CES round-up: GPS devices get smarter

GPS devices have generated a lot interest at the 2008 CES, with industry players introducing increasingly sophisticated navigation systems. Here are some characteristics of  new PNDs annonced, it gives us an idea about the futur of the navigation systems:

1. Connected GPS : With TomTom  GO 715,  Dash, TomTom HD and now Magellan, there is a strong move to the connected GPS. We have talked about it in this post.

2. Real time information: New PNDs are adding features ranging from real-time information feeds, such as gas prices (see the gas prices offer of TomTom Go 920 in the US, Navx's gas prices in Europe)

3.3D maps: Tele Atlas technology in Mio C620

4. Speech recognition for hands-free operation (Garmin's Nuvi 880) and also hands-free phone calls

5. Bigger Screens: A lot of GPS makers focus on big screens, not as big as Garmin StreetPilot 7200 with a 7 inch screen but such as Garmin Nuvi 5000 with 5-inch, larger than the widescreen units on the market today.

6. Traffic solutions with Historical Average Speeds : the idea is that the GPS gives more accurate estimations of the trip times to get from A to B when taking into account traffic’s effect on the speed you can travel. Magellan Maestro Elite 5340 + GPRS has this feature and Navteq also works on it.

What comes next?