Garmin unveiled its latest crossover GPS device, the N??vi 500 series, the week of July 21 at the British Automotive show in London.
As a crossover handheld/vehicle GPS device, the N??vi has a mode indicator that lets users toggle between automotive, bicycling, boating and walking modes. Unlike Garmin’s Colorado and Oregon outdoor enthusiast GPS devices, the 500 series have larger screens, and in the automotive mode the 500 series N??vis provide voice prompts for upcoming turns.
The N??vi 500 and 550 have 3.5-inch, 320-by-240-pixel screens. As expected from a crossover GPS, both models meet IPX7 waterproof standards, yet have an internal speaker.
The 500 comes preloaded with topographic and street-level maps for the 48 continental states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico and BlueChart g2 Vision and Inland Lake Vision maps for more detailed marine information. The 550 offers street maps for the United States and Canada.
Both the N??vi 500 and the N??vi 550 carry an MSRP of $499.99.