Sony Ericsson plug-and-play satnav for mobile

Sony Ericsson has unveiled its first plug-and-play GPS satnav solution for mobile phones. It's a plug in device that has a stereo headset for giving you vocal directions as you go. The Sony Ericsson GPS Enabler HGE-100 was announced at the same time as one of its new mid-priced phones that can support the device, the K530i.

The Sony Ericsson GPS Enabler HGE-100 works in conjunction with the phone to offer users personal satnav functionality. You can tap in text on the phone or use voice commands to select saved destinations. As well as onscreen and voice directions for street navigation, the GPS device also has tracking functions built in.

You can monitor speed, distance, route and calorie burn, and can analyse performance data on the phone's display. The Sony Ericsson GPS Enabler HGE-100 neatly doubles up as a media player remote control and headphone set-up. A 3.5m jack lets you use whatever headphones are most suitable.

The Sony Ericsson GPS Enabler HGE-100 is compatible with a selection of recent Sony Ericsson phones including the K530i, and models from the K800i onwards.

Sony Ericsson K530i

The new Sony Ericsson K530i is a slimline candybar 3G phone aimed at the mid-market. Sony Ericsson claims it is its most affordable 3G handset yet. It has a 2-megapixel camera and a regular set of Sony Ericsson multimedia functions. A built in digital music player, video calling and video record/playback functions are included. High speed 3G download, streaming and full web browsing are to hand too.

The Sony Ericsson GPS Enabler HGE-100 and the K530i will go on sale from the third quarter of this year.