Dashboard Navigation Tools Threatened by Smartphones

Hard to compete with free app

Tim Nixon, chief technology officer of General Motors Co. (GM)'s OnStar service, knew something was amiss when he saw his two sons taking the "suction-cup approach" to in-car navigation. They would turn their iPhones sideways, stick them to the windshield and use a free map app to find their way.

That represented a rejection of their father's life's work: Convincing car buyers to pay $1,500 or more for a dashboard navigation system with an 8-inch screen and elaborate graphics. Rather than scold his young-adult sons, Nixon came up with an answer: GM (GM) now offers a $50 map application for iPhones that can play on the dashboard touchscreen of a $12,170 Chevrolet Spark.