Customers describe how award-winning GPS navigation service, powered by TeleNav, keeps them cruising in the right direction.
Now available on more than 60 Sprint phones, including Palm® Pre™.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-- With the recession taking a toll on travel budgets, many Americans are looking for less expensive alternatives for their end-of-summer vacations this year, such as a road trip rather than a costly airline flight. Sprint (NYSE: S) customers who take to the road this Labor Day weekend can get help finding their way to where they want to go, and finding restaurants, hotels and other attractions once they get there, right on their phone with Sprint Navigation.
While on the road, millions of wireless customers are now using GPS navigation on their wireless phones as their navigation device of choice. In fact, a Forrester report published in May predicts that within four years, phone-based navigation will be more popular than traditional GPS devices.1
Scott Carmichael, editor of the popular travel blog Gadling.com, believes more drivers will hit the road this Labor Day than in most years past.
“The Labor Day weekend is traditionally a popular weekend for road trips, but we anticipate that even more families will choose car over air travel this year for economic factors and to avoid hassles at the airport, including long security delays, long waits for a take-off slot and excessive baggage fees,” said Carmichael. “GPS turn-by-turn navigation on mobile phones can help to create an enjoyable road trip experience by allowing customers to preplan stops online, find popular places to eat or stay, and search for cheapest gas prices along the route.”
Sprint was the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer GPS navigation on its phones. To date, more than 60 Sprint phones support the award-winning Sprint Navigation, powered by TeleNav. Sprint Navigation is preloaded on many Sprint devices, including the popular Palm® Pre™, so it’s ready for customers to use right out of the box.
“Put simply, I love that such a powerful and comprehensive navigation app comes pre-installed on the Palm Pre,” said Daniel Ramirez, a Sprint Palm Pre customer. “With GPS turn-by-turn directions and spoken street names included as part of my data plan, what's not to like? The best part is, Sprint Navigation works beautifully with the Palm Pre's multitasking abilities. A while back, my boss drove me to New Orleans. Through his car speakers, I ran Sprint Navigation and Pandora radio, all while checking emails, answering phone calls and sending pictures to friends via MMS. My boss, who owns a different phone with a different carrier, was impressed. It was a good day for me.”
With Sprint Navigation, customers can live in the Now with the latest features, including 3D, turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, traffic alerts with one-click rerouting, daily gas price updates and more than 10 million business listings. Automatic reroutes help customers to avoid traffic or, if they miss a turn, may also save them from wasting gas while on their road trips. Sprint Navigation customers can also preplan online at www.sprint.com/navigation and send businesses or addresses to their phone.
“I recently had to go to Kansas City and I didn’t know how to get there or how to get around once I arrived,” said G. Durbin, a Sprint customer. “With Sprint Navigation, I managed to get there with no problems and I was able to get around the city with ease. On my way home, I overshot a street and it rerouted me quickly. I also used it on a recent trip to Michigan. Although I know my way around there pretty well, it alerted me to construction up ahead. I could never imagine traveling without Sprint Navigation and I am not sure how I managed to get around before I had it.”
“I absolutely love Sprint Navigation,” said Melissa Plumlee, a Sprint customer who works in tax and estate planning. “I do seminars all over Georgia and it always gets me there with the best route. It’s all I need for both work and personal travel.”
Sprint Navigation has received positive feedback from popular tech reviewers as well.
“I have been upfront about my love for the Sprint Navigation system on the Palm Pre,” said James Kendrick, editor of jkOnTheRun, a GigaOm network site covering mobile technology. “The service works as well as dedicated GPS navigation systems. I use it all the time. It not only keeps me on the best route, it also provides real-time traffic information. This has saved my bacon more than once and let me avoid traffic tie-ups.”
Sprint customers have access to unlimited use of GPS navigation included at no additional charge in Sprint Everything Data plans, or they can use it for $2.99 per day with other plans (standard data charges apply). For customers, this means a convenient and easy way to get GPS navigation for ongoing or occasional use, whichever they prefer.
“Sprint Navigation turns popular Sprint phones like Palm Pre into the only GPS device Sprint customers will ever need – at no cost for Everything Data subscribers,” said Len Barlik, vice president of wireless and wireline services for Sprint. “With Everything Data plans that include unlimited messaging and data like Sprint Navigation, customers can use the features they want most on their phones without worrying about the cost.”
“According to our research, navigation continues to be the most desired location-based solution consumers want,” said Thilo Koslowski, vice president and automotive practice leader at Gartner. “Navigation on mobile phones is accelerating overall consumer adoption for navigation and provides a comprehensive, connected service experience. This allows users to conveniently search, explore and route to their destinations whenever they want.”
Sprint received the Frost & Sullivan 2008 Mobility Award for Sprint Navigation, powered by TeleNav. For more information on the service, including compatible phones, please visit www.sprint.com/navigation.
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