GPS Devices need a iPhone like disruption

Could you have imagined a year ago a statement like in this article .."It is quite possible that GPS devices will face the same fate as the digital camera"...the category could be submerged into smartphones?

As I checked out GPS units for my daughter last weekend, I was disappointed the form/function has not really evolved much in the last couple of years - in contrast mobile devices led by the iPhone are exploding in features, applications and services

I think the stage is set for a GPS-centric vendor to take a stand and tell Apple, Nokia and others "stay away from our turf - the auto, the boat, the plane - things which make us mobile". But it will take a revolutionary product like the iPhone.

Here's some features the "Jesus-GPS" would have:

a) Kickass Navigation capabilities: Today's GPS devices do better than Google Maps or Microsoft Live Search on a phone today because of their voice directed navigation (Google Maps today has no sounds, MS only has beeps). But they could widen the gap by allowing for much easier updates to maps to reflect frequent construction and other road changes. They could make real-time traffic updates easier. And take crowdsourcing of traffic information like Dash is pioneering to the next level. Support add-ons for easy downloads of marine or international maps or 29.92 adjustments for aviation. 

b) Better integration with mobile communication/entertainment: Bluetooth speakerphone for mobile calls. A2DP support to stream MP3 music. Support for a FM transmitter to pipe sound through the car stereo system. Use as a display device for SD card or iPod based video or as a secondary screen for a DVD player - so kids can use it in a hotel room or when you are not using as GPS in the car. The Nokia 500 offers many of these features, in addition to being a navigation device. Others like Nextar's are integrated with a license plate mounted camera to allow the screen to act as a back-up camera when the car is reversing. Of course, for business applications, the GPS unit may need to be integrated with scanning, RFID and other technology like UPS drivers have in their DIADs.

c) A Location based App Store. For Geocaching. For the plethora of location and social network mashups that are emerging. For a whole slew of business telemetry applications. An ecosystem as vibrant as that around the iPhone - particularly the location based ones it has already spawned.

d) Support for various auto monitoring services: I was told recently about Inilex which offers a wide range of Kepler auto monitoring services - anti-theft, teenage misuse, car diagnostics and more. Kind of an ADT for the car. No reason why a GPS device cannot become the centerpiece for such services.

e) Other form/function - Docking station in car so it integrates easily to power, radio, monitoring outlets - and of course allows for the unit to be usable outside the car. Ideally 5 inch display so you do not need to squint when you drive and the portable portion of the unit under 7 oz. (if you think that is too demanding, the iPhone 3G is 3.5 inch, 480x320 pixels (163 ppi) and only weighs 4.7 oz). And of course, as intuitive as the iPhone. If you have tried to download points of interest (POIs) to most of today's GPS units, you know they are far from user-friendly.  Finally, please stay away from a 2 year plan with one of the wireless carriers - keep your TCO manageable.

So, Garmin, TomTom, Magellan - you ready to step up?