PNDs remains navigation form-factor of choice but regional differences exist

LONDON, UK: ABI Research’s most recent navigation survey revealed significant differences in navigation form factor usage. While Personal Navigation Devices remain most popular in all the surveyed countries (France, Germany, the UK and US), the use of other form factors varies widely:

* 39 percent of German respondents reported the use of built-in in-dash navigation systems.
* 45 percent of respondents in France use mobile phones with navigation software.
* In the US, 85 percent of respondents use PNDs, a significantly higher percent compared to the other three countries.

Telematics practice director Dominique Bonte comments: “French drivers’ preference for phone-based navigation can be explained by French carriers having offered navigation solutions for many years, some of which are available free. The higher preference for in-dash navigation in Germany is due to a higher percentage of luxury cars sold.”

Other notable findings from the survey include:

* Text-to-speech is more commonly used in Germany and the US.
* Traffic information is used by 51 percent of respondents in Germany.
* Garmin is the leading PND brand in the US, used by 57%, followed by TomTom and Magellan.
* In Europe, TomTom is the leader among PND brands.
-- In Germany, Navigon and Medion are the #2 and #3.
-- In France, Garmin and Mio follow TomTom in terms of usage.
-- In the UK, Garmin, followed distantly by Navman are other PND brands.
* About half of all PND users in the US, Germany, and the UK report that they paid between $100 and $200 for their PND.
* Significantly higher percentages of those in the European countries (50%+) have updated their maps, compared to only 42 perceny of those in the US.
* 55 percent of those in the US who plan to replace their devices intend to purchase a PND, while 25 percent are looking to obtain a built-in in-dash navigation system.