Sygic on Wednesday announced a new addition to its GPS navigation app for Android smartphones and tablets, stating that the mobile tool now supports a new augmented reality (AR) feature called Real View Navigation. The latest functionality included into the GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic app was designed to facilitate the process of navigating unknown areas with the company’s app, allowing users to have their mobile devices scan their surroundings, then provide them with directions using AR elements. Consumers who find constantly checking maps bothersome or want to avoid it for any other reason can now simply have their phones or tablets “look” at the road through the camera lens and map a path for them to follow, as seen in the promotional screenshot above this writing.
The Bratislava, Slovakia-based software company claims that its app is the first premium offering in the industry to take advantage of AR technologies, adding that the newly implemented solution is not only more convenient but also safer than traditional navigation methods; using Sygic’s AR functionality means drivers never have to look away from the road and can therefore be certain that they won’t miss anything. Real View Navigation is currently being distributed to all users of Sygic’s Android and iOS app and is being offered as an in-app purchase for $8.99, the company said. Owners of Android-powered smartphones and tablets can download a basic version of GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic free of charge by following the Google Play Store banner beneath this writing. The app itself is compatible with the majority of devices running Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Google’s ubiquitous operating system.
The addition of Real View Navigation to Sygic’s offering is yet another step in the firm’s endeavor to evolve its mobile tool into a comprehensive road assistant that can do everything from helping with navigation and checking fuel prices to alerting users about police radars, speed traps, and even tourist attractions, in addition to being able to act like a dash cam. The Slovakian company recently issued a new API for developers looking to integrate its technologies into their own offerings and is planning more major additions to the GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic app in the near future.