Vodafone offers GPS add-on for handsets

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 04 December 2007 11:07

Your IT - Entertainment

Vodafone has started selling a $A149 GPS receiver that allows the use of its Compass navigation service to handsets that lack built-in GPS.

The 60mm diameter 'puck' talks via Bluetooth to the Nokia N73, N80, N70, N6680, N6120 and E65, and the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and Curve 8300. Further compatible handsets will be announced shortly, company officials said.

The purchase price includes three months access to Compass, which uses the Yapp technology.

In related news, the Compass service has been upgraded to show the cheapest petrol along the selected route, and the cheapest car parking near the destination.

“At just $A79 per year, $A8 per month or $A2.50 a day, [Compass is] certainly outstanding value and pays for itself when you consider the savings you can make at the bowser and on car parking," said Mark Corless, business application product manager for Vodafone Australia.

"This new device is affordable, simple and convenient for our customers and is set to be the next ‘must-have’ accessory this Christmas."

Compass also works on phones with built-in GPS, including the Nokia N95 and 6110, and the BlackBerry 8800 and 8310.