Navdy
Harman, a major supplier of car infotainment systems, has invested in a tiny, heads-up display you can pin to your dashboard that was created by startup Navdy.
Samsung announced it was buying Harman in a deal worth $8 billion in November, highlighting the electronics maker’s pivot into the automotive space following the withdrawal of its explosion-prone Galaxy Note 7 phone. Harman’s partnership with Navdy marks its first investment since the Samsung acquisition was announced.
Samsung’s acquirement of Harman is expected to close mid-2017, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.
Harman announced in a press release that it will sell the co-branded heads-up display to automakers as part of the investment, beginning in January 2017. Here’s how the Navdy display works:
Navdy is a heads-up display that you can pin to your dashboard using a magnetic attachment so you can see your directions projected on a tiny screen right in your line of sight.
There are three different height options so you can customize how it falls into your line of sight.
But you can also elect to have it project directions right on to your windshield.
The display works with the Navdy phone app that’s powered by Google Maps. The app is available on iPhones and Android devices and will show your directions in real-time as you drive.
Similar to apps like Waze, the Navdy will calculate the fastest route and will give you updated directions if it finds a faster way during the course of your drive.
The display itself comes with a GPS chip, antenna, accelerometers, gyrometer, and sensors to pinpoint where your car is in relation to your route. Navdy says the display will work even if you lose service by relying on its GPS and built-in offline maps.
But the Navdy doesn’t only provide directions. It can also alert you of incoming phone calls…
… that you can choose to accept with the wave of a hand.
It will also read your texts aloud, and you can choose to reply using Siri or Google Assistant.
Navdy can also show scheduled events or alerts by syncing up to apps like Facebook, Slack, and Whatsapp.
You can also customize the display to show other information like the speed limit and the amount of fuel you have left.
Navdy also come with a separate dial that you can attach to your wheel to scroll through Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, or Google Play directly on the display.
But the Navdy is pricey at $799 (or $33 a month if you choose to pay in installments.) Navdy began selling the device directly to customers two months ago. Navdy and Harman’s partnership will help the startup sell the device directly to automakers as well beginning in 2017.
Navdy has now raised $42 million total with the latest investment from Harman. Navdy did not disclose the size of Harman’s investment.
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