Navman adds new S100 to S-Series

With iPhone-esque touch interface

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9 October 2008 9:00 GMT / By Chris Hall

Navman today unveiled their latest and greatest addition to the S-Series range of satnav devices, the S100.

The unit has been redesigned from the ground up, resulting in a super-skinny device you’ll want on the dash of your car. Measuring only 13.5mm thick, but still offering a 4.3-inch flat widescreen display. A brushed aluminium back completes the exterior styling.

The headline feature here is the incorporation of Glide Touch, which takes a strong lead from the iPhone style of touch interface, with large distinct icons and menus that can be scrolled with a dragged finger, making navigation around the device itself intuitive and simple.

The new model runs on the latest SiRFInstantFixII chipset and brings in the latest 2008 editions of Tele Atlas maps. It comes with a host of POIs pre-installed, including "safety cameras" on a year’s free trial.

Along with familiar Navman features, such as incorporation of geotagged NavPix through the NavDesk suite, the S100 provides the most intuitive satnav experience yet. Charles Smith, senior product manager, told Pocket-lint "traditionally PNDs have been about A to B; this is all about plan, go, do, with much more emphasis on the planning and the doing".

Besides the normal route finding options, there is now a new "Explore" option, which can highlight points along your planned route, making it easy to pick out a restaurant, fuel stop or other interesting feature along the route.

"This is really for planning and for passengers", Smith pointed out. "This feature gives you a greater sense of where you are, and what is around you, rather than just where you are going."

A discreet home button sits in the bezel, meaning you are a single press from the home page at any time and you also get a "capture" pin button for creating POIs on the fly.

The S100 will be available in November, costing £199.