NAVIGON adds upscale 8100 to GPS lineup

As a companion piece to its 2100 max updates, NAVIGON today also unveiled the 8110. The GPS receiver takes the line above its normally budget-minded focus with a larger 4.8-inch wide touchscreen and a brushed metal shell instead of glossy black plastic. The mapper is also the company's fastest with a dedicated 3D graphics chipset, a 533MHz main processor, and 128MB of RAM, all of which contribute to a smoother experience, according to the GPS maker.

Alongside its performance upgrades, the 8110 also plays host to built-in Bluetooth, an FM transmitter for beaming sound through the car stereo, as well as Traffic Message Channel Pro support for improved road congestion updates. NAVIGON hopes to release the 8110 in Europe by the end of April for €449 ($684) and will preload the device with maps for the region; the company has yet to announce North American equivalents, but is likely to do so in the future.