TeleNav 7.1 for Sprint Android phones: this time it's personal

Sure, everyone loves Google Maps Navigation, it's free, and it comes on every Android handset. However, those wanting a more personal experience from their phone's GPS (and are on the Now Network) should check out TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1. Among the changes from prior iterations of the app are a new home screen with real-time traffic updates and customizable "Home" and "Work" buttons to show your impending commute times. So you can pick the fastest way home (or the most direct route to happy hour) 7.1 also recommends multiple routes to your chosen destination and provides drive times and traffic conditions for each route. As if that weren't enough, you can also download three widgets to put on your Android home screen: a map showing your current location, a search bar, and a widget that shows your home and work commute times. We enjoy celebrities giving us directions and all, but it's good to see some new functional features coming to the GPS game. Full PR after the break.

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TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 Launches on Android Devices from Sprint

New home screen and features allow drivers to customize their navigation experience to make their lives easier, less stressful, more productive, and fun while on the go

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct 11, 2011 – CTIA Enterprise and Applications 2011 – TeleNav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), one of the largest global wireless location-based services providers, today announced a more personalized GPS search, traffic and navigation experience for Android devices. TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 goes beyond turn-by-turn directions to help on-the-go people run errands around town, explore and discover what's around them, or commute to work or school.

New Home Screen

TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 uses a new, unique home screen, called "My Dashboard ™," for quick and easy access to what on-the-go people needevery day. The redesigned interface includes a map of the user's current location with real-time traffic overlay and customizable "Home" and "Work" buttons to show current drive times based on live traffic.

Improved Map Options and Customizable Car Icons

TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 also includes smoother and faster map rendering, enhancing features such as live traffic, red light cameras and satellite view map layers. The application includes Multi Routes™, which recommends up to three routes to the destination with distance and estimated drive times based on traffic conditions. Users can review information for each route and select the option that best fits their personal driving needs. To further personalize the navigation experience, drivers have the option to use fun, custom car icons such as a sports car, hot rod, tank, space ship, motorcycle and more.

TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 not only accurately guides drivers to their destination; it also provides people with many useful features along the way to make it easier to drive and arrive with more confidence and less stress. The application includes "Cockpit View," a feature that shows roads and street names that zoom into view for a better navigational experience, and "Junction View," which informs drivers which lane to be in to make complex lane changes simple and easy. When combined with other existing features, such as turn-by-turn directions with street names, 2D and 3D moving maps and traffic avoidance, TeleNav provides drivers with all of the information they need to safely reach their destination.

New Widgets

Also new to TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1, customizable Android widgets have been added for quick access to the information that on-the-go people need and use every day. Three TeleNav widgets are available for download on the Android home screen, including a map of the user's current location, a one-box search field, and navigation with Home and Work commute times. In addition, shortcuts in the navigation and search widgets make it even easier to access popular Places categories and local traffic.

"While other navigation apps tend to only focus on getting you from point A to point B, we believe there is tremendous value in a more personalized navigation experience that is tailored to your daily
needs," said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for TeleNav. "From My Dashboard to widgets, car icons to Multi Routes, drivers are looking for a more personally relevant experience."

Other Key Features

Find out where to go, how to get there and what to do when you get there with TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1.

· Favorite and Recent Destinations: Drive to your favorite and recent destinations more quickly and easily with one-touch access on My Dashboard

· Daily Commute: Current drive times based on live traffic right on the home screen

· Live Traffic: Save time with live traffic updates that automatically reroutes you around traffic jams or road congestion

· Local Search: Search 22 million Places and get user-generated ratings and reviews to quickly decide where to go

· Local Reviews: Rate and review your favorite Place all from your phone

· Gas Prices: Search up-to-date gas prices by location and price to save money

· Voice Search: Stay safe and keep your hands on the wheel with voice-activated commands

· Local Weather: Get real-time weather and seven day forecasts for your current location

· Voice Guidance: Clear, easy-to-understand driving directions spoken by a real human voice

· And much more

Availability

TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 brings personalized navigation and search to Android phones from Sprint running Android 2.3, Gingerbread, such as the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and LG Marquee, as well as HTC EVO 3D, Kyocera Milano and Samsung Replenish. Tablets from Sprint running Android 3.0 and higher, known as Honeycomb, will also include the app. TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 will be available later this month at no additional charge with Sprint's
Everything Data and Simply Everything plans, with optional premium features such as lane assist, speed trap, red light camera, speed limit notification and commute reports available for an additional $4.99 per month. The custom car icons are available through an in-app purchase for $.99 each. TeleNav expects My Dashboard and other TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 features to be available on other platforms in the near future.

Representatives from TeleNav will be available to demonstrate this new technology at CTIA's Pepcom media event this evening from 7:00pm –10:00pm PT at The Marriott Marquis in San Diego, California.