Navicore Personal offers ‘in-car quality’ GPS at a tenth of the cost, also turning mobile phones into personal navigators

Navicore Personal runs on the widest range of mobile phones on the market today with full support for Symbian Series 60 and 80 handsets

From now on the only way to get lost is to lose your mobile phone

May 18, 2005 – Following huge success in Scandinavia since its introduction, Navicore Personal is being launched today in the UK offering mobile phone users the next-generation navigation system that works directly on their handsets. Featuring the fastest mapping and routing technology on the market, Navicore Personal provides a reliable and easy-to-use navigation solution for devices people find most convenient using when on the move - their own mobile phone.

William Morgan, Navicore’s UK country manager, says, “Featuring a point-and-click user interface, we have designed the product ground up for mobile phone use so, in comparison with competitive solutions that are typically ported versions of PDA navigators, Navicore Personal is the most responsive product on the market. It reacts to user input instantly even on mobile handsets with limited computing power.”

This is achieved as Navicore Personal contains a fast proprietary routing algorithm to respond to directions taken by users without delay. Calculating routes of hundreds of miles takes only a few seconds.

To make navigation affordable and available to everyone, even people who are self confessed ‘techno-luddites’, a key design criteria of Navicore Personal has been simplicity. Morgan says, “We wanted to make the navigator as easy to use as typing a SMS message. This has certainly been achieved and Navicore Personal is applicable not only for car use, but for personal navigation when people are walking around in the streets.”

Navicore Personal is sold as a complete retail package containing everything necessary to start navigating straight away. Included in the box is a memory card containing the Navicore application, all UK maps, a Bluetooth GPS receiver and charger. The receiver features the latest Sirf III GPS chip which makes it possible to receive an accurate signal even if it is placed in a bag, a pocket or in the glove compartment of a car.

Navicore Personal is simple to install – all that is required is for users to slot in the memory card into their phone and that’s it. Morgan says, “The 256 MB card contains accurate digital maps from Tele Atlas with street-level detail, all stored locally on the telephone. As no network downloads are necessary, maps are always available to the user which is a key benefit.”

While driving or walking around, Navicore Personal shows clear and easily understandable instructions on screen and also gives spoken instructions in multiple languages. Morgan adds, “The Navicore solution also offers thousands of points of interest and innovative features like ‘Find a Friend’ or what’s often referred to as location messaging. This allows you to text your location and a map to your friends, colleagues and family so they can find you easily.”

Jon Petty, head of 02 Retail, says, “GPS has very much come of age with the launch of Navicore Personal. It’s affordable, simple for customers to use, transportable from car to car, as well as offering personal navigation when people are walking about. It’s just the kind of killer application we want to make available to our customers through the 02 Retail stores.”

Navicore Personal is available from June 1, 2005 nationwide through O2 retail stores with a recommended retail price of £199.99 for Symbian Series 60-based mobile phones and £249.99 for Series 80 handsets. Support for Symbian UIQ will be available shortly.

Phone compatibility
Navicore Personal is compatible with Symbian Series 60 and Symbian Series 80 handsets with support for Symbian UIQ coming out shortly.

Currently supported phone models: Nokia 3230, 3600, 3620, 3650, 3660, 6600, 6260, 6670, 7610, N-Gage, N-Gage QD, 6630, 6680, 6681, 9300, 9500, Siemens SX-1, Sendo X and Panasonic X700.

Upcoming support: SonyEricsson P910, P910i, Motorola A1000