TeleNav GPS Navigator updating to 7.1 for Sprint Android users

TeleNav announced this morning that its GPS Navigator app for Android phones is getting a major update soon.

Designated version 7.1, this new update starts with a new My Dashboard home screen that presents a local map, commute times and traffic, shortcuts and a search bar at the user's fingertips upon launching the app. Users may not immediately notice once their trip is under way, but behind the scenes the maps feature a revised rendering engine that TeleNav claims is both smoother and faster.

Of course, no good Android app would be complete without a widget, so TeleNav Navigator 7.1 has three of them, including a large 4x2 unit that replicates much of the My Dashboard interface including the local map, commute times and traffic delays, and the search bar.

Also new in version 7.1 are customizable car icons for the map, giving the user the option to purchase 3D space ships, tanks, or sports cars to represent their place on the map as they navigate.

Users of phones running Android version 2.3 on Sprint's network will see the TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1 update in Google's Android Market later this month. (Android users on other carriers will have to wait to receive the update "in the near future.") It's a free download, but to unlock premium features such as commute reports, graphic lane assist, and speed trap and red-light camera notifications for $4.99 per month. And those custom car icons are also available for 99 cents a pop.