Magellan Car Kit for iPhone nav apps coming soon to a car near you
After a dearth of car kits for iPhones and accompanying GPS navigation apps, manufacturers are starting to announce new kits on a regular basis.
The latest news comes from Magellan, who will soon be introducing a new vehicle mount for the iPhone 3GS, 3G, and the second generation iPod touch. As with the Navigon and TomTom car kits, the US$129.99 Magellan Premium Car Kit includes a built-in GPS receiver for better accuracy. Other features include:
Secure vehicle mounting for iPhone or iPod touch
Accommodates most silicon skins and hard shell cases
Adjustable mount securely rotates iPhone to either portrait or landscape mode for optimal positioning and widescreen route display
Recharges battery via the vehicle power outlet
Amplified speaker with volume control for loud and clear phone calls and directions
Noise canceling microphone for full duplex speakerphone operation
Auxiliary audio output (for connection to your car stereo)
Bluetooth enables hands-free calling
While designed for use with the Magellan RoadMate app [US$79.99 (sale price), iTunes Link], the Premium Car Kit works with any navigation app. I find the ability to accommodate hard shell cases to be one of the most compelling features, as many of the other car kits require a "naked" iPhone or iPod touch.
The car kit is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com, Best Buy, and MagellanGPS.com.
