Navman Australia today announced the launch of a new range of portable GPS navigation units, the MY series. The company claims the GPS units offer a host of new features that provide "rich information" to consumers. Navman also revealed it has "no plans for an iPhone app".

Rival GPS manufacturer TomTom has announced plans for a dedicated iPhone app that should be available in Australia before the end of the year. Earlier this week, Sygic released the first turn-by-turn voice guided navigation app for the iPhone; Navigon has also confirmed it will release an iPhone app before the end of 2008.

Marcus Fry, the Australasian general manager of Mitac (Navman's parent company), told GoodGearGuide.com.au that Navman won't rule out developing an iPhone app in the future but has "chosen to concentrate on dedicated navigation solutions at this stage."

Among the new features of the Navman MY series GPS units are the ability to search for local information on Google and TrueLocal search engines and the addition of Lonely Planet and Wcities travel guides. Other features include extended lane guidance and 3D junction views on all models, keyword searching capabilities and multi-stop trip planning.

"People really should feel like they have a reliable and knowledgeable 'mate' in the car who knows the area," said Navman's Wendy Hammond. "You can now search Google and TrueLocal via your phone's Bluetooth connection, giving [you] the freedom of not having to plan ahead."

The MY series consists of four models: the entry-level Navman MY30, the Navman MY50T, the Navman MY55T and the top-of-the-range Navman MY500XT. The MY500XT includes a capacitive, 4.7in touch screen, built-in SUNA traffic capabilities, Bluetooth hands-free and an FM transmitter. The MY50T and MY55T also come standard with SUNA traffic capabilities, hence the T branding in the product name.

Navman also confirmed that all MY series GPS units come standard with a two-year warranty, but the company is yet to announce pricing. The MY30, MY50T and MY55T will be available in July, while the MY500XT will launch in August.