Garmin Debuts Nuvi Widescreen GPS Units

Garmin has announced two new widescreen GPS units, the 200W and 250W, offering 4.3-inch touchscreen displays and integrated map information.

Garmin International has introduced two new widescreen GPS systems&mash;the nuvi 200W and nuvi 250W—intended for in-car use, offering 4.3inch touchscreen displays, integrated map information, and a selection of convenience applications.

“Many customers want a larger display on their personal navigation device, and the nuvi 200W series delivers,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “The nuvi sets the industry standard for elegant design and a simplified user interface, and these newest units represent the pinnacle in widescreen entry-level PNDs.”

Both units offer a 480 by 272 pixel 4.3-inch touchscreen display with backlighting, an SD card slot for loading data, and a high-sensitivity internal GPS antenna which makes the units slimmer and easier to mount in vehicls. Both units can provide 3D map views, turn-by-turn voice directions, and can automatically recalculate routes if drivers miss a turn. The units also sport convenience applications like a picture viewer, currency converter, unit converter, and world clock. Users can also enhance the pre-loaded map data and points of interest with third-party info which can point out everything from speed traps to school zones. A theft prevention system can disable the units until a user enteres a four-digit PIN or takes the unit to a pre-defined location.

The nuvi 200W comes with preloaded map info for the contiguous 48 U.S. states plus Hawaii and Puerto Rice, while the 250W comes with maps including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the contiguous 48 U.S. states. Garmin also plans to offer region-specific versions of the 200W and 250W for Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Brazil. European regional coverage will include UK/Ireland, Italy/Greece, Spain/Portugal, and Germany/Switzerland/Austria/Czech Republic; the European versions will also include pre-loaded information on speed cameras.

The nuvi 200W and 250W should be available in July for $499.99 and $549.99, respectively, and each come with a suction cup mount, in-vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and a manual.