Sony/TomTom In-Dash Navi?

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Sony and TomTom may bring Sony Xplod in-dash navigation systems to the U.S., after announcing 4 joint models for the European market on Wednesday.

A Sony spokesman told us “We’re still in discussion with TomTom about a US. partnership, but it’s a very real possibility.”

The European models were shown at the IFA Show in Berlin. The Xplod AV Navigation units include Bluetooth, DVD player, aux in and USB jacks, DivX playback and they ship in November, said Engadget. They sport 7 and 6.1-inch WVGA touch screens.

The Sony models also center around advanced TomTom features such as IQ routes which takes into account traffic patterns at different times of day. The European versions have Internet connections and Google powered local search, said Engadget. No prices were announced.

With all its car stereo models, Sony presently does not offer an in-dash AV/navigation device in the U.S. If the devices materialize, they might compete with in-dash AV/navigation models from Kenwood that use Garmin navigation technology. Kenwood has claimed in the past that Garmin technology has helped boost sales.

Source: Sony and Engadget
Photo via TomTom

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