Magellan pumps out eight new GPS devices, openly targets rich people

Magellan's brought a small army of GPS units to CES this year, dropping eight new units on us, including the new Maestro 5340+GPRS, which features Google Local Search and the ability to send addresses and notes to the unit from a PC. Magellan is also bolstering the low-end RoadMate 1200 series with the new $299 RoadMate 1212 and $329 traffic-enabled 1230, and introducing the similar 1400 series (pictured), which mirrors the 1200 series but ups the screen size to 4.3 inches. The Maestro 3200 series is joined by the Maestro Elite 3270, which completely eliminates the plastic border around the 3.5-inch screen and delivers about what you'd expect for 499: text-to-speech, voice control, Bluetooth, and three month traffic data subscription. The real action, though, is the new Maestro 5300 series, which debuts with two models: the absurdly-priced $699 5-inch 5310, which Magellan's press release openly targets at flush baby boomers (over $2 trillion in annual spending power!), and features a three-month traffic sub and text-to-speech, as well as built-in AAA TourBook travel guide info. The 5310 is joined by the somewhat less crassly-opportunistic 5340+GPRS, which adds in a GPRS cradle for all that live data action. It's not clear what service all those bits are coming down over or how much it'll cost, but we'll hit up the Magellan booth and get some hard answers soon.

[Itchy Pajamas @ Jan 7th 2008 5:07PM]

I'm pretty much a Garmin loyalist (for now) but the 5340 with GPRS sounds like a step toward the future for these devices. The mapping and POI databases need to model the real world as closely as possible, so updates need to be frequent and easy. Maybe Magellan will cover this need with a subscription service.

Magellan's "Crossover" last year looked like a good idea, and this one also looks like a smart move.

[Reader @ Jan 7th 2008 5:59PM]

I don't see high end GPS units really having much of a market. The type of people that would put down the money for an expensive one likely already have an expensive car. Expensive cars almost always have a GPS unit in them these days even if you don't want one.

[Johan S @ Jan 7th 2008 7:19PM]

OK, add some bling to it too then. Patterned gold trim. Diamond encrusted.

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 7th 2008 9:44PM]

I don't like magellans. They run windows CE 5.0, and the interface is really, really laggy. How do garmins compare?