The Dash Express, the hot new GPS featuring two-way connectivity, has caused a paradigm shift in the GPS industry. We have yet to see how broadly the Dash will be accepted, though they seem to have had a strong launch, with high initial shipments according to the sales rankings at Amazon
There are a couple of key components to two-way connectivity:
- Internet search – At least two other GPS companies are moving to integrate this into devices in the U.S., as discussed below
- Crowd-sourced traffic – For now, Dash is the only manufacturer trying to bring us this feature, providing traffic updates via anonymized cell phone data relayed from other Dash users (though there are companies focusing on this technology that other GPS manufacturers could partner with)
While not a benefit of two-way connectivity, Dash’s built-in wifi will also give them the ability to push large map and firmware updates to the units.
Let’s look at the status of other GPS manufacturers as they move (or don’t move) to implement two-way connectivity:
