Garmin International has launched a free Android application called Smartphone Link, which is described as the first Android app to provide live services to personal navigation devices (PNDs). Any Bluetooth-enabled Garmin nüvi sat-nav device from the 2012 range can now be connected to an Android smartphone, allowing users to add traffic information, traffic camera images, weather and fuel prices to their navigation device. Some services will be free while others are chargeable.
Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, said “Garmin Smartphone Link solves the problem of having to pay for an extra data plan to use live services on a PND by utilizing the existing connection of a smartphone. It is a great example of how smartphone apps can complement navigation devices, which offer key benefits such as bigger screens and better GPS reception.”