Portable GPS

	The AL-8003 from mainland China's Goldshine Technology features an in-dash DVD player with a built-in amplifier and GPS navigation.

New-generation products combine navigation, entertainment and a host of other features.

Greater China suppliers’ ascend in GPS technology was evident at the China Sourcing Fair in Hong Kong, where they demonstrated a shift from standalone to integrated devices, thus boosting performance and functionality with navigation, location positioning, multimedia and even mobile communications features.

The show—held at the Asia World Expo on October 12 to 15—brought together two sides of the GPS gadgetry: portable and in-car products. In retrospect, it was portable GPS products’ entry into the mass market that helped stoke the adoption of in-vehicle versions, even though their initial applications were limited to the presales segment.

Moreover, suppliers’ expertise in producing GPS products—mainland China alone has more than 200 suppliers of GPS devices—made it easy for many companies to take on in-vehicle GPS production. So the promise of in-car electronics industries is spawning a slew of devices meant to enhance the driving experience, making GPS capability one of the most popular applications being integrated into electronics gadgets.

The integration of communications, navigation and entertainment functions in a single device is increasingly blurring the line between pure GPS and pure entertainment products, in some cases forcing suppliers to reassess how to position their products. Still, most companies are positive that the all-in-one multifunction product concept offers users the best ‘package’ and price-to-quality ratio.

Furthermore, the convergence trend is bringing the industry closer to the telematics ideal, which some GPS suppliers forecast is the long-term goal for in-vehicle GPS devices.

Multifunction, converged products will, thus, continue to rise in supply in Greater China. Buyers will find an ample range of basic in-car GPS, but more of the new releases will integrate a plethora of features and functions. Despite the additional cost and technology challenges, this trend will be fed by the growing need of makers to differentiate their products and increase profitability, especially in the face of a global economic downturn.

The heightened product development will be complemented by rising production volumes as makers gear up for a larger slice of the pie. iSuppli projects worldwide car GPS production will reach 65.1 million units by 2012, triple the total volume in 2006.

	The SC1000 from mainland China's Sinchun Electronic combines GPS and multimedia PC.

The in-vehicle GPS products supply from Greater China may be broadly classified into units pre-installed in cars and those that target the aftermarket. Most suppliers in Greater China have been catering to the presales market, but the line’s penetration of the aftermarket picked up in recent years, and will continue to gain momentum in the months ahead.

Exhibitors like RoadRover Technology Co. Ltd focus more on GPS for specific car models. The supplier offers GPS navigation systems for Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan and Skoda Octavia car models. Its D2280HA unit, which is specially designed for the Honda Accord 2008 model, boasts an 8in digital touchscreen TFT LCD and Bluetooth with advanced audio distribution and headset profiles. It supports DVD, VCD, CD, MP3, MPEG-4, CD-R and WMA formats, connects with the car’s radio system, and enables route planning and voice guidance. The company can add digital TV and PAL/SECAM/NSTC capability as options.

Stricter requirements in the presales car GPS sector and long turnaround times on one hand and growing margins in the aftermarket segment on the other will speed up the shift to the latter, whose share of production has been rising steadily. A growing number of Greater China suppliers are finding in-vehicle GPS for the aftermarket more flexible in terms of design and production. Makers are also able to broaden their target market base because of the wide variety of configurations and installation methods.

More suppliers are expected to expand the scope of their upcoming GPS products. Even the makers previously concentrating on car-specific GPS products have started offering 1-DIN and 2-DIN car navigation systems to be able to cater to most car models available today. For instance, RoadRover’s A2265N is a 2-DIN touchscreen navigation system suitable for most car models. The unit has a 6.5in TFT LCD, AM/FM radio, iPod connectivity, six/10-disc CD/DVD changer and GUI. Its GPS capabilities include voice navigation and route planning.

GPS product line-ups showcased at the China Sourcing Fair also lead to another key trend: basic in-vehicle GPS devices are stepping out of the spotlight and giving way to feature-rich, multifunction models. Suppliers currently use two platforms in developing these multifeature products—the DVD platform and the GPS approach.

Most makers of in-car electronic products leverage their experience in developing entertainment systems and use the in-car DVD or multimedia entertainment product platform to venture into the in-vehicle GPS market. In this case, most companies just add GPS navigation to their in-car DVD or multimedia entertainment players and position these as all-in-one in-car entertainment and GPS device.

A large percentage of in-car entertainment systems in the market today integrate GPS capabilities. Many of these systems have either 3.5in or 4.3in LCD screens, although some units support larger screens. These products’ in-dash DVD players support DivX, MP3, WMA and a host of other formats. Some even have built-in amplifiers and stereo speakers.

At the other end of the product spectrum is the in-car GPS navigation device that packs a growing range of entertainment features. Many new models displayed at the show incorporate e-book readers, picture viewers, speakers and earphone jacks. Some new releases also enable gaming and calculator functions.

In line with the growing popularity of mobile TV, some companies have started developing in-vehicle GPS with DVB-T support. Shenzhen Coship Electronics Co. Ltd plans to launch a 4.3in model with DVB-T and Wi-Fi. The company is also preparing to roll out a 7in model with a built-in DVD player, FM radio and camera.

According to Coship, the strong multimedia influence on this line is pushing the adoption of widescreen displays or larger screens. Coship’s CPND-7005 combines GPS, navigation and multimedia in one device. It features a 7in TFT LCD with 800x480 pixel resolution, 20ch SiRFstarIII GPS receiver, address book, photo viewer, e-book reader, A/V player, 2x2W speaker, DVB-T and Bluetooth. Its navigation capabilities include auto routing, POI search, and arrow and voice guidance. The unit is built around a 400MHz CPU and runs on Windows CE .NET 5.0.

Many new models have built-in memory and card slots for expanding the storage capacity. Some suppliers are expanding their in-vehicle GPS’ communications capabilities by building in GPRS. Sinchun Electronic Co. Ltd, for instance, is looking to develop models with built-in GPRS and messaging functionality. The company is also exploring the idea of units supporting Skype phone.

Sinchun Electronic’s SC1000 and SC2000 GPS products double as portable multimedia PCs. Running on ARM926 533MHz CPUs, these units have 2GB hard disks, and support word processing, photo viewing and navigation features. These also incorporate games, electronic dictionaries, 5MP cameras and 4.3in touchscreen TFTs. E-mail, Skype and MSN messaging are supported.

Suppliers’ GPS product development underpins navigation. Products enabling tracking applications are available from some companies, but these will not likely be the focus of R&D or product development this year.

Efforts toward enhancing products’ navigation capabilities include support for more GPS channels and better search functionality. Some of the new models demonstrated at the show added search feature for restaurant menus and scenic spots.

An increasing number of models feature WAAS and EGNOS signal accuracy systems. Many models from Taiwan support Bluetooth 2.0 and up to 32 satellite channels. Some in-vehicle GPS receivers also have data logging capability.

Voice navigation is now also enabled in more products from Greater China. All of the car GPS products from mainland China’s RoadRover support voice navigation.

The portable GPS from Sinchun Electronic, which doubles as in-car GPS, packs voice navigation as well. Many of the models even add speed warning, traffic alert and up to 18 language options.

Some models support 3D map navigation, turn-by-turn voice guidance, route programming and multisearch. TMC and POI are also available in some companies’ new releases.

To be able to offer users more services and applications, companies realize the need to bolster their software development capability. Coship admits that software remains a challenge for many companies. At present, Coship works with software providers for its GPS products, but plans are afoot to work with mapping companies and eventually to start developing its own software.

Ease of installation and use drive industrial design trends in GPS product supply. Slim, compact and lightweight models are emphasized to broaden the mounting options, and are thus ideal for units that can be mounted on the window or visor using a suction cup. This is especially true for portable GPS that also functions as in-vehicle GPS device, whose supply makers forecast will continue rising despite the increasing popularity of dedicated products.

Some of the latest models from Central Pacific (CPIT) are ultra-slim and ultra-light at 13mm and 110g, respectively. Makers keen on expanding their markets in Europe and the United States target streamlined housings. According to these companies, silver and black housings will continue to thrive, as these create a sleek feel.

Meanwhile, the same emphasis on ease of use, plus user interface enhancement, will encourage more suppliers to use touchscreens. Already, a growing percentage of Greater China’s new car GPS products pack touchscreen TFT LCDs, and more makers are expected to make the switch in 2009.

Several companies supplement the touchscreen interface with styli or software keyboard, but these features will likely be adopted more for portable GPS products.

Further, makers are expanding their products’ input/output options. New models from Central Pacific have memory expansion slots, speaker and headphone jacks and USB ports, with most units supporting USB 2.0. These units come bundled with USB cables, car chargers, car mounts, suction cups and styli.