Garmin has announced a dedicated navigation app for Sony Xperia smartphones that will also provide pedestrian navigation on Sony’s SmartWatch 2.
Garmin Xperia Edition
This app will be free for the first 30 days with full access to premium features. Once the trial period is up, you’ll still have access to a map viewer and pedestrian navigation. But to get full access, you’ll need to spend $2.95 per month, although there will also be some one-time in app purchase options.
Premium features include onboard maps, active lane guidance, customizable speed warnings, lifetime traffic, and social media integration. The Xperia Edition is also compatible with Garmin’s HUD device.
Pedestrian navigation on the SmartWatch 2
To get this, you’ll need to pony up for an app extension (pricing TBA). The POI offerings are a little broader than what we normally see from Garmin…
Garmin XperiaEdition offers multiple options to search for points of interest or addresses, all integrated into one easy-to-use interface. The app combines an onboard database with other sources such as Local Search, Wikipedia, Foursquare, or addresses from the user’s phone contacts. With the Reality Scanner function, users can even display nearby points of interest in a live camera view.
Availability
Both Garmin Xperia Edition and its extension for the SmartWatch 2 are expected to become available in March 2014.
Here is the full news release.
About Rich Owings
I can’t believe that they are making this exclusive to Sony and one model of Sony at that. Sony really isn’t that popular a phone in the US they are always late to the game and expensive.
On top of that charging $2.95 a month for the program itself plus additional fees for traffic etc??
This is them completely ceding the smartphone market altogether.
Their last release in the UK was maybe a year ago, the Prestige 3598 LMT in light years ahead of what they’ve been releasing in the US. I’m not sure why the US gets dumped on by the navigation industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsKukFqa_Ks
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/on-the-road/in-car-sat-navs/current-models/nuvi-3598lmtd/prod121763.html
So, is this Garmin StreetPilot Onboard For Android, but just one specific Android?
Jim1348, I believe that is the case though Rich may have a better understanding.
Looks like the Navigon app to me.