Motorola as a brand has never been known as a major player in the GPS space, and for that reason alone their release of the MotoNav could be viewed as a strange move. Especially considering the miserable failure that was the MotoNav TN30. Revealed initially early this year at CES 2010, the MotoNav TN765 however has received relatively positive reviews from sources like CNET, and thanks to its unique design has sparked our interest.
Besides the standard features anyone would expect from a personal navigation device, the MotoNav TN765 sports an eye-catching 5.1 inch ultra-widescreen (2.39:1 aspect ratio), which provides ample screen real estate from side to side, while reducing the amount of windshield blocked thanks to its low vertical profile. Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling is another interesting feature of the unit, mainly because it’s implemented in a useful and creative way. After pairing with a four-digit PIN, the unit can make voice calls and, for compatible phones, can even sync contacts. Better yet, if a phone supports Bluetooth messaging, the TN765t will even read SMS messages aloud and present a collection of quick messages for firing off a response easily at the touch of a button.
This same Bluetooth connection also enables data connectivity on the device through a service Motorola has dubbed as MotoExtras. Basically the service circumvents the requirement of a phone to have a data connection by making a simple voice call to Motorola’s servers to access info on gas prices, weather, and flight status. Similarly, if you’re looking for a location that isn’t preloaded in the TN765t’s point of interest database, searching via the Google button will also trigger a voice call to fetch the search engines top 10 results. Cost wise, this service is free for the first 3 months of use, which then switches to a fee.
Since it’s meant for both in pocket use and the car, the PND in a nice touch ships with a car windshield mount/cradle. This kit includes an FM-traffic data receiver, and interestingly enough allows the cradle to draw juice from the TN765t’s battery without plugging into a cigarette lighter. So there’s no need to bother with a cord should you hate draping it over your dash, or want to easily transfer the unit between cars.
Think this might be the solution for you, be sure to check out CNET’s full review, or hit the link to Amazon to call one your own.
[via Engadget]
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