Jan 6, 2009 5:00 am US/Central
Pharos Traveler 137 GPS Smartphone Unveiled
LAS VEGAS (CNET) ―
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The Pharos Traveler 137 differentiates itself from other GPS-enabled smartphones in that it doesn't require a cellular connection to operate as a navigation device.
Pharos
Getting a jump start on
CES 2009, location-based provider Pharos officially introduced on Tuesday the Pharos Traveler 137 smartphone, a
Windows Mobile 6.1-based
handset with integrated GPS and navigation software. The unlocked,
quad-band GSM phone will be available late in the first quarter for
$599.95 and has been awarded a 2009 CES Innovation award for its
navigation solution.
The Pharos Traveler 137 differentiates itself from other
GPS-enabled smartphones in that it doesn't require a cellular
connection to operate as a navigation device. The unit comes preloaded
with Pharos' Smart Navigator software with the vector map and routing
calculations, so you'll be able to view maps, create routes, and get
turn-by-turn directions without a network signal. Other features of the
Smart Navigator service include real-time traffic, points-of-interest
search, and a feature called Follow Me, which lets friends and family
view your GPS locations via the Internet or a Windows Mobile device.
There is a fee to use the Smart Navigator service on a
pay-as-you-go basis: $1.99/one day of access, $4.99/one week of access,
$6.99/one month of access, or $49.99/one year of access. The Traveler
137 will initially come preloaded with maps of the United States free
of charge, and you'll be able to purchase maps for Canada, Western
Europe, and Eastern Europe on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly
basis. China, Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and other country maps
will eventually be added as well. If you choose not to go with the
Smart Navigator service, you will be able to use the smartphone's
Windows Live Search application to get maps and directions, though this
will require a cell phone or Wi-Fi connection.
Navigation aside, the Pharos Traveler 137 is a pretty
full-featured Windows Mobile smartphone. It offers Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi
(802.11b/g) and tri-band 3G support (1700/1900/2100MHz). Note that the
3G compatibility is with
T-Mobile and not with the
AT&T
3G network, which runs on the 850/1900MHz bands. The handset also has a
3-megapixel camera; a 3.5-inch, VGA (480x800 pixel resolution) touch
screen; 256MB DDR SDRAM/512MB Flash ROM, and a microSD/SDHC expansion
slot.
In addition to the Traveler 137, Pharos also announced on the Tuesday
the retail availability of three previously announced GPS-enabled
smartphones: the
Traveler 117 ($529.95),
Traveler 127 ($529.95), and the
Traveler 619 ($199.95).
(© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.)
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