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By Thomas McKinnon 25 August 2009

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Gadgets for fashionistas is a trend with no end in sight. That’s because the designer patterns and cutesy interfaces of special edition devices make great gifts and set them apart from the caboodle. TomTom’s White Pearl GPS is no exception.

As far as GPS devices go the White Pearl has a rather petite 3.5" touch-screen. The display is bright and large enough to operate and navigate by. It also features what TomTom calls a pearlescent finish, giving the casing an attractive pearl like luster effect, hence the name. Throw in the matching draw string bag and you have a very cute ensemble.

We really like what TomTom is doing with its mounts as well. Its EasyPort mount, as seen on the TomTom XL, is neat enough to be removed from you windscreen along with the device and stowed or even taken with you. Gone are the days of bulky, multiple-component mounts.

The White Pearl isn’t all about show though as it comes with some very innovative features beyond TomTom’s reliable navigation software, based as it is on the TomTom ONE. Cleverly it features a “Help Me!” function which will pinpoint your location, give directions to the nearest police station or hospital, and even the number of the nearest emergency services. This safety focus is also evident in its Text To Speech functionality which is enhanced by its impressive speaker system.

On a lighter note, it also offers some uniquely female focused points-of-interest categories like ‘Shop ’til you drop’, Everyday fashion’ and ‘Places to be seen.’ So whether it’s restaurants, bars, spas or shopping malls the ladies always have directions to a place to max out the credit card.

The best bit about the unit is its price, only R1999.

PROS
Wide range of safety features. Excellent build quality.
CONS
The display is a little on the small.
USER COMMENTS

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