Arriving just in time for the summer holiday road trip season, our Australia’s own LASER today unveiled the Navig8r, a new in-car touchscreen display, giving consumers the full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto experience for cars that don’t have these systems inbuilt.
While most of today’s new cars support CarPlay or Android Auto, it leaves second hand car purchasers and anyone with a model over a few years old going without easy-to-use, plug-and-play technology that delivers a way to ‘up-smart’ their car and deliver a smoother in-car driving experience. According to latest research, 80% of surveyed Australians want access to these smart features in their vehicles, making the Navig8r Portable Wireless Touchscreen an affordable must-have at just $169.
The Navig8r Portable Wireless Touchscreen offers convenience, safety, and functionality by integrating your car and your phone to enable access to messages, make phone calls, get directions, select your favourite music tracks and more, all without taking your hands off the steering wheel.
The Navig8r 7″ Portable Wireless Touchscreen is easy to install and even easier to use, commands can be issued with your voice using Siri or Google Assistant. Integrated apps include maps (including Apple, Google, Waze and more), music (Apple, Spotify, Amazon and more), messaging (including WhatsApp), calls, podcasts, calendars and even AirPlay or Miracast for screen mirroring directly to the device when needed.
“With road trip season just around the corner, and the rising demand around in-car smartphone integration, the role of portable options is becoming incredibly popular. We see this as a handsfree extension of your phone, great for gifting and ideal to make any ‘dumb’ car a smart one. It also continues our ongoing commitment to deliver such a compelling option that is well under $200.” said Chris Lau, Managing Director of LASER Corporation and Head of the Navig8r brand.
Navig8r 7″ Portable Wireless Touchscreen Key Features
- Navigation – Whether the user prefers Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, or another mapping product, latest maps can be integrated with real time features just as would be seen on your smartphone. The user can issue voice instructions to get directions while driving.
- Music – stream, cast, or play favourite songs, playlists, and podcasts. Any app on the users smartphone such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and so on can be displayed on the touchscreen, and songs and actions undertaken with voice command.
- Messaging – touchless and by voice. Whether using Whatsapp, SMS, WeChat or other messaging platforms, the user can have messages read aloud, or simply speak aloud speech to be converted to text ready to send.
- Handsfree calling – Leave your phone in your pocket and dial numbers or contacts simply by talking. Use voice commands to check your calendar, play podcasts or engage in a team’s meeting.
- AirPlay and MiraCast – cast content from your phone (or tablet) onto the screen. Kids can watch streaming services from your phone on the screen when used in the backseat. While this feature might be restricted in cars with CarPlay built-in, the Navig8r Portable Wireless Touchscreen has multiple uses even out of the car thanks to its portability.
- Powered by USB – take it anywhere and keep it powered through any USB power source
7″ LCD screen with IPS – Using a high quality In-Plane-Switching LCD panel, the 7″ screen offers improved colour accuracy and consistency as well as a wider viewing angle. - Bluetooth & Wifi – Wireless connection from your smartphone means the phone can be left in the users pocket, handbag or backpack. Once connected, the pairing is saved so that next time the user gets into the car their phone is automatically re-connected.
- FM transmitter – with a choice of preset stations on the device, it can be simply tuned to FM radio to be enjoyed via the cars audio system or the device’s built-in speaker.
- Extendable Windscreen mount – offers a variety of installation options from close to the driver to a central located position. The extendable windscreen mount is adaptable for all windscreen types.
Add-On Accessory Available – Navig8r Reverse Camera
Small enough to be mounted in the tightest of spaces, the Navig8r universal reversing camera is suited for any monitor device accepting a 3.5mm phono plug. Once installed, it offers the driver a clear view of what’s behind the car… night or day, rain or shine. The camera has HD 720p resolution and night vision and has an IP67 weatherproof rating.
Pricing and Availability
The Navig8r 7″ Portable Wireless Touchscreen has an RRP of $169 and is available now at Harvey Norman.
The complementary Navig8r Add-On Reverse Camera has an RRP of $29.95.
