If you believe Ford, the future is not in expensive built-in navigation systems, but rather in portable cell phone units, much like the new Apple iPhone 3G which has navigation capability, that work in tandem with the vehicle.
Ford is betting on their Sync, and other Sync-like information systems, is where everything is headed. You just dock your (very trick) cell phone into the car, and let Sync take it from there. The video screen to display maps and directions will likely remain, but the expensive global-positioning locator, the software to select routes and the databases of streets and destinations like gas stations and ATMs will all move to a central database like MapQuest.
stovt001 says:
02:06 PM, 07/26/08
You mean the future of sat nav isn't found in built in systems that are 10 times as expensive as their competition, are expensive to update, often feature unintuitive controls, and can't be transferred from vehicle to vehicle? Wow, what a revelation. You learn something new every day.
stovt001 says:
02:08 PM, 07/26/08
You mean the future of sat nav isn't found in built in systems that are 10 times as expensive as their competition, are expensive to update, often feature unintuitive controls, and can't be transferred from vehicle to vehicle? Wow, what a revelation. You learn something new every day.
stovt001 says:
02:08 PM, 07/26/08
You mean the future of sat nav isn't found in built in systems that are 10 times as expensive as their competition, are expensive to update, often feature unintuitive controls, and can't be transferred from vehicle to vehicle? Wow, what a revelation. You learn something new every day.
hondacura4 says:
05:14 PM, 07/26/08
The Sync system is very interesting too bad most Ford vehicles are not.
blueguydotcom says:
06:43 PM, 07/26/08
but the expensive global-positioning locator, the software to select routes and the databases of streets and destinations like gas stations and ATMs will all move to a central database like MapQuest.
There's nothing expensive abour a GPS chip, the software or the map data (which comes from either of two companies). I've product managed handheld navig projects and you can make whole devices for less than $200 including licensing the GPS software/maps. If you want to push the wireless data costs onto the user then you can drop the entire cost of a GPS system to less than $150 easily. Yeah, when you pay $2000 for a navigation system in a car, you're getting ripped off majorly.
revlimit says:
11:59 PM, 07/27/08
I wish we had the wide selection and variety of aftermarket GPS units that the Japanese take for granted. They're light years ahead of us in terms of having different GPS units at different price points.
Japanese carmakers also provide options to their customers so that they can select their dash-integrated GPS units at the time of dealer delivery. Just take a look at what Honda offers for the lowly Fit:
http://www.honda.co.jp/navi/fit/
They offer 8 nav units　ranging in prices from about USD $800 to USD $2800! Eight! Even with digital TV tuners and DVD playback!
Sure, the Japanese market is different than the US, but it seems to me that automakers doing business here in the US are not giving consumers the choice of GPS to fit the customer's needs budget. Frankly, if true, Ford's GPS "strategery" is a cop-out that forces the customer to use Microsoft's proprietary Sync system or whatever system like it is the flavor du jour.
If you look at recent econoboxes from makes like Honda (Civic, Fit), Suzuki (SX4), Scion (xB, xD), Toyota (Matrix) they all offer factory GPS units as options. If that doesn't sound like a contrarian trend to what Ford is predicting, I don't know what is.
tryan says:
05:19 AM, 07/28/08
*yawn* Old news, methinks. Where's the "Captain Obvious" T-Shirt when you need one?
GPS Units are rapidly becoming (or are already in some cases) throwaway items in terms of cost. The idea of spending $1500+ on a built-in GPS System that can be a well integrated piece, but at the expense of being a PITA to upgrade is rapidly losing traction with many logical consumers.
estreka says:
07:34 AM, 07/28/08
I like the fact that automakers sell nav units. Those profits allow base prices to remain low. It's what's called a "loss leader" strategy.
santiagofdz says:
11:18 AM, 07/28/08
Is it really that obvious for car makers?? I mean, they are investing a lot of money, and centering their interior designs on one central nav/entertainment/HVAC/car dynamics unit.
I think Ford's approach will work for some market segments, given that they Sync system prove's it can reliably handle what ever consumers throw at it, or it becomes ubiquitous (iPod) and can start to impose a standard, rather than follow one.
Most people don't care about adding something external to their car, they just want something that works, and that they don't have to worry about. Especially for high market, I think car integrated systems will prevail. Honestly, if someone can pay $ 80-100K USD for a car, do you think he/she will want to be bothered with plugging in an extra gizmo, that will have to be upgraded separatly from the car?
No. They'll take the car to the dealer, pay them to upgrade it, and that's the end of the story.