March/April 2005

In the early days of mobile phone-based navigation, systems were sometimes constrained by having to download maps "on the fly" before they could do their routing calculations. However, a new generation is emerging in which the phone is treated more like a small computer, complete with on-board mapping.

One of the latest such systems is the smart2go Personal Navigator from German developer Gate5, which stores its Tele Atlas mapping on SD/MMC memory cards. Currently it is said to run on smart phones with Bluetooth, card slot and Nokia Series 60-standard design. It is also be launched on other platforms including MS Windows Smartphone, PocketPC, Nokia Series 80 and Palm OS.

The system also includes travel and leisure information, and allows input in four languages.