates (such as those taken on an iPhone 3G) can be used as a POI, and you can easily download them from sites like Flickr as well. How well that integrates with the devices is yet to be seen.
[Mio]
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