The Rise of GPS Mobile Phones and Downfall of Stand Alone Options
Posted by Abu Duha on June 18th, 2009
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Take a minute and remember the last twenty years of your life. Technology has literally transformed the way we live so much, that most of the things available are or will become a necessity. A good example of this is a GPS system that you find in your mobile phone. Most of these tiny little pieces are situated inside the SIM card and can keep track of your location. It’s an amazing feat, when not too long ago cell phones looked like huge walkie-talkies.
Even though all mobile phones still don’t have a GPS feature, most of them are equipped as long as you have access to a 3G network. It is said they can do many of the same things a stand alone can do, but that’s simply not the case. You’ve probably heard of big names like Garmin who use stand alones in the car. However, their product is geared towards a true GPS system, while cell phones have several different features like cameras, Internet, ring tones and MP3 players.
Since mobiles are so spread out, they can’t focus on the best product of one feature. Plus, having a stand alone like the ones you see in cars are much safer when driving. Granted you may have a passenger to help you, but in most cases using a cell phone for GPS purposes could leave you in an accident or worse. If you are using a stand alone the only time your eyes are off the road is to glance over or use the voice directions option.
So the stand alone unit is better for the car. But then again, when you park the car, you take the pink mobile phones with you while you are not likely to lug both the phone and the GPS, unless you have a lot of pockets. And cargo pants are just not in this year.
Right now, both the cell phone and the GPS markets are growing. The problem for the GPS manufacturers is that if customers had to choose only one, they would certainly choose the cell phone and more and more phones are being offered with GPS capabilities for no charge. That means that consumers will only buy a GPS unit if the one on their Sim free mobile phone is not good enough. And for many people it will be just fine.
Market analysts say that the stand alone GPS market will continue to grow for a few more years as the prices are lowered, but that it will drop off drastically as people upgrade to the latest generations of smart phones and the 3G network coverage is completed. At that point the cell phone GPS systems will be improved enough to compete with the stand alones in all but screen size. And the negative for the phone there is countered by its portability and multi functionality.
It’s a great example of how the world turns, and when one product comes out there is always another one in the works. The end result is great for technology, but bad for the companies that spent millions manufacturing obsolete products.
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