UPDATED with availability info below.
UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the Magellan RoadMate 5230T-LM with Landmark Guidance.
Big news today from Magellan, which (AFAIK) becomes the first GPS manufacturer in the US to deliver what they are calling “Landmark Guidance.” They define it this way, saying it:
…gives drivers an easier way to navigate to their destinations. Instead of presenting the driver only with street names that may be hard to locate and read, the Magellan RoadMate GPS tells drivers to turn at familiar landmarks such as gas stations, banks, stores or other large, easily-seen places.
You can bet I’ll be trying to get my hand on one of these ASAP. No word on release date, but I’ll try to find out and update the post if I do.
UPDATE:
I’ve now received availability info. The following models should be hitting Amazon (early June), BestBuy (late May), Costco (May 21) and K-Mart (early June). All dates are estimates and more retailers are expected. It looks like there is some pretty serious pricing pressure on the upper end models.
- Magellan RoadMate 2210: $99.99 (K-Mart)
- Magellan RoadMate 2210T: $109.99
- Magellan RoadMate 2220-LM: $139.99 (Amazon, K-Mart)
- Magellan RoadMate 2230T-LM: $149.99 (Amazon, BestBuy)
- Magellan RoadMate 5220-LM: $149.99 (Amazon, Best Buy)
- Magellan RoadMate 5230T-LM: $169.99 (Amazon)
- Magellan RoadMate 5235T-LM: $169.99 (Costco)
More details in the news release.
About Rich Owings
Although this sounds very innovative at first, I think it will be very problematic for Magellan to keep up to date. Whereas streets and road names rarely, if ever change, gas stations, banks, stores, etc., change all the time, especially in this economy.
Agreed.
Navteq announced this a while ago but it must have needed more time to make it available in more areas.
http://corporate.navteq.com/webapps/NewsUserServlet?action=NewsDetail&newsId=920&lang=en&englishonly=false
Yes, but…
http://gpstracklog.com/2010/11/magellan-drops-navteq-maps-for-tele-atlas.html
So are they back with NAVTEQ or does Tele Atlas/Tomom have a competing product?
I missed that Rich. Thanks. BTW did you see where TomTom added millions of new gps probes for HD Traffic through a RIM deal?
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/rim-tomtom-hd-traffic-on-blackberry-devices/
I noticed a big uptick in traffic data a couple of weeks ago on TT Routes.
http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=25427
I did see that. I wonder if they got access to Dash Navigation (which RIM bought) technology or if RIM is going to do anything with it.
Interesting to see the data increase.
Is there any more information on Magellan going back to Navteq? I can’t imagine them having 2 map providers for the older units. I noticed that my unit has slowed down since the last update. Where it used to recalculate in time for a quick turn by my house. It no longer does.
According to BestBuy, the new models are still using TeleAtlas maps…
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Magellan+-+RoadMate+2230T-LM+GPS/5207942.p?id=1218623940996&skuId=5207942