Verizon announced the launch of VZ Navigator 5.0,
the newest version of its award-winning map, navigation and local
search service
Beginning
today on select devices, VZ Navigator 5.0 will
enhancements to the existing service that take advantage of
location-based technology, including an updated, easy-to-use interface,
improved functionality finding points of interest, and the ability to
run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation
session.
The service is now integrated with Facebook, allowing users
to keep up with their friends, family and social networks by updating
their Facebook statuses directly through VZ Navigator, with the option
to include and share their locations. Customers can also use Verizon
Wireless’ Roadside Assistance service to send their location to a
dispatcher so assistance may reach them more quickly.
Other new features now available with VZ Navigator 5.0 include:
- Improved Customer Experience
– No need to wait for the entire route to download before starting
their voyage because data will now be streamed, causing display screens
to populate more quickly - Enhanced Points of Interest – Access to premium places of interest with detailed descriptions, clearly branded by Map Icons
- Traffic Crowd Sourcing
– Opt-in to anonymously send real-time location and speed to the VZ
Navigator traffic reporting service, allowing quicker notifications and
improved accuracy for all VZ Navigator users - Alerts for Other Road Attributes – Graphic notifications for tunnels, U-turns, traffic circles and toll plazas
- “Say it Mode” – Select BlackBerry® smartphones and Windows Mobile® handsets allow customers to verbally search for and update destinations
Pricing and Availability
VZ
Navigator 5.0 will roll out on select smartphones and handsets
beginning today, including the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone, LG
enV TOUCH, HTC Touch Pro2 and Samsung Omnia. The service will be
available on additional devices in the coming weeks. Current
subscribers with VZ Navigator 5.0-capable devices will get a message
the next time they launch the service, prompting them to upgrade to the
new version. New VZ Navigator subscribers with select smartphones and
handsets can download the service from Get It Now®/Media Center and VZ
Start or can add the feature through My Verizon.
VZ Navigator is available for $9.99 a month for unlimited access or $2.99
for a one-day/24-hour use on certain devices. The monthly charge
includes continuous updates to maps and points of interest, unlike
traditional navigation devices and navigation devices built into
automobiles that require annual upgrades to remain accurate. Download
charges vary and airtime or megabyte charges may apply when browsing,
downloading and using certain applications.