Do you think Garmin, Tom-Tom, and Magellan are getting nervous?

[Alphawolf]

The dedicated auto. (as in "car") units are by far the fastest growing segment of GPS navigation units. However, I see a dark cloud on the horizon for the big three. It is cell phone navigation services. I see a time soon, when people will be paying for turn-by-turn nav. services from their cell ph. carriers as the monthly service fee gets lower and lower and lower. Remember when text messaging was too expensive to have? Yeah...Like 2 years ago! Now everyone has it.

 

We will all be thinking..."Hey, I already have a cell phone, so why buy a dedicated car unit?" If the prices come down to say $5 or $6 a month, we will then be thinking, "I can pay for about 5-7 years of monthly service with the cost of a new Tom-Tom (Or whatever).

Same with integrated systems from the auto manufacturers. Like, why pay $1200 for a built in system, that my phone I already have will do?

Edited October 26, 2007 by Alphawolf

[+webscouter.]

The screen on my Blackberry is very small and really hard to see while talking to the office while driving.

 

I don't think they are too worried.

[Alphawolf]

The screen on my Blackberry is very small and really hard to see while talking to the office while driving.

 

I don't think they are too worried.

 

Man, I have a Garmin i3 with a little itty bitty screen...I hardly ever look at it, except to put in an address...After that, I just listen to her. My phone screen is as big (or bigger even) as my Garmin i3 is.

[+Airmapper]

They will adapt their products to meet the market demand.

 

Speaking of which:

GPS Leader Garmin May Be Headed In Cell Phone Direction

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

I don't see it. I've got:

• An iPod, car stereo and stereo in the house
  
• A cell phone and a land line
  
• A gas grill, a range and a microwave
  

Geez, I feel like such a consumer all of a sudden!

 

Cell phones may be used more on foot and for location-based services. Who knows what dedicated PNDs will evolve into -- maybe Internet devices that give you more screen real estate. They'll still be better for car navigation than cell phones for years to come.

[+IVxIV]

I see the incorporation of traffic congestion, accident scene avoidance & construction detour alerts to be the next large scale "natural progression" to be for any GPSr that has road mapping on it, be it a car based model or even a handheld unit.

 

Not sure how a "small" handheld is going to do that easily, but perhaps some sort of bluetooth link to the car. That'd be GREAT to not only have my handheld GPSr tell me exactly how to drive to my destination, but also vary the travel path based on realtime congestion issues.

[Alphawolf]

I see the incorporation of traffic congestion, accident scene avoidance & construction detour alerts to be the next large scale "natural progression" to be for any GPSr that has road mapping on it, be it a car based model or even a handheld unit.

 

Not sure how a "small" handheld is going to do that easily, but perhaps some sort of bluetooth link to the car. That'd be GREAT to not only have my handheld GPSr tell me exactly how to drive to my destination, but also vary the travel path based on realtime congestion issues.

 

That is currently being done by realtime radio updates to GPS navigators (Those that support it). This is an easy task for even cell phone navigation. However...It is a monthly fee for it.

[+BlueDeuce]

The dedicated auto. (as in "car") units are by far the fastest growing segment of GPS navigation units. However, I see a dark cloud on the horizon for the big three. It is cell phone navigation services. I see a time soon, when people will be paying for turn-by-turn nav. services from their cell ph. carriers as the monthly service fee gets lower and lower and lower. Remember when text messaging was too expensive to have? Yeah...Like 2 years ago! Now everyone has it.

 

We will all be thinking..."Hey, I already have a cell phone, so why buy a dedicated car unit?" If the prices come down to say $5 or $6 a month, we will then be thinking, "I can pay for about 5-7 years of monthly service with the cost of a new Tom-Tom (Or whatever).

Same with integrated systems from the auto manufacturers. Like, why pay $1200 for a built in system, that my phone I already have will do?

 

I don't look at these companies like some johnny-come-lately product producer that disappears once nobody wants say, moon boots anymore.

 

Company names change when the name no longer sells the product. Could have changed owners plenty of times.

 

Products change when they no longer make money. Could have been sold off to someone who is willing to except a smaller profit margin.

 

Locations change. Cheaper labor and product, same great name.

 

No, they aren't worried. They make their money and they move on to the next thing.