palmOne will release next July a GPS solution for cars, including the Tungsten E2 handheld, software and maps from ViaMichelin, and palmOne's first branded GPS receiver, built into the car recharging cradle. We have seen it and we have the pictures to prove it.

(versión de esta noticia en español en: Así es el nuevo GPS de palmOne)

palmOne has previously launched GPS navigation bundles for several of its PDA, but all of them used receivers and car cradles from other manufacturers, such as Kirrio and TomTom. The new Tungsten E2 Navigation Companion, revealed yesterday during the Internet Global Congress in Barcelona, will be the first one to use a palmOne-branded GPS receiver.

As shown in the images (taken with a Treo 600, please excuse the quality), the receiver is specific for the Tungsten E2 handheld. It has a suction cup for the car windshield and plugs into the car lighter socket for recharging both the receiver and the handheld. In the rear it has a speaker for voice navigation commands, and the system is based on SiRF SiRFstar III GPS chipset.

The connection between the E2 and the GPS receiver is made via the connector, not using the Bluetooth function of the handheld.

The bundle also includes a SD memory card with GPS software and maps from ViaMichelin. The price and the availability of the GPS receiver as a separate option are still unknown.