Becker Traffic Assist 7827 Heads to U.S.

The Traffic Assist 7827 will bring free real-time traffic reports and directions detailed enough to let you know which lane to be in, among other features.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, sweeping away last year’s stock of GPS units with it, German electronics manufacturer Becker is preparing to release its high-end Traffic Assist 7827 unit in the United States for 2008. A number of features, including free traffic reports for life and specific lane directions, set the new GPS unit apart.

Like many competitors, the 7827 uses a relatively generous 4.3-inch touchscreen LCD display for ease of viewing and interaction. It will also handle all the standard GPS functions, like point-to-point navigation, points of interest, displaying pictures and even playing MP3s.

Quite unlike most competitors, though, the 7827 will deliver real-time traffic reports without an annual charge. Many competing units require a subscription in order to stay up-to-date. The unit also shows directional signs as they will appear on the road, a function Becker calls “reality view,” and tells drivers exactly which lane they should be in.

The 7827 will debut at CES in Las Vegas, but Becker has not yet announced pricing information or an exact release date.